High Protein Pasta Salad with Peas
Get your daily dose of veggies in this Healthy High-Protein Pasta Salad with Peas. A vibrant, nutrient-packed dish with a flavorful green sauce. (Soy-free, nut-free, and with a gluten-free option.)
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 509kcal
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole wheat pasta or lentil or bean pasta
- ½ medium red cabbage
- 2 medium-large carrots
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked)
- 1 ½ cups frozen green peas thawed in a sieve under running warm water, drained
- ⅓ cup barberries or unsweetened dried cranberries (optional)
- ¼ cup capers preferably reduced sodium, rinsed (optional)
For the pea hummus sauce:
- ⅔ cup split red lentils rinsed
- 2 cups frozen green peas thawed in a sieve under running warm water
- 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ packed cup fresh mint leaves
- ¼ cup tahini (or 3 tablespoons tahini plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil)
- 2 small cloves garlic
- 3 small Calabrian chilli peppers optional
- 2 teaspoons capers (preferably reduced sodium, rinsed) optional
- 1 medium lemon juice
- Salt or salt substitute to taste
Instructions
- Cook the lentils: Add the rinsed lentils to a medium saucepan with water to cover by about 2 inches high. Bring the water to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the lentils for about 12 minutes, or until just cooked. Drain using a fine mesh sieve.
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
- Chop the cabbage and carrots into large equal-sized chunks. Place the pieces into a food processor and pulse them into small rice-like pieces. Transfer to the bowl with the pasta.
- Mix the salad: Add the chickpeas, green peas, barberries, and capers, if using, to the pasta.
- Make the green sauce. Transfer the cooked lentils to the canister of the food processor used to chop the carrots and cabbage. Add the green peas, basil, mint, tahini, garlic, Calabrian chili peppers, capers, and lemon juice. Pulse until smooth. Add salt to taste.
- Mix for serving: Add the green pea hummus to the pasta salad until the desired taste. Add more tahini mixed in water (1 tablespoon water for every one-third cup of tahini) to the salad. Mix to combine.
- Store the sauce separate from the pasta. Mix for serving.
Notes
- For gluten-free: use lentil or bean pasta
- Add tahini dissolved in water to the pasta salad for more creaminess: use 1 tablespoon water for each ⅓ cup tahini. Or add extra-virgin olive oil.
- Add optional longevity spices for serving: ½ teaspoon ground long pepper, ½ teaspoon ground black cumin seeds per serving
- Serve warm or chilled.
Nutrition
Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 885mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1525IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 7mg
