- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 8 cups
- Serving size: 1⅓ cups
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With a hint of sweetness from diced apple, this dill-infused dish strikes the perfect balance between a potato salad and pasta salad. Hearty whole wheat macaroni is dressed in a tangy, creamy sauce that gets an extra boost of plant-based goodness from blended cannellini beans. Celery and red onion add tasty crunch while chopped kale offers a nutrient-dense dose of leafy greens. And don’t forget to add extra dill pickles to really punch up the lip-smacking flavor! Perfect for stashing into your kid’s lunchbox or enjoying as a healthy lunch at the office, this creamy dill pickle macaroni salad is scrumptiously satisfying (plus, the leftovers taste even better the second day).
Tip: If you like, substitute Great Northern beans or chickpeas for the cannellini beans.
For more vegan pasta salads, check out these tasty ideas:
- Veggie Potluck Pasta Salad
- Broccoli Pasta Salad with Red Pepper Pesto
- Potato and Artichoke Heart Pasta Salad
- Or take a look at our full collection of pasta salad recipes
By Rachael J. Brown,
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry whole wheat macaroni, cooked, drained, and cooled
- 2 15-oz. cans no-salt-added cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups), aquafaba reserved
- ½ cup dill pickle juice
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups packed chopped kale leaves
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 medium Gala apple, cored and finely chopped (1 cup)
- ¾ cup thinly sliced baby dill pickles
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside to cool.
- For dressing, in a blender combine drained beans, ¼ cup of the aquafaba, and the next five ingredients (through pepper). Cover and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more aquafaba, pickle juice, and/or lemon juice if needed to reach desired flavor and consistency.
- In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over top and stir to combine. Add pasta and stir until well coated. If you like, top with additional fresh dill.
Per serving (1⅓ cups): 472 calories, 78.7 g carbohydrates, 27 g protein, 6.9 g total fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 587 mg sodium, 27.1 g fiber, 6.1 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Comments (23)
(5 from 5 votes)We give it 👍👍. Followed the recipe as written, with the addition of 1 clove of garlic, crushed. Massaged the kale in a bit of olive oil to soften then chopped before adding. Didn’t use all of the tahini sauce, will use in a separate kale caesar salad.😋
This recipe is not good! I followed the directions and didn’t like it, so added more celery and an additional Apple. Thick, gloppy dressing, so I added water. It was still unpleasant. So disappointed!
I won’t make this salad again. I like a lot of Forks Over Knives recipes but this recipe was very bland. There was no”bold flavor”. This salad with the pasta and cannellini beans filled me up but was very lacking in flavor. I followed the recipe but put in 1/4 cup dill pickle juice and 1:4 cup apple cider vinegar. When the salad was made I added more lemon juice to the sauce and added another Gala apple. Then I ended up putting raw sunflower seeds and dried cranberries on my salad to give it a better taste. Maybe it needs some additional spices. It is not a good combination and I like the ingredients just not together. I have never given an unfavorable review but this feels like someone had to create a recipe for a homework project and threw these ingredients together!! Not worth my time and money.
Jane why don’t you add some seasoning to it. I don’t particularly like some of the ingredients so I’m going to modify. Be creative not critical.
Why is one cup of this recipe almost 500 cals? That makes no sense aside from the pasta. Everything else is pretty low in calorie density and one cup given all the other ingredients shouldn’t even contain that much pasta.
The tahini .
Looks way too high in sodium... Probably the pickle juice... I may try subbing some vinegar.....
This reicpe is a tounge tingling recipe that makes my body roll. the dilly seasoning make me feel like im at the diddy party
Love this it has I sweet yet tangy taste it makes my taste buds jump for joy! >_>
This Killed my soul absolutely boufin. ^^ ~
Please translate. Did you like it ? Or not ?
Love this for my son! :)
This Is a fantastic observation I'm glad your so enjoyed! :)
Best idea ever. I love this Pickle Pasta Salad. I added carrots and used dried dill. Delicious
I would add a little more vinegar or pickle juice to it. Tasty
Can you leave out the tahini or substitute something? Sesame allergies here.
Try substituting sunflower seed butter (sun butter) or a nut butter. A good unflavored plant-based yogurt would work as well.
I know right it has a lovely taste! :)
No, it says you get 3 cups of beans. You only need 1/4 cup of aquafaba.
Oh I see now, my mistake, thank you for clarifying
You get 3 cups of liquid from two cans of cannellini beans?
3 cups of beans and about 1-3/4 cups of liquid.
Looks tasty!