The best tofu pasta salad

Meet your go-to summer dish! Perfect meal prep. Salad to bring to parties, BBQ’s, beach or hiking days!

Admittedly, I was hesitant to use “raw” tofu in this recipe but I knew a heavily marinated tofu wouldn’t work. It had to be raw and unflavored so to absorb this incredibly flavorful dressing. I was correct and this is so good! Chilled from the fridge, it’s the perfect dish for hot summer lunches or dinners. Seriously, I’ve been eating this for lunch or dinner for days. I prepped the entire recipe in my very large stainless bowl. You may need to add additional balsamic or olive oil as leftovers absorb the dressing. It’s perfect for a bbq or summer party. Nothing to spoil in the summer sun. Okay, let’s get to it!

Tofu pasta salad

Robin, Knead to Cook
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 12

Equipment

  • 1 very large mixing bowl
  • 1 pot for boiling pasta
  • 1 strainer

Ingredients

  

  • 1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Olive or Avocado Oil
  • 2 tbl Good quality mustard/Dijon
  • 4-6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 box Lentil pasta (smaller pasta shape)
  • 1 block Wildwood extra firm tofu cubed into bite sized pieces
  • 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
  • 3 carrots sliced into bite sized pieces
  • 1/2 red onion diced
  • 1 cup sugar snap peas sliced lengthwise and halved
  • 1/2 cup frozen edamame shelled
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • 1 bell pepper (any color) diced
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Optional: Added grape tomatoes, fresh basil and chives when plating.

Instructions

 

  • Into your large mixing bowl, add your balsamic, garlic, mustard and olive oil. Whisk to combine.
  • Boil and cook your pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and run cold water over the noodles to stop the cooking and cool the noodles. Allow to drain.
  • Add all of your prepped veggies and black beans to your bowl.
  • Add cubed tofu.
  • Toss to coat everything.
  • Add your drained and cooled noodles and stir to combine as well.
  • Add red pepper flakes, black beans and S&P to taste. Stir. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Keyword beans, gluten free, mug cake, vegan mug cake, vegan, vegan protein, fiber, pasta, pasta salad, protein, summer recipe, tofu

Some notes on this recipe. Use what you have. I added grape tomatoes when plating and left them whole. I hate refrigerating tomatoes so I add them only when serving. If you’re missing ingredients or don’t care for a certain veggie, add what you love! I did add some herbs from the garden before plating as well. Chives and fresh basil worked perfectly. I used this pasta to amp up the protein content and for this recipe to be gluten free. And I cannot NOT share my favorite mustard.

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Happy Summer! ~xx

— Knead to Cook

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