This vegan lemon asparagus pasta salad is made with wholesome plant-based ingredients and full of flavor! It is oil-free, comes together in only 20 minutes and it’s perfect for a light summer meal. To make the lemon parsley pesto extra lemon-y, there is a special ingredient – lemon zest.
Other Vegan Pasta Recipes You Might Like
- Vegan mac and cheese
- Sundried tomato pesto pasta salad
- Smoked tofu pasta salad
- Creamy vegan chickpea pasta
- Oil-free vegan pesto pasta salad with pumpkin seeds
What You Need To Make This Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta Salad
To make this pasta salad, you’ll need:
- lemon: For the lemon parsley pesto, we’ll be using both the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Make sure to use organic lemons for this recipe. The lemon zest adds so much flavor to this recipe!
- parsley: to add more flavor and a nice color to the pesto
- walnuts: adds some healthy fats and a nutty flavor to the pesto
- asparagus: I used white and green asparagus (half and half). Of course, feel free to only use white or green asparagus if you like one or the other more. When cooking white asparagus, you want to make sure it is peeled. At most places, you can already buy peeled asparagus or they’ll peel it for you. Else, use a carrot or potato peeler.
- pasta: your favorite type of pasta, I like using wholegrain pasta
- tomatoes: to add some more color
- chickpeas: optionally, you can add cooked chickpeas for some additional plant-based protein
How To Make This Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta Salad
Step 1
Start by cooking the pasta according to package instructions. Furthermore, cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and cook as well. White asparagus needs roughly 15 minutes to cook, green asparagus only ~5 minutes.
Step 2
While the pasta and asparagus are cooking, we will make the pesto. For that, combine walnuts, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest and apple cider vinegar in a food processor or high-speed blender.
Blend until you get a smooth pesto-like consistency (you might have to add some water a tablespoon at a time) and then season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Next, wash the tomatoes and cut into quarters. Drain the pasta and asparagus. Add to a mixing bowl with the pesto and chili flakes. Give everything a good mix.
Step 4 (optional)
This step is optional. Add 1-2 cups of cooked and drained chickpeas for some extra plant-based protein in this meal!
How To Serve This Lemon Asparagus Pasta Salad?
I think this vegan lemon asparagus pasta salad would be great as a side dish for a vegan picnic or BBQ! I also love this recipe as a prep-ahead lunch – you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
While this pasta salad is great served cold, you could also serve it slightly warm after you have mixed together everything. It is up to you!
How To Store This Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta Salad?
I recommend to store this pasta salad in an airtight container or meal prep container. Alternatively, you can store the different ingredients individually and then mix together once you want to serve the meal. You could even prepare the lemon parsley pesto in advance and store in a glass jar.
More Ideas For Vegan Pasta Salads
Here are more ideas for vegan pasta salads. Pasta salads are one of my favorite meals to prep ahead and take to work because they can be enjoyed cold!
- Sundried tomato pesto pasta salad
- Vegan pasta salad (oil-free)
- Pasta salad with oil-free pumpkin seed pesto
- Smoked tofu pasta salad
- 47 vegan pasta salad ideas
Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the lemon parsley pesto
- ⅓ cup walnuts ~40g
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 lemon (juice and zest) organic
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper
For the lemon asparagus pasta salad
- 600 g asparagus green and white
- 6 medium tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups chickpeas optional
- 4 servings of your favorite pasta
- 1 tsp chili flakes
Instructions
- Start by bringing two pots of water to a boil.
- To one, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and add to the second pot of water. Cook until tender. White asparagus takes longer to cook (~15 minutes) so you want to add that earlier than your green asparagus pieces (~5 minutes).
To make the lemon parsley pesto
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until smooth. If the pesto is too dry, you might want to add more water a tablespoon at a time until a smooth consistency is reached.
- Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble the lemon asparagus pasta salad
- Wash the tomatoes and cut into quarters.
- To a mixing bowl, add the drained pasta, cooked asparagus, tomatoes, pesto and chili flakes.
- Optionally, you can add cooked chickpeas to add more plant-based protein.
- Serve warm or cold. This stored in the fridge in an airtight container for ~4 days.
