Looking for a quick and healthy lunch recipe? Fresh, light and full of veggies, this pasta salad packs a ton of flavor, but with less fat and lots of nutrients.
Vegan Kale Pesto Pasta Salad – makes 4 servings
Pesto Ingredients:
• 1 cup of fresh basil leaves, freshly packed
• 1 cup of packed fresh parsley
• 2 cups of baby kale
• 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 3-4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
• ¼ teaspoon of sea salt
• 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 3-6 tablespoons of water
Pasta Salad Ingredients
• 1 lb. of uncooked pasta (whole grain or bean flour)
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
Pesto Directions
- Put all greens, hemp seeds, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and sea salt into a blender or food processor. Blend on high until a paste is formed.
- Add olive oil a little at a time (pour while machine is on), scrape down the sides and add 1 Tbsp of water at a time until desired consistency.
Pasta Salad Directions
- Cook pasta according to instructions, drain and cool.
- Add cherry tomatoes to pasta (if desired, slice them before mixing in with pasta).
- Combine with pesto and cool.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 234
Fat: 6.6g
Saturated Fat: .6g
Carbs: 35.3g
Fiber: 6.7g
Sodium: 70mg
Protein: 14.5g