I love this salad! :) Excited for this post because I recently asked you guys if you wanted me to share more SIMPLE recipes, and so many of you said yes. So, here we go! The reason I stress simple is because I am really not into complicated cooking. It’s interesting, because I have such patience and dedication towards other things in my life (studying during pharmacy school, my fitness goals, my career), yet when it comes to cooking I have NO patience. I just want my meals to be clean, healthy, and fuss-free (and also taste great). I don’t feel like that’s too much to ask, right?
This recipe was actually inspired by my mom! She used to make my brother and me this pasta salad all the time when we were kids. It’s a very fresh, healthy version of traditional pasta salad. Of course throughout the years I’ve made my own little tweaks and modifications to make it as healthy as humanly possible, because that’s just what I do. :) Here is why it’s so healthy:
- It’s the perfect mix of veggies and pasta. I actually love cooking like this even when I eat warm pasta dishes. By adding a bunch of vegetables, you trick your mind into thinking you’re eating a huge pasta dish. When in actuality you’re eating half the amount of pasta with a lot of amazing veggies. Veggies are full of antioxidants that give you radiant skin, fight disease, prevent weight gain and obesity… etc. All in all, this salad is just a great way to add some wellness into your diet.
- The pasta is gluten-free. Whether or not you have a true gluten allergy (also known as Celiac Disease), I still recommend avoiding gluten. I say this because gluten intolerance is actually very common, and it can present in SUCH vague ways that you may not even know you have it! For example: bloating, low energy, acne…. The list goes on. So for that reason, let’s avoid gluten whenever we can. :) This brown rice pasta is absolutely delicious; give it a try!
- No mayo is used. I notice that many traditional macaroni salads or pasta salads use mayonnaise as a base. In fact when I’ve shared this recipe with friends, they were shocked at how fresh and light pasta salad could taste. Using cold olive oil, fresh lemon and vinegar as your dressing is SO healthy you’d think it wouldn’t taste good! But it does, trust me.
Are you convinced on this salad yet? Good :) Recipe below:
Ingredients:
- 1 package brown rice pasta (I used Lundberg)
- 1 + 1/2 cups celery – chopped
- 5 Persian cucumbers – chopped
- 1 + 1/2cups carrots chopped
- 2 TBSP cold pressed olive oil
- ¼ cup (or more) balsamic vinegar
- 1 TSP sea salt
- Black pepper – to taste
- Lemon – to taste
Instructions:
- Boil the pasta 10-15 minutes or until soft
- Drain and rinse pasta, set aside
- While pasta cools, wash all veggies thoroughly, and chop
- Toss cooled pasta with chopped veggies, then add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, and toss again
- Add sea salt and black pepper
Enjoy! If you liked this style recipe blog – comment on my last Instagram post and let me know :)
