This Cucumber Dill Pasta Salad is a summer treat recipe that will be an excellent addition to your healthy meal planning. Make a huge batch, store it in the fridge, and eat it throughout the week.
You don’t have to worry about keeping the pasta warm because this is a refreshing cold salad with natural ingredients. The crisp of the cucumber, the freshness of the dill, the zest of radish, and the chewy texture of pasta make the dish a perfect tangy dinner.
We didn’t state which kind of pasta to use just because you can choose depending on your preference or availability in the pantry. We suggest using bite-sized pasta like bowtie, macaroni, fusilli, rigatoni, and orecchiette. If you prefer noodle-like pasta, go ahead!
This recipe usually calls for mayonnaise in the dressing, but we want this to be a vegan dish. The mixture of olive oil, vinegar, and honey would still make a fantastic dressing. If you want a creamier pasta salad, you can add vegan mayonnaise. You can also garnish the cucumber dill pasta salad with mozzarella balls for a hint of sour and salty to make the dish even thicker. Put in cherry tomatoes and red onions for a more summer feel. Thinly slice the onions and soak them in cold water for 10 minutes to reduce the sharp aftertaste.
Is the Cucumber Dill Pasta Salad Healthy?
As we mentioned earlier, this is a recipe that works with healthy meal planning. It’s easy to put together and keeps long lastingly well in the fridge. Cucumber is best enjoyed fresh and surprisingly (or at least we were), it’s a fruit, not a vegetable. It’s a source of antioxidants, promotes hydration, and lowers blood sugar. Meanwhile, dill has antibacterial properties and supports vision health.
The cucumber dill pasta salad is a meal on its own, but you can also choose to eat it as a side dish. This recipe is a part of our 21-Day Meal Plan for a Healthy Liver post. There you’ll find dinner recipes like this one as well as breakfast and lunch ones. Let us know what you think of this recipe. Post a photo and tas us on Instagram!
Cucumber Dill Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups pasta (uncooked weight)
- 1/2 cup dill (chopped)
- 1/2 cup basil (torn)
- 1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
- 1/3 cucumber (diced into half moons)
- 6 radishes (sliced)
- handful arugula (torn)
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (or white distilled vinegar adjust to preference)
- 1 garlic clove (minced or finely diced
- 1 tsp honey
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to packet instructions in salted water, a little past al dente so it remains soft when cooled. Once cooked, toss in a little olive oil to keep from sticking together. Set aside to cool.
- Make the dressing by combining the ingredients, and whisking thoroughly.
- Add the cooled pasta, herbs, cucumber, radishes, and arugula to your bowl and drizzle over the dressing. Toss to combine, and so the pasta is well coated in the dressing. Add a touch more salt and pepper (if using) to preference.
