by Fresh, crunchy Caesar salad tossed with my signature Crispy Chickpeas and my creamy, Healthy Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing to make the most delicious Dairy Free Caesar Pasta Salad that’s ready in 20 minutes and perfect as an easy weeknight main dish or to bring to your next potluck!
Friends, the only thing I can think of that’s more delicious than a Caesar salad is a Caesar PASTA salad.
Seriously, a crunchy Caesar salad drizzled with creamy, garlicky, dressing paired with perfectly cooked pasta and my crowd-pleasing crispy chickpeas? Yeah, I’m drooling just thinking about it.
The best part? It’s totally dairy-free, comes together in 20 minutes, and packs enough protein to be a legit healthy main dish on its own, not just a side, which you know makes this Registered Dietitian very happy!
I’ve tested this pasta salad recipe with store-bought Caesar dressing, and while it’s still delicious, it’s obviously not as good as homemade, but will work in a pinch!
I’ve also tested out swapping the crispy chickpeas in this recipe for my Best Ever 10-Minute BBQ Chickpeas, and let’s just say, they’re both equally delicious, I could never choose a favorite!
Want to boost the protein even more? Whip up a batch of my Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets or my Healthy & Tasty Herby Breaded Tofu to toss in the salad, too!
How Do We Make This Dairy-Free?
So glad you asked! Luckily, I’ve perfected my Healthy Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing recipe since I’ve tested it so many times over years, and it doesn’t have a lick of dairy (or anchovies)!
We blend sunflower seeds so that they turn super creamy with other classic caesar dressing ingredients like garlic, lemon juice and plenty of fresh pepper to make the most delicious dressing that I promise, won’t have you missing the dairy!
My other secret weapon? Nutritional yeast! We use it both in the sauce and sprinkled on top of the vegan caesar pasta salad for a punch of cheesy, umami goodness!
Save this Recipe!
If you’re looking for another vegan pasta salad recipe that’s going to blow your socks off, my Bruschetta Pasta Salad is a crowd-pleaser for a reason! Fresh cherry tomatoes, balsamic dressing, tons of basil… What more could you ask for!?
Let’s Whip Up Some Vegan Pasta Salad!
To make this Caesar pasta salad come together as quickly as possible, we basically just cook the crispy chickpeas first, and while they’re cooking we blend up the dressing and cook the pasta. This means that once the chickpeas are done, we just throw all of the components in a bowl and toss well to combine!
If you want to elevate it even more, I’v also tested out this casesar pasta salad with a batch of my Actually Tasty and Healthy Tofu Bacon while the chickpeas are cooking, since they add so much salty goodness!
20-Minute Dairy Free Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 batch Air Fryer Chickpea Snack
- 1 batch Healthy Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
- 1½ cups uncooked pasta*, about 2 cups cooked. I used rotini, but most pastas will work!
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped, about 8 cups
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- High speed blender to make the dressing
Instructions
- Make a batch of the Air Fryer Chickpea Snack.
- In a large pot, cook your pasta as per package instructions.
- Meanwhile, make a batch of the Healthy Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing.
- In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, Air Fryer Chickpea Snack, cooked pasta, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and toss well to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Did you try this recipe? Make sure to leave a review, take a photo and tag me at @tastingtothrive_rd so I can see!
I want to make this. Have you ever made it without crisping the chickpeas? Like just straight from the can
I haven’t tried it with chickpeas straight from the can but I’d imagine it would still be delicious, you just wouldn’t have the same crunch-factor from the roasted chickpeas!