Guacamole Pasta Salad (Vegan High-Protein)
This Guacamole Pasta Salad is light, refreshing and full of protein. It’s great for meal prep and packed lunches or an easy midweek dinner and is vibrant, wholesome and naturally vegan and gluten-free.
If you are looking for a new pasta salad recipe to add to your rotation, this is a great one to choose. I love this for meal prep, lunchboxes and for making in less than 20 minutes for a speedy dinner. It’s easy and quick to make and you can easily make more of this to feed a crowd or to last you a few days. The best part has to be the delicious guacamole dressing as well as the spiced black beans, which I just love. They are full of protein and fibre, while all the fresh veggies add tons of colour and nutrition to this meal.
Why will I love this salad?
This is a new favourite:
- Fresh, light and zesty
- Creamy, crunchy, spiced and smooth
- Packed with good for you ingredients
- Has all the best parts of guacamole and refried beans in a healthy salad form
- Great for making ahead of time and for meal prep
- Naturally vegan, egg-free and dairy-free
- Nut-free and easily gluten-free
- High in protein and fibre
- Loaded with a rainbow of fruits and vegetables
- Filling and wholesome yet light
- Great for feeding a crowd or just one or two people
If you already love the sound of this pasta salad then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
The ingredient list is divided into a few parts and you can see my recommended products in the “shop the recipe” section below and full weights are in the recipe card.
For the black beans:
- Olive oil: for frying the bean mix, or you can use avocado or another nut oil.
- Garlic: for flavour.
- Red pepper: to add in some vegetables to the mix I love to use red or orange bell pepper.
- Spices: these beans have a mix of hot smoked paprika and ground cumin for a warm and smokey flavour.
- Black beans: I love using these beans in salads as they are full of fibre and protein and taste amazing. I love the ones from Bold Bean Co, who do the best beans.
For the pasta salad:
- Small pasta shapes: you can use any small pasta shapes here, and I found these lovely ones called Malloreddus which are curled and have ridges in them to capture all the sauce.
- Lettuce or spinach: for freshness. If making this ahead of time, add the fresh salad leaves before serving as the leaves will wilt over time.
- Tomatoes: chop these up small to add into the salad.
- Red pepper: as above, you can also try orange or yellow bell pepper. These add crunch and vegetable goodness.
- Avocado: for creaminess. There is double the avocado in this pasta salad with the sauce and then in cubes.
- Spring onion and herbs: use the same herbs for the sauce as for the salad like mint, parsley, coriander or chive.
- Pink pickles: these are a great gut health boost and look so pretty on top. You can easily make your own, following my recipe here.
- Crunch e.g. nuts and seeds: I love some crunch on top and either use some nuts or seeds or a roasted bean mix.
And for the guacamole dressing:
- Avocado: the creamier the better for the dressing.
- Fresh herbs: as above, a mix of herbs is great like chive, mint, parsley and/or coriander. These add to the lovely natural green colour.
- Coconut kefir or thick yoghurt: this makes the sauce really creamy. I love to use the Cocos Organic coconut kefir or their natural yoghurt. Make sure it’s 100% natural with no added ingredients, where you can.
- Garlic and lemon: for zing, tang and flavour.
- Plant-based milk: to thin the sauce to a pourable consistency. Make sure the milk is unsweetened for the best sauce flavour. I love soya, almond, coconut or oat.
- Nutritional yeast: for a lovely rich flavour without being overly cheesy – this is the best addition to the sauce.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
Make sure you use gluten-free pasta to keep this meal gluten-free and use seeds or roasted beans on top to make this nut-free.
How do I make this?
This pasta salad is easy to make:
- For the refried beans: fry off the garlic and pepper then add the spices and beans and simmer for 5 minutes before slightly mashing.
- Cook the pasta: and allow to cool down slightly.
- Chop up all the salad ingredients: into small pieces.
- Blend together the guacamole dressing: until smooth.
- Assemble the salad: plate up the salad, pasta, black beans and pour over the sauce.
- Add on the pink pickles and nuts or seeds: and toss together.
How long will this last?
Once made, this will last for 2-3 days, but best to keep the salad leaves separate as these will wilt. You can also keep the guacamole dressing for 2-3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
What else can I try?
If you are looking for more meal prep salads and lunch ideas:
- Chickpea Avocado Quinoa Salad Jars with Tahini
- Harissa Tofu Tabbouleh Salad Jars
- Roasted Aubergine and Chickpea Smashed Cucumbers
- The Best Vegan Kale Salad with Balsamic
- Charred Corn and Sweet Potato Salad with Balsamic Tahini
Guacamole Pasta Salad (Vegan High-Protein)
This Guacamole Pasta Salad is light, refreshing and full of protein. It’s great for meal prep and packed lunches or an easy midweek dinner and is vibrant, wholesome and naturally vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
For the Black Beans:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- ½ red pepper, small diced
- ½ tsp hot smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 240g black beans, drained weight (from one 400g tin)
- Salt and pepper
For the Pasta Salad:
- 160g small pasta shapes
- 40g lettuce or spinach
- 160g cherry tomatoes, in ½ or ¼
- ½ red pepper, small diced
- ½ avocado, sliced
- 1 spring onion, chopped small
- Fresh herbs
- 2 tbsp pink pickles
- 40g nuts/seeds/roasted bean and pea snacks
For the Guacamole Dressing:
- ½ ripe avocado
- 2 small bunches fresh herbs e.g. coriander, mint or basil
- 60g coconut kefir (or yoghurt)
- 1 small garlic clove
- ½ lemon, juiced (1 tbsp)
- 3 tbsp plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Prepare the black beans: heat a non-stick pan with the oil and add the garlic and red pepper. Fry off for 2 minutes, to soften and then add the paprika and cumin with some salt and pepper. Fry for 1 minute, until fragrant and then add in the black beans. Stir well and add in 1 tbsp water. Place a lid on the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, to soften the beans. Now roughly mash with a fork or potato masher.
- Meanwhile: cook the pasta and leave to one side. Chop and slice all of the salad ingredients.
- Make the dressing: add all of the ingredients to a small blender with some salt and pepper and process till thick and creamy. Pour into a sealable jar and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, as needed.
- To make the salad: add all of the salad leaves to a large platter (or two bowls/plates) and top with the pasta, black beans, tomatoes, pepper, avocado and spring onions. Add on some herbs and microgreens and pour over the dressing. Toss well and serve with some pink pickles and nuts/seeds/bean snacks.
- Enjoy straight away or keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days. if using softer salad leaves, add these before serving as they may wilt with the dressing over the 2-3 days.
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Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Guacamole Pasta Salad so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With guacamole love x
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