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Pasta & Red Bean Salad

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Submitted by Jeans

Vegan pasta and red kidney bean salad with diced zucchini, green pepper, tomato and green olives, bound in eggless mayonnaise with chili powder, coriander, paprika and sage. A protein-rich room-temperature salad for picnics and potlucks.

YIELD

6 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

20 min

READY

30 min

Pasta salads usually run sweet and watery. This one runs savoury and substantial, with cooked red kidney beans adding protein and body alongside rotini or ziti pasta. Diced zucchini, green pepper, tomato, and chopped green olives add colour and crunch, and the dressing leans Mediterranean-meets-Southwest with chili powder, coriander, paprika, and a touch of sage.

Eggless mayonnaise (Vegenaise, Just Mayo, or similar) keeps the salad fully vegan, which is increasingly useful for mixed-diet potlucks where everyone needs to eat. Regular mayonnaise works fine if vegan isn’t a requirement.

Serve at room temperature, not cold. Pasta salads taste flat straight out of the fridge because cold dulls flavour. Letting it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before serving lets the seasonings come back into focus.

Pro Tips

  • Cook the pasta to al dente, not soft. Pasta keeps absorbing dressing as it sits and overcooked noodles turn mushy by the second hour.
  • Rinse the cooked pasta in cold water to stop the cooking and keep the noodles from sticking together as they cool.
  • Drain and rinse canned kidney beans well if using canned. The thick can liquid throws off the dressing texture.
  • Let the finished salad sit at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavours meld. Even better the next day.

Variations

  • Sub black beans or chickpeas for the kidney beans for a different bean profile.
  • Add a half cup of corn kernels for extra Southwest character.
  • Swap the green olives for chopped pickled jalapeños and add a squeeze of lime for a zippier, more Tex-Mex version.

Ingredients

2 473
CUPS ML PASTA, ROTINI
or ziti *
2 473
CUPS ML RED KIDNEY BEANS
cooked
1 237
CUP ML ZUCCHINIS
diced
1 1
SMALL SMALL GREEN BELL PEPPER
diced
1 1
MEDIUM MEDIUM TOMATO
chopped
79
CUP ML GREEN OLIVES
chopped *
1 237
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML CHILI POWDER
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML CORIANDER
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML PAPRIKA
¼ 1.3
TEASPOON ML SAGE *
1
X SALT AND BLACK PEPPER
to taste *

Directions

Cook pasta until al dente.

Rinse and drain. Put in large bowl and add rest of the ingredients.

Mix thoroughly and serve at room temperature.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 139g (4.9 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 82 5% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 296mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 5%
Dietary Fiber 6g 25%
Sugars g
Protein 10g
Vitamin A 8% Vitamin C 29%
Calcium 3% Iron 7%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Fat, Fat-Free, Low in Saturated Fat, Low Cholesterol, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-fat Free, High Fiber
 
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