Chickpea Pasta Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

This creamy chickpea pasta salad is coated in a delicious lemon tahini sauce and super easy to make for entertaining or a filling make ahead lunch.

A plate of chickpea pasta salad tossed with fresh chopped veggies and dressing.

It’s not quite summer until I’ve had a bowl of pasta salad. So I’m breaking into summer with this creamy chickpea pasta salad, and it’s everything refreshing, filling and delicious that I want in a summer meal.

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Chickpea Pasta Salad

  • Made with simple ingredients
  • No special equipment needed
  • Has a boost of protein from the addition of the chickpeas
  • Can be made for entertaining or for your next meal prep
  • Has the perfect balance of savory and tangy flavors
  • An allergy friendly recipe: dairy-free and can be made gluten and nut-free
Cutting board with all the ingredients resting on top including tahini, nutritional yeast, spices, mustard, yogurt, lemon and cucumbers.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Pasta: Use your favorite pasta shape. I like to use Orecchiette or baby shells best as they scoop up some of the dressing when it is mixed, but you can also use a
  • Chickpeas: For ease, I make this dish with canned chickpeas. Just make sure to rinse and drain them very well before using. If not a fan of chickpeas, you can also try this dish with some canned lentils or white beans.
  • Tahini: Make sure to opt for a good quality tahini. I recommend brands like Soom Foods. If you are allergic to sesame seeds, you can also make this with cashew butter or sunflower seed butter as an alternative.
  • Plant Based Yogurt: I used a cashew based one by Forager Project, but you can use your favorite plain unsweetened plant based yogurt for this recipe.
  • Lemon Juice: I recommend fresh if you have the option to. It brightens the dish and also helps to provide a lovely tang to the dressing.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: This is easy to swap for white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.
  • Mustard: Use a Dijon mustard for the right spice and tang for this recipe.
  • Dill: You can just dry dill, but I highly recommend trying to use fresh dill as it really helps the flavors pop in this pasta salad.

How to Make Vegan Pasta Salad

Preheat your oven and place your chickpeas on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with your oil and then sprinkle with your onion powder and salt. Coat the chickpeas evenly and then spread them out on a single layer on the baking sheet and place in the oven to crisp up.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously as this will help give some extra flavor to the pasta as it cooks. Cook your pasta according to the package, then drain and add to a bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Doing this will help prevent the pasta from sticking together.

As your pasta comes to room temperature, make your dressing. Combine the tahini, yogurt, lemon, apple cider vinegar, mustard, spices and dill. As you mix it, you’ll notice the dressing clump together. At this time, add the water and continue to whisk until smooth.

Now, assemble. Add your chopped cucumber and tomatoes to the bowl of pasta and top with the roasted chickpeas. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss everything together until well coated. Serve at room temperature or store it in the fridge for meals throughout the week.

Expert Tips

  • Make sure to generously salt your pasta water. This helps to flavor your pasta, which then further enhances a lot of the flavors in the sauce as well.
  • Toss and coat your drained pasta in a small amount of oil to help prevent the pasta from sticking and clumping together.
  • For perfectly crispy chickpeas, pat your chickpeas dry and make sure to bake them at a low temperature. I generally recommend baking them at 375F as they will roast without drying out or burning.
  • If you want to avoid turning on your oven this summer, just add the can of rinsed and drained chickpeas straight to the bowl. You may wish to add some extra salt or adjust with extra seasonings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this keep?

Enjoy this salad when prepared or save leftovers to use for cold prep lunches. Place leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The dressing will become less creamy/saucy when chilled in the fridge after a few days, but the pasta will still remain flavorful. You can toss your pasta salad again with 1-2 tablespoons of water to help loosen it up again before serving.

Is vegan pasta salad healthy?

This pasta salad has a creamy dressing made with tahini in place of mayonnaise. Using tahini gives you some extra iron, calcium and vitamin E. By replacing with a plant based fat, you are also reducing the amount of saturated fat normally found in other creamy pasta salad dishes. 

Can you make pasta salad gluten-free?

Yes. Just swap out the wheat-based pasta for your favorite gluten-free option. And some gluten-free pasta like bean-based ones can offer even more protein to the final dish.

Is this recipe nut-free?

It will ultimately depend on the type of vegan yogurt you use. You can always try using an unsweetened plain soy-based yogurt as an option.

Why does my pasta salad taste bland?

Two things can impact this. The first is if you salted your pasta water enough. Most sources recommend salting your water to the point that it tastes as salty as the sea. It might seem like a lot, but your pasta will only absorb the amount of salt it needs and the rest of the salt will be discarded when you drain the pasta.

Plate of creamy pasta salad being scooped up with a spoon.

How To Serve

This pasta is great to serve as is. It’s balanced between the complex carbohydrates and protein offered by the pasta and chickpeas and the antioxidant loaded vegetables and dill. You can also enjoy this as a side salad to enjoy with your favorite grilled options like these Sazon Grilled Tofu Skewers or BBQ Seitan.

More Salad Recipes

Creamy pasta salad being served with crispy chickpeas.
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Chickpea pasta salad served with creamy dressing on a plate.

Chickpea Pasta Salad with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Catherine Perez
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Sides
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This creamy chickpea pasta salad is coated in a delicious lemon tahini sauce and super easy to make for entertaining or a filling make ahead lunch.


Ingredients

Scale

Roasted Chickpeas

  • 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder

Pasta Salad Base

  • 1 lb dry pasta, I like orecchiette or baby shell pasta
  • 3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Tahini Dressing

  • 1/4 cup good quality tahini
  • 1/4 cup plain unsweetened vegan yogurt 
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Juice of one large lemon, about 2 tbsp
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
  • 4 tbsp cold water
  • 3 tbsp fresh dill

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Dry off your chickpeas well using a clean kitchen towel and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the chickpeas with the oil, onion powder and a good pinch of salt and toss to coat. Spread the chickpeas out on a single layer and place in the oven to roast for 25 minutes.
  2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt to the water. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until it is al dente according to package. Drain the pasta and place in a large mixing bowl with about 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil to help prevent the pasta from sticking together as it cools to room temperature.
  3. Prepare the dressing by whisking all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or jar until completely smooth.
  4. Now, assemble the salad. Add the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and roasted chickpeas to the bowl of pasta and pour the tahini dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Adjust the seasonings to your liking before serving.

Notes

Cook your pasta in salted water. This makes a big impact in terms of the flavor of your salad, so do not skip this step. 

Toss and coat your drained pasta in a small amount of oil to help prevent the pasta from sticking and clumping together.

For perfectly crispy chickpeas, pat your chickpeas dry and make sure to bake them at a low temperature. I generally recommend baking them at 375F as they will roast without drying out or burning.

If you want to avoid turning on your oven this summer, just add the can of rinsed and drained chickpeas straight to the bowl. You may wish to add some extra salt or adjust with extra seasonings.

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

 Catherine

This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase from those links. I only recommend and share products that I know, trust and personally use myself!

4 Comments

  1. So good! Not sure why this doesn’t have more reviews. I used the Trader Joe’s Tahini Sauce and it turned out incredible!






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