This BLT Pasta salad with avocado is going to be your new favorite summer salad. Mark my words, this is THE salad you need to make this season. This healthier BLT salad will blow your mind with the fresh flavors of summer. It has cherry tomatoes, crisp romaine and sweet corn with chopped, crispy bacon and buttery avocado all dressed in a fresh herbs and pickle infused yogurt dressing.
What is a BLT?
In case you have been living under a rock, a BLT is a classic Americana sandwich made with bacon, lettuce and tomato. It sounds simple and maybe even a little boring, but a good BLT can be a thing of wonder! With toasted bread slathered with mayo, salted and peppered thick sliced tomatoes, crispy lettuce leaves and salty and smoky bacon, this sandwich is amazing! And if you add salted buttery avocado too, you have the most incredible sammie straight out of heaven.
Why you'll love this BLT Pasta Salad with Avocado
- All the flavors of a classic BLT mixed into pasta
- Lots of texture from crunchy vegan bacon, juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet pops from the corn, crisp romaine and ripe avocado
- Quick and Easy to make, comes together in about 30 minutes
- Great for meal prep, tastes even better the next day
- Family friendly, even the kids will love the familiar flavors
- Great way to get those servings of veggies in, it's easy to love veggies when they are mixed with pasta and have an excellent dressing
- The perfect summer side dish for any cookout or BBQ
- Healthier BLT Salad with zero cholesterol, lower in calories and fat than the meat and mayo version
Avocado Tips
Avocado can be a tricky thing to buy because if you don't know how to deal with them, you will waste alot of money.
When selecting avocados at the store, be mindful of when you want to consume them. Do not buy soft avocados if you are not going to eat them that day, as they spoil quickly.
A ripe avocado is still firm to the touch but not hard and has some "give" when you press gently with your thumb. If when pressing, your thumb sinks in and makes an immediate indent, that avocado is overripe and will not be good to eat.
Personally, I like to buy avocados in bags of 4-5 because I think they are the best price point. I will buy them when they are still very firm or hard, and store them in the refrigerator. I will pull 1 or 2 out and leave them on the counter to ripen and use them as they are ready.
When I need them that day or very soon, I buy them ripe but not soft and store them in the refrigerator. The refrigerator greatly slows down the ripening process and will keep them fresh and ready for several days.
Vegan BLT Pasta Salad Ingredients
This BLT Pasta Salad has ingredients that are seasonal favorites, but are available year round. Lettuce, tomatoes and corn are best in Summer but thanks to modern food systems, they are easy to find all year long.
- Vegan Bacon: My favorite brand of vegan bacon is LightLife but there are several great options nowadays and you can even make your own tempeh bacon, tofu bacon or (gasp) use meat bacon if you prefer
- Romaine Lettuce: We are using Romaine Lettuce hearts in this recipe because they are so crispy, crunchy and hold up well to the dressing
- Cherry Tomatoes: Cherries have the most flavor and are the best for not making a dish too watery. You can use whatever tomatoes you like, the fresher the better. Bonus points if they come from your garden.
- Avocado: Ripe, buttery avocados make this salad extra delicious.
- Pasta: I like Rigatoni with lines for this recipe because it really soaks the dressing into the crevices. Any interesting shape will do. Try elbows for a more classic presentation, or fusilli or shells.
- Frozen Corn: If you can find grilled or fire roasted corn in the freezer at your favorite market it will give it even more summer bbq vibes, but regular sweet corn tastes just as good.
- Red Onion: Even though onions are not a classic BLT ingredients, I think it adds a nice bit of flavor and burst of color. For a milder flavor sub green onion or chives.
- Plain Vegan Yogurt: My top choices are cashew yogurt, almond yogurt and soy yogurt for this recipe. For allergy folks, coconut yogurt or oat yogurt will do. Or skip it and use vegan mayo instead. The salad will be higher in fat and calories but will taste delicious.
- Fresh Herbs: I always have tons of herbs laying around so I like to use a combo of mint, parsley, dill, and cilantro. But you can also choose your favorite herb and run with it.
- Dijon Mustard, Dill Pickles and Pickle Brine: These add tang and acid to the dressing. Feel free to use sweet pickles instead if you prefer a sweeter flavor.
