Picnics, potlucks, and parties. That’s what this pasta salad is perfect for. Take this dish anywhere and have you will have an uber-satisfying dinner that scores high on the health-o-meter.
Light.
Satisfying.
Mean, green, tasty machine.
Traditional pasta salad is smothered in a dairy-heavy dressing and sprinkled with cheese. Instead of using high-fat animal products to spice up a classic we’ll be using veggies and nutritional yeast to create a creamy, greeny dressing that will satisfy anyone’s comfort-food craving.
Just cook the pasta, throw your dressing ingredients in yo’ blender, rev it up, chop the veggie rainbow, and mix it all together to form this masterpiece.
This was so perfect to bring up to Callaghan Lake just outside of Whistler for a sunset picnic on the paddle boards. Check out my instagram @hookedonplants for a photo of that.
Benefits:
Brown rice pasta has just 2 ingredients (brown rice and water). This is the kind of pasta you want to mow down. Avoid the white pasta and opt for a quinoa or brown rice version, and enjoy the health benefits of these grains in a different shape. Good carbohydrates are easy for you to digest and deliver usable energy to your cells.
Broccoli is a great source of protein, zinc, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids and the antioxidant selenium. The sulforaphane it contains is detoxifying and anti-aging plus can lower your blood pressure.
Artichokes are one of the worlds best foods when it comes to antioxidants. This means healthy immunity, anti-aging, and combatting cancer.
Serves 8-10 (Great for leaft overs)
Ready in 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 bag brown rice pasta
Red pepper
Crown of broccoli
1/2 red onion
Big bunch of Green beans
1 pack cherry tomatoes
Green Sauce Ingredients:
Big Bunch basil
1/2 zucchini
1/2 red pepper
1 small jar artichokes
2 cups spinach
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
Directions:
- Cook pasta according to package. Then strain and cool
- Cook beans: place in pot, cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer 4 minutes
- Blend all sauce ingredients together
- Chop the broccoli, onion, red pepper and tomatoes
- Mix everything together.
- Serve with spinach, top with cilantro.
