Name: Peach Radish & White Bean Pasta Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups fusilli pasta; 1 can white beans; 6-8 radishes (sliced); 1/2 small red onion (finely chopped); 1/2 head iceberg or romaine lettuce (chopped); handful fresh parsley; 1/3 - 1/2 cup vegan mayo; 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder; 1/2 Tbsp dill; 1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste); pepper (to taste)

This Peach Radish & White Bean Pasta Salad is a refreshing and creamy vegan pasta salad with sliced peaches, white beans, radish, iceberg lettuce and parsley.

A pasta salad is the perfect dish for using in-season peaches in a savoury meal. The sweet and juicy peaches balance out the tangy radish and red onion, while the white beans go so well with the cool, creamy dressing. It’s a lovely vehicle for using peaches in a recipe that is not dessert!

Ingredients in this Pasta Salad

Fusilli pasta (rinsed under cold water)
White beans
Radishes
Red onion
Iceberg or romaine lettuce (for a crunchy cool texture)
Fresh parsley
Vegan mayonnaise
Apple cider vinegar
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Dill
Salt & pepper

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Making Peach Radish & White Bean Pasta Salad

Cook the fusilli to al dente according to package directions. Rinse well under cold water to cook down the pasta noodles and add to a large bowl.

Wash, chop and dry iceberg lettuce and then add to the bowl. (Ensure you dry the lettuce well or it will dilute the flavour of your dressing). I prefer to use iceberg or romaine lettuce since they have a nice crunch that more tender varieties of lettuces don’t have.

Add sliced radish, finely chopped red onion, parsley and white beans.
Mix the contents of the bowl well.

Add vegan mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar and olive oil and mix.
Add all spices, salt and pepper. Mix well and taste. Add more mayo and salt if desired.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve, or place in refrigerator to cool further if desired.

Tips for The Best Pasta Salad

Cook pasta only until the noodles are tender and slightly underdone or al dente. Why? Overcooked pasta will fall apart when you toss it with dressing and other ingredients. It will also taste mushy. A perfect pasta salad should have a tender texture.

Rinse your pasta under cool water to firm up the pasta noodles and start the cooling process. Warm pasta salad doesn’t taste as great as cool pasta salad.

Add strong flavours! Onion, garlic powder and radish, along with the mustard and apple cider vinegar from the dressing give this pasta salad a kick.

Add bright accents! Fresh fruit and bright tasting herbs balance out the stronger flavours. In this recipe the in season juicy peaches balance out the strong flavours by adding a touch of sweetness.

Dry your washed lettuce, vegetables and fruit before adding them to the pasta salad! There’s nothing worse than a puddle of water at the bottom of a salad. It will actually drastically affect the taste of your salad by diluting the dressing and the overall flavours. Avoid a bland pasta salad by drying all your ingredients well!

Finally, add all of your pasta salad ingredients into a much larger bowl than you’ll serve the pasta salad in, and give everything a good toss. The larger the bowl you make it in, the better chance you have of evenly distributing all the components with the dressing, without flinging it all around the kitchen. Then add your pasta salad to a lovely serving bowl along with salad spoons for guests and family to fill their bowls.