Pasta Cooking tips: It may sound counterintuitive to those of us who have been taught to cook pasta al dente our whole lives, but when making pasta salad it is better to add an extra 2 minutes to the cooking time. Just slightly overcooking the pasta will prevent it from stiffening and drying out the pasta salad as it sits in the dressing overnight. Also, be sure to rinse the pasta with cold water and drain well before adding to a salad. Hot pasta will wilt all of the veggies and also will be stickier to work with.
How to Make BLT Pasta Salad
This is a really easy recipe to make, it's beginner friendly and comes together super quickly!
- First cook the vegan bacon, defrost the corn and cook the pasta according to the package and set aside
- Next make the dressing by combining the plain vegan yogurt, pickle juice, chopped pickles, herbs, salt and mustard.
- Prep the avocado by peeling, chopping and tossing with lemon juice to preserve the green color.
- Assemble the salad by adding the ingredients to a large salad bowl: Lettuce, pasta, tomatoes, corn, vegan bacon, onions and avocado. Pour the dressing over the top and mix until coated.
- Enjoy within 2-3 hours. Best if consumed in 1-2 days for best taste and quality.
Tips for Making the Best BLT Pasta Salad with Avocado
- Only use a ripe avocado. If your avocado is over or under ripe please do not use it as it will ruin the pasta salad.
- Use the freshest ingredients you can find. The herbs, romaine and cherry tomatoes are the best when freshly picked from the garden but the farmers market or grocery store versions are great too.
- Make it gluten free by using Chickpea pasta, Brown Rice Pasta or the gamut of gf options at the market
- Make it high in protein by using a protein pasta like Brami or Barilla protein Pasta
- Whole wheat pasta will make this a healthier option that regular white pasta
- Cut the carbs by using half a box of pasta and subbing roasted cauliflower or broccoli florets for the other half.
- Add beans like chickpeas, cannelini beans or lentils to make it high fiber
FAQs
Absolutely not. I make my recipes completely plant-based but you do not have to. Substituting dairy yogurt or mayo is completely acceptable and will taste delicious.
Again, my recipe is vegan because I and many of my readers do not consume animal products. If you want to use cooked pork or turkey bacon in this recipe I am sure you will love how it turns out.
The short answer is yes! But to elaborate, If making for a party, keep the romaine and avocado separate until serving because they will start breaking down. However, I find that the salad is fresh enough for me the next day and maybe even on day 3. But for a party you want to make sure it still looks gorgeous, right?
Again yes, but with some adjusting. You will need to select an appropriate gluten free pasta at the store. Nowadays there are so many great options!
I have tried so many vegan bacons over the years and I always come back to Lightlife brand bacon or their tempeh bacon. I enjoy both the texture and the flavor of this brand. That being said, any vegan bacon that you can find in the store will suffice. You are crisping it up and chopping it, and adding it to a pasta salad, so you don't have to be crazy selective.
Other Delicious Vegan Pasta Salad Recipes
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Vegan BLT Pasta Salad with Avocado
Ingredients
- 5-6 oz vegan bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 pound pasta
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 2 cups romaine hearts chopped small
- ¼ cup red onions chopped
- 1 avocado peeled and chopped in bite sized pieces
- ½ lemon juiced
- For dressing:
- 1 cup vegan yogurt or mayo
- 2 tbsp chopped dill or sweet pickles
- 2 tbsp pickle brine
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 4 tbsp fresh herbs your choice of parsley, cilantro, dill or mint chopped small
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3-4 grinds Black pepper
Instructions
- Cook vegan bacon according to package, chop into small pieces
- Cook pasta according to package, rinse with cold water and drain well then add to a large salad bowl.
- Make dressing by combining yogurt, pickles, pickle brine, mustard, herbs, salt and black pepper. Mix until well combined.
- Add avocado to a small bowl, squeeze lemon over it, mix until coated. This will help keep the avocado from turning brown.
- To the large salad bowl with the pasta, add tomatoes, corn, onions, bacon, avocado and romaine. Pour the dressing over the top and mix until well combined.
- Enjoy within 2-3 hours for the best quality and taste. If making ahead of time, reserve the lettuce and avocado separately and mix in right before serving. Any leftovers must be refrigerated and consumed within 3 days.