Healthy Creamy Chipotle Pasta Salad packed with 26 grams of protein, fresh veggies, and flavor! Ready in 30 minutes, gluten, and dairy free.
Coming back at you with another salad comprised of 75% carbs because it is summer and we are living our best life on this carb salad train.
But really, who isn't here for this salad with its perfectly al dente chewy pasta coated in a creamy smokey sweet and slightly, and I mean slightly, spicy dressing? With it's bright pops of fresh bell pepper, cabbage, and broccoli?
Which is all masquerading as a decadent side dish when it is in fact actually seriously healthy! As in over 26 grams of protein per serving, dairy free, and full of fiber healthy!
I would be forever kicking myself if I didn't tell you how incredibly amazingly delicious the creamy chipotle dressing is. It is creamy thanks to cashews and flavored with smokey and rich chipotle peppers. They lend a little spice which is tamed by a squirt of sweet agave and the rich cashews. A touch of garlic and a little zing of lime bring the whole thing together!
I love this dressing so much that I actually use it in these taquitos, often drizzle it onto tacos, and put it on just about any veggie I can find!
The moral of the story here: make a double batch.
And there is even more to love about this healthy pasta salad!
- No need to cook the veggies. Just chop and drop them into the bowl.
- If you have a high speed blender (best kitchen investment I've ever made!) you don't even need to soak the cashews for the dressing ahead of time
- Which means this entire salad comes together in the time it takes to the pasta
- And this salad is even better in the fridge the next day making it perfect for meal prep!
And if you are looking to be inspired by even more healthy pasta salad magic, check out this Protein Packed Thai Pasta Salad and this Lemon Asparagus Pasta Salad.
Both are protein packed, can be made in less than 30 minutes, are healthy to boot, and have 10 ingredients or less!
So basically, I will jut be here eating pasta salad until the cows come home. And to be clear, we have no cows.
So essentially, I'll be eating pasta salad forever.
PrintProtein Packed Creamy Chipotle Pasta Salad
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Healthy Creamy Chipotle Pasta Salad with perfectly al dente chewy pasta coated in a creamy smokey sweet and slightly, and I mean slightly, spicy dairy free dressing. With bright pops of fresh bell pepper, cabbage, and broccoli. 26 grams of protein per serving, gluten free and full of fiber!
Ingredients
For the Creamy Chipotle Dressing:
- ½ cup raw cashews (soaked overnight if you aren't using a high speed blender)
- ½ cup water
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon agave
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the pasta salad:
- 1 (8) oz package of chickpea pasta (I like this brand best!)
- 2 cups broccoli florets (I like to chop them into small bite sized pieces)
- 2 cups chopped red cabbage
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
Instructions
- Start you pasta cooking.
- Add all the dressing ingredidnts to the blender and blend until smooth.
- Chop your veggies and add them to a large bowl.
- Drain your pasta and rinse it under cool water. Add it to the bowl with the veggies and pour in the creamy chipotle dressing. Toss together and serve!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ recipe
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 70g
- Fiber: 16g
- Protein: 26g
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