Colorful (and Veggie-full) Vegan Tofu Pasta Salad

Give this rainbow vegetarian pasta salad a try on your next Meatless Monday: Colorful (and Veggie-Full) Vegan Tofu Pasta Salad is a feast for your taste buds and your eyes!

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Here’s a feast for the eyes on a warm summer’s evening: This Colorful (and Veggie-Full) Vegan Tofu Pasta Salad is a little more hands-on than some of the recipes I post, but it’s worth it! (You can prep by chopping the vegetables ahead of time, if you want to save yourself a bit of effort the night of.)

So, why tofu pasta salad in particular? Well, I’ve often wished that ALDI carried tofu — especially as I’ve been experimenting over the last year or so, and think I’ve finally got a consistent method for getting it cooked to the texture I like. And my wish came true (this week, at least), as tofu is in stores as a special buy along with a number of other vegetarian items.

So of course I had to buy it, and so of course tofu features in this week’s Meatless Monday recipe. Yes, on Tuesday, because on Monday? Well, we were busy eating it.

Mr. 11 is a huge tofu fan and kept stealing bites off of the plate as they cooled — so the finished salad is slightly less tofu-full then yours might be. 😉

Looking for more vegetarian recipe ideas? Take a few minutes to browse through the Meatless Monday category for additional dinner options — or, check out fifteen favorite meatless meals to jump start your vegetarian cooking.

Colorful (and Veggie-full) Vegan Tofu Pasta Salad

Ingredients

– for the tofu

14-16 oz package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into cubes
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil, optional but recommended
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

– for the veggies

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 of a red onion, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
8 oz mini sweet peppers, seeded and sliced

– for the pasta salad

12 oz box tri-colored rotini (or shaped pasta of choice)
1/2 cup dressing of choice (I used sesame ginger — see Note)

Directions

Press tofu by patting the block dry, then wrapping it in either a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Put the wrapped tofu on a dinner plate, place a second plate on top, and use something like a heavy can on top to add some weight and help press out some of the liquid. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, then unwrap and cut into cubes.

While the tofu is busy pressing, start the water boiling for your pasta. Cook the rotini al dente in salted water according to package directions, then drain and run under cool water.

While the water is coming to a boil, start chopping your veggies and getting them all ready for the pasta salad.

Once the tofu is pressed and cubed, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Add tofu and saute for about two minutes, then drizzle with soy sauce and season with garlic and crushed red pepper. Continue to saute over medium-high heat for about another eight minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove the tofu from the pan to a paper-towel lined plate to cool once it is nicely browned on all sides.

Stir your veggies and tofu into the cooled cooked pasta, then toss with dressing to create your colorful vegan tofu pasta salad.

Note: Go on the sweeter side with the dressing to balance out the savory tofu. For optimal flavor, cover pasta salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating in order to let flavors marinate — and, if you like more dressing on yours than I do, add a bit at a time until it’s to your liking.

A rainbow vegan pasta salad!

Give this colorful vegan tofu pasta salad a try on your next Meatless Monday, or any time you’re looking for a lighter yet filling vegetarian dinner. It’s such a fun combination of flavors and textures; you have the satisfying crunch of the peppers, carrots, and onion, a burst of sweetness from the tomatoes, just a bit of cooling cucumber, and of course the chewier tofu — and then that savory tofu plays off the tangy sweetness of the dressing, while the filling pasta ties everything together.

Note that the cooking time in the printable recipe below does not include the optional, yet recommended, cooling time in the fridge. Account for that in your dinner calculations, if you’re intending to cool before eating!

Colorful (and Veggie-full) Vegan Tofu Pasta Salad, printable recipe

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Colorful (and Veggie-Full) Vegan Tofu Pasta Salad

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Here’s a feast for the eyes on a warm summer’s evening: This Colorful (and Veggie-Full) Vegan Tofu Pasta Salad is a little more hands-on than some of the recipes I post, but it’s worth it!

Course dinner

Keyword pasta salad, tofu, vegan, vegan pasta salad, vegetarian, veggies

Optional chilling time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

– for the tofu

• 14-16 oz package extra firm tofu drained, pressed, and cut into cubes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil optional, but recommended
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper optional

– for the veggies

• 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
• 1/2 of a red onion chopped
• 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
• 1/2 cucumber peeled and chopped
• 8 oz mini sweet peppers seeded and sliced

– for the pasta salad

• 12 oz box tri-colored rotini or shaped pasta of choice
• 1/2 cup dressing of choice I used sesame ginger — see Note

Instructions

• Press tofu by patting the block dry, then wrapping it in either a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Put the wrapped tofu on a dinner plate, place a second plate on top, and use something like a heavy can on top to add some weight and help press out some of the liquid. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, then unwrap and cut into cubes.
• While the tofu is busy pressing, start the water boiling for your pasta. Cook the rotini al dente in salted water according to package directions, then drain and run under cool water.
• While the water is coming to a boil, start chopping your veggies and getting them all ready for the pasta salad.
• Once the tofu is pressed and cubed, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Add tofu and saute for about two minutes, then drizzle with soy sauce and season with garlic and crushed red pepper. 
• Continue to saute over medium-high heat for about another eight minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove the tofu from the pan to a paper-towel lined plate to cool once it is nicely browned on all sides.
• Stir your veggies and tofu into the cooled cooked pasta, then toss with dressing to create your colorful vegan tofu pasta salad.

Notes

Go on the sweeter side with the dressing to balance out the savory tofu. For optimal flavor, cover pasta salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating in order to let flavors marinate — and, if you like more dressing on yours than I do, add a bit at a time until it’s to your liking.

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