Let's make an elevated, veggie-loaded, vegan dill pickle pasta salad for all the dill pickle lovers. This recipe requires minimal cooking, comes together in less than 30 minutes, and is perfect for the hot summer months. Unlike some other pasta salads, this one is light and nourishing with a dressing made of unsweetened plant-based yogurt and vegan mayonnaise.
More healthy vegan summer salads you might like: roasted zucchini salad, healthy potato salad, red rice salad.
Why you'll love this recipe
- This vegan dill pickle pasta salad can easily be prepped ahead. You can make it ahead of time for a summer party or meal prep it for lunches throughout the week (see storage tips below).
- There's no cooking involved (except for the pasta), making it the perfect no-cook summer recipe. All the veggies can be eaten raw and just require a little bit of chopping.
- It's a great main dish (e.g., as a lunch for work) or side dish for summer gatherings and BBQs. You can also easily prepare it for a picnic or bring it to your next potluck.
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Pasta: I like using gluten-free fusilli for this dill pickle pasta salad. You can use any type of pasta you like, just make sure to use a short pasta shape that holds the dressing well (e.g., fusilli, fusilli bucati corti, rotini, or elbow pasta).
- Frozen peas: If like me, you like a good time-saving hack, you'll love that you can cook the frozen peas in the same pot as the pasta. I also feel like frozen peas have a superior taste to canned peas–but that may just be me.
- Vegetables: I used carrots, cherry tomatoes, and bell pepper (not pictured but highly recommended).
- Canned corn: I once forgot to add the corn and this salad just wasn't the same. It adds a sweet touch that balances out the briney dressing and makes it all come together.
- Dill pickles & pickle juice: The star of the salad! Use the crunchy pickles for the salad and the brine for the dressing. Make sure to use your favorite high-quality dill pickle brand as it heavily influences the flavor of this pasta salad.
- Fresh dill and fresh parsley: You can add as little or as much as you like. If you don't have fresh herbs, replace them with 1-2 teaspoons dried dill and 1 teaspoon dried parsley for 4 servings of dill pickle pasta salad.
- Unsweetened soy yogurt: It makes a great base for the creamy dressing and replaces sour cream in a traditional dill pickle pasta salad recipe. I really recommend unsweetened soy yogurt (over any other type of plant-based yogurt, such as coconut yogurt) because it has the most neutral taste.
- Vegan mayonnaise: Adds that tangy flavor that cannot be missing in a cold pasta salad. If you're not completely vegan (but plant-first like me), feel free to use regular mayo.
- Spices: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt give the dressing and the salad a nice kick.
Elo's tips
- Cut the veggies as finely as possible. I promise this will make the salad taste so much better as you'll have a little bit of everything with every bite. Use a vegetable chopper to save time if you have one.
- Add more crunchy vegetables, such as yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, red onion, or even finely diced Kohlrabi.
- Use roasted corn instead of canned corn. It makes all the difference. I like using leftover roasted corn from a BBQ.
- Make homemade dill pickles: I highly recommend making quick pickled cucumbers yourself–it just takes 5 minutes. This recipe provides the perfect brine for the dill pickle salad dressing.
- Rinse the pasta under cold water. It stops the cooking process right away and prevents the pasta (especially gluten-free pasta) from being mushy or falling apart. It also cools down the pasta immediately and lets you serve the pasta salad right away.
- Dress shortly before serving or the pasta will soak up all the dressing. You can find more storage and meal prep tips below.
How to make vegan dill pickle pasta salad
STEP 1: Chop the veggies. Finely dice the carrots, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and pickles. Chop the fresh dill and parsley.
STEP 2: Cook the pasta and the peas in boiling salted water. You want the pasta to be al dente.
STEP 3: Drain the corn and rinse it under cold water.
STEP 4: Make the creamy dill dressing while the pasta cooks. Combine the unsweetened soy yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, dill pickle juice, and spices in a small bowl or jar.
STEP 5: Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to help it cool down quickly or let it cool to room temperature.
STEP 6: Combine. Add the cooled pasta and peas, drained corn, carrot, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, chopped pickles, and herbs to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine.
Storage & meal prepping tips
Storage: This vegan pasta salad stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Do not freeze.
Meal prep: Store the salad dressing in a separate container and dress the salad shortly before serving. If you're taking this dill pickle pasta salad to school or to work, you can put the dressing in a small salad dressing container.
Join us!
Don’t forget to join the Cooking With Elo newsletter. You’ll get plant-first recipe ideas sent weekly to your inbox.
The recipe
Veggie-Loaded Dill Pickle Pasta Salad (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 4 servings of pasta gluten-free if needed
- 1 cup (150 g) frozen peas
- 3 (200 g) medium carrots
- 10 oz (280 g) cherry tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 15 oz (400 g) canned corn
- 4 large pickles
- 2-3 sprigs of fresh dill more to taste
- 2-3 sprigs of fresh parsley
For the dressing
- ½ cup (150 g) unsweetened soy yogurt
- 3-4 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
- 1 ½ teaspoon mustard
- 2 tablespoon pickle juice
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt more to taste
Instructions
Bring water to a boil. Cook the pasta with the peas for 10 minutes.
Prep the veggies. Peel and finely dice the carrots. Cut the cherry tomatoes and bell pepper into very small pieces. Drain the corn. Finely chop the pickles, parsley, and dill.
Rinse the pasta under cold water to help it cool down more quickly.
Make the dressing. Add the soy yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt to a small jar and stir to combine.
Combine. Add the cooled pasta and peas to a bowl with carrots, cherry tomatoes, corn, pickles, dill, and parsley. Toss to combine.
Leave a star rating and review below. Thank you!
Loved it? Please rate it!
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe from the blog, make sure to let me know how you liked it by leaving a star rating and a comment below. Your feedback really matters! To never miss a recipe, follow me on Instragram, Pinterest and Facebook.
Did you like this recipe? Let me know!