Turkish Pasta Salad
A vibrant, tangy Turkish style pasta salad with a warm spiced tomato dressing, fresh crunchy vegetables, pomegranate molasses, and vegan feta. This easy vegan pasta salad is ready in 25 minutes and tastes amazing served warm or cold.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 532kcal
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Colander
- Wide pan or skillet
- Large serving bowl
- Knife and Cutting Board
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 500 g elbow pasta or cavatappi
- 1 large cucumber diced
- 1 medium red onion finely diced
- 3 bell peppers mixed colors, diced
- 2 large tomatoes diced
- 30 g fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 100 g vegan feta crumbled, for topping
For the Dressing:
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes or more to taste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse briefly under cold water, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Allow to cool slightly.
- Prep the vegetables. While the pasta cooks, dice the cucumber, red onion, bell peppers, and tomatoes into small, even cubes (about ½ inch). Finely chop the parsley. Add all vegetables and parsley to the bowl with the pasta and toss gently.
- Make the dressing. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, red pepper flakes, oregano, and cumin. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens and becomes fragrant.
- Add the tang. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the pomegranate molasses and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well until smooth and glossy.
- Toss and serve. Pour the warm dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Toss everything together until evenly coated. Top generously with crumbled vegan feta and extra chopped parsley. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes for a chilled salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 333mg | Potassium: 713mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3289IU | Vitamin C: 98mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 3mg