This Vegan Caprese Salad is made with fresh basil pesto, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and vegan mozzarella for a refreshing and delicious meal that can be made in under 30 minutes.
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Good morning, friends!
A couple weeks ago I went to a Valentine’s Day potluck at my daughter’s preschool school. “A potluck?!”, I cried, “who has the time to make food these days?” Okay, kind of an ironic thing to say considering I’m a food blogger BUT between juggling the work of my master’s program, single parenting little ones, keeping this blog going, running my airbnb, and trying to maintain healthy relationships, give me a small task like bring food to the party and I’m done for.
But never one of let people down, especially when it comes to my children, I made the time to make some food. Specifically, this Vegan Caprese Salad with Pesto.
This Vegan Caprese Salad with Pesto had two things going for it: it is fast and it is filling.
(It’s also pretty tasty)
Aware that whatever I made for the potluck would likely be the only vegan option (huh…maybe this is why I hate the obligation of bringing food to potlucks) I had to make sure it would fill my kids and me up. And, as mentioned above, I had to come up with something that would take minimal effort and make minimal mess.
It was a potluck success, friends!
The basil pesto is what makes this salad awesome.
The creamy richness and fresh flavors of garlic, lemon, and basil dress up this pasta caprese salad for the ultimate potluck dish. I used cashews and nutritional yeast to give the pesto a creamy, cheesy texture but in the past have also used pine nuts, walnuts, and macadamia nuts with similar results. So feel free to get a little adventurous with the pesto.
If you, like me, find yourself often short on time and need to come up with quick filling meals that are also delicious, I think you’re going to love this salad!
Fresh, refreshing, hearty, filled-with-flavor, and made in under 30 minutes, what’s not to love?
This Vegan Caprese Salad is made with fresh basil pesto, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and vegan mozzarella for a refreshing and delicious meal that can be made in under 30 minutes.
- 8 ounces fusilli pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 4 oz vegan mozzarella, cubed (optional)
- 1 batch basil pesto, recipe to follow
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup fresh basil, packed
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves
- salt, to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- To make the basil pesto combine 3/4 cup basil, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor and blend until well combined. With motor running, slowly add olive oil and blend for 30 more seconds until mostly smooth. Salt to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a large stock pot bring 6 cups of water to boil. Stir in pasta and light boil for about 10 minutes, until cooked all the way through. Strain noodles with a colander and rinse with with cold water.
- Transfer noodles to a large bowl and toss in olive oil. Stir in basil, cherry tomatoes, and vegan cheese (if using). Toss with basil pesto and serve immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
If you give this recipe a try, let us know what you think in the comments below. Or snap a photo and share it on Instagram. Make sure to tag @mydarlingvegan so I can see your creations!
bh says
yum!!! what are the cubes?
Sarah says
Thanks! The cubes are vegan mozzarella – I think I used Diaya.
palak bhatti says
i love your all recipes thanks for sharing
Sarah says
Thank you!