This summer pasta salad contains ten different plants, which are bursting with nutrients and flavours, and when served this way they mingle so deliciously together. Kale, carrots, onions, garlic, and cucumbers are now in season in Ireland, so it’s a great time to make this salad. The dressing coats everything so perfectly. It’s creamy but also plant based. I’ve topped the finished dish with sesame seeds, but a scattering of fresh herbs would also be delicious and would add even more plants to this scrumptious salad.
Enjoy!
Nessa x
Summer pasta salad
Ingredients
- 150g dried pasta
- 50g cashew nuts
- 100g kale, stalks removed and roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- ½ cucumber, finely diced
- 25 g sesame seeds
Dressing
- 100g cashew nuts
- 50g grilled peppers, from a jar
- 25ml recently boiled water
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 1 lime
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1tsp maple syrup
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack. Drain, hold the colander under a running cold tap for a minute to cool the pasta quickly and stop it from clumping. Leave to drain fully.
- Add 50g of cashew nuts to a hot pan and toast for a couple of minutes. Remove and roughly chop.
- To make the dressing, add the 100g of cashew nuts into a heat-proof bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Drain and add to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients for the dressing, and season with salt and pepper. Blitz for a minute or two until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- To a large bowl, add the cold pasta and cashews, kale, carrots, red pepper, onion, and cucumber. Pour over the dressing and combine well. Top with sesame seeds, cover and refrigerate until needed. This salad will keep well for about three days in a sealed container in the fridge.
