Description
Creamy Pasta Salad with smoked turkey slices is a vibrant and satisfying dish featuring tender pasta, savory smoked turkey, and creamy plant-based cheese, all combined with a zesty natural dressing. Perfect for lunches, picnics, or light dinners, this recipe delivers balanced textures and refreshing flavors in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked fusilli or rotini pasta
- 150g smoked turkey slices, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 100g plant-based cheese, cubed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
Dressing Ingredients
- 1/3 cup natural mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (natural)
- 1 teaspoon honey (natural)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnishes and Herbs
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or dill, chopped
Instructions
- Cook and Drain the Pasta: Boil the pasta following package instructions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool the pasta for the salad.
- Prepare the Vegetables and Turkey: While pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, and thinly slice the red onion. Cut smoked turkey slices into bite-sized pieces.
- Mix the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together natural mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard (natural), honey (natural), salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
- Combine All Ingredients: Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, smoked turkey, and plant-based cheese cubes. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat everything evenly.
- Add Fresh Herbs and Chill: Stir in chopped parsley or dill. Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Notes
- Use pasta shapes with ridges like fusilli or rotini to better hold the dressing.
- Chill the salad for at least 30 minutes for best flavor development.
- Add fresh herbs at the end to retain their vibrant color and aroma.
- Start with less dressing and add more as needed to avoid a soggy salad.
- Cut all ingredients uniformly for balanced texture in every bite.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: No-cook
- Cuisine: International
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: Creamy pasta salad, smoked turkey salad, plant-based cheese salad, healthy pasta salad, picnic pasta salad, easy lunch salad
