Buffalo Chickpea Pasta Salad

This Buffalo Chickpea Pasta Salad is what pasta salad should be! Chilled pasta is tossed with crunchy veggies, the BEST green chile vegan ranch and buffalo chickpeas. You get a little bit of kick from the chickpeas and so much great flavor from the dressing. This is the perfect BBQ side dish or make ahead lunch!

Step One: Make the Buffalo Chickpeas & Pasta

Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Add your pasta and cook until al dente. You want to be sure not to over cook it – otherwise you’ll end up with a mushy mess. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.

While the pasta is cooking make the buffalo chickpeas. Add a can of drained chickpeas to a skillet with oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika & pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the chickpeas start to get crispy. Pour in some buffalo sauce and cook for another couple minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Step Two: Make the Vegan Green Chile Ranch

I’m so obsessed with this green chile ranch recipe. It isn’t spicy, but the green chiles add a great flavor!

For the ranch you’ll need:

• vegan mayo
• green chiles
• garlic 
• onion powder
• dried parsley
• dried chives
• dried dill
• pepper
• apple cider vinegar

Add all of the ranch ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Step Three: Assemble & Serve

Once everything is ready it is time to assemble! Add the chilled pasta to a large bowl with bell pepper, grape tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, avocado and the buffalo chickpeas. Drizzle the ranch over everything and toss.

Finish off the salad with some chopped green onion and get ready to be in heaven. You can chill the salad or eat it at room temperature. I like it both ways!

If you are planning to make this ahead of time, just wait to add the avocado until right before serving.