TTLA Pasta Salad (members only)
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This TTLA Pasta Salad is the ultimate vegan take on a BLT pasta salad. It has a creamy avocado dressing, crispy tempeh and fresh veggies!
Pasta salad season is upon us and this TTLA Pasta Salad is one of my new favorites. I already LOVE making a TTLA sandwich on a regular basis. And this pasta salad takes all of those delicious flavors and puts them into a tasty side dish. The creamy, avocado cilantro dressing might be my favorite part. It is delish!
here’s what you need
ingredients
- short pasta – I used fussili
- tempeh bacon – I used Lightlife
- romaine
- cherry tomatoes
- cilantro
- jalapeño
- vegan mayo
- avocado oil
- avocado
- garlic
- onion powder
- pepper
- apple cider vinegar
equipment
You will need a pot to cook the pasta, a food processor for the dressing, a skillet for the tempeh and a big salad bowl to bring it together.
steps
step 1: prep the tempeh & pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook until crispy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
step 2: make thes dressing
The dressing for this salad is a flavor bomb!
Grab a food processor and add the cilantro, mayo, oil, avocado, garlic, jalapeño, apple cider vinegar & dry seasonings and blend until smooth.
Give it a taste and adjust as needed.
step 3: assemble & serve
Add the pasta, tempeh, romaine & tomatoes to a large salad bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Serve right away or cover and place in the fridge to chill.
This salad is everything – creamy, crispy, fresh and delicious!
tips & tricks
If you want to make this hours in advance, I would make all of the components, keep them in the fridge and then add the dressing right before serving.
Not into tempeh? You could also sauté a can of chickpeas with some smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper until crispy.
need more recipe inspo? check these out:
TTLA Pasta Salad (members only)
Ingredients
- 1 pound short pasta I used fussili
- 1 teaspoon oil I used avocado oil
- 6 ounces tempeh bacon chopped, I used Lightlife
- 1 head romaine chopped
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
FOR THE DRESSING
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 jalapeño roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup vegan mayo
- 1/4 cup oil I used avocado oil
- 1 small avocado
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- salt to taste
Equipment
- pot
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook until crispy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Add the pasta, tempeh, romaine & tomatoes to a large salad bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Serve right away or cover and place in the fridge to chill.
Notes
- If you want to make this hours in advance, I would make all of the components, keep them in the fridge and then add the dressing right before serving.
- Not into tempeh? You could also sauté a can of chickpeas with some smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper until crispy.
