This is a super cheap recipe too, please enjoy.
Recipe
Chickpea Pasta Pesto Salad (Vegan)
Jump to ingredientsOne of my favorite tsom dishes: crispy spiced chickpeas, potatoes, pasta, pesto, and fresh vegetables. Best at room temperature.
As always, ratios are up to the cook tbh; use these amounts as a starting point.
Before you begin
Pre-prep
- Chop and drain. Drain, rinse, and pat dry the chickpeas. Wash and slice potatoes and cucumber; chop red onion and tomatoes. Keep the fresh vegetables separate.
- Cook the pasta. Boil according to package directions, drain, and set aside to cool.
- Cook the potatoes. In a separate pan or on a sheet pan, cook with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper until golden and tender. Have your pesto ready, or make the version below.
Before you begin
Homemade Vegan Pesto (Optional)
- For smoother pesto, soak cashews for 20–30 minutes and drain. Destem and roughly chop kale; pulse with basil, cashews, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and optional nutritional yeast.
- Blend while gradually drizzling in olive oil until smooth. Loosen with a splash of water if thick; taste and adjust salt and lemon.
Method
Make it
- Crisp the chickpeas. Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté chickpeas for 2–3 minutes. Add chili-spiced oil, salt, and black pepper; cook until lightly crisp, about 15–20 minutes.
- Toss with pesto. Combine chickpeas, prepared potatoes, pasta, and as much pesto as you like. Let everything cool to room temperature before adding the fresh vegetables.
- Finish. Fold in red onion, cucumber, and tomatoes. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the lemon juice; gently toss and adjust salt and pepper.