Strawberry Pasta Salad
What makes this strawberry pasta salad good for gut health, you ask? I have a few criteria:
- A pasta salad should taste delicious and be enjoyable to eat. Salads should never be boring, and enjoying your food is essential for gut health.
- Choose organic, non-GMO, bronze-cut pasta for the best texture and taste. If you prefer gluten-free options, brown rice pasta is also a flavorful choice.
- Select organic vegetables that are lower in FODMAPs, which are particularly abundant in the spring. For this pasta salad, I use organic strawberries, mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, baby chard), and cucumbers. I also threw in some avocado.
- Opt for organic, high-quality dairy. Spring is a wonderful time to find fresh dairy products, and feta is my top pick for basically any pasta salad.
- Use a homemade probiotic salad dressing. Homemade dressings help avoid unnecessary ingredients often found in store-bought versions. A probiotic salad dressing can also support the digestion of fresh vegetables. For this salad, my Creamy Strawberry Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette is the way to go.
Probiotic Salad Dressings
I think my Strawberry Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette or my Probiotic Parmesan Vinaigrette is the way to go for this pasta salad. I think this salad is best with a vinaigrette rather than a heavy dressing. Either vinaigrette only takes 10 minutes max to throw together, so give them a try!
The Best Pasta to Use
You can use any pasta shape you like. However, I highly recommend mezzi rigatoni, penne, or fusilli. These pasta shapes catch the dressing so well, making each bite have an even flavor. And, as I said above, choose organic, non-GMO, bronze-cut pasta. High-quality pasta truly makes a difference!
Meal Prepping Instructions
This pasta salad serves 4 at 1x. So you can totally meal prep it. Since it contains leafy greens, it lasts well in the fridge for 3-4 days as long as you keep the dressing on the side. For meal prepping, I also recommend just leaving out the avocado. Here are some meal prepping tips:
- Cook your pasta in salted water according to the package directions.
- Chop and mix everything except the dressing with the pasta. (Leave out the avocado when meal prepping.)
- Divide the finished pasta salad evenly into four separate airtight containers. This makes grab-and-go lunches or dinners easy throughout the week.
- Store the dressing in small, airtight containers on the side. Add about two tablespoons per serving when ready to eat to keep the pasta and leafy greens fresh.
Spring Cucumber and Strawberry Pasta Salad
This is not your average strawberry salad. Liven up your spring and summer salad rotation with this cucumber strawberry pasta salad drenched in probiotic strawberry pepper jelly vinaigrette.
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 15 minutes
- Total: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta, dry
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- 2 small cucumbers, sliced
- 3 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, baby spinach and chard)
- 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup feta crumbled
- 1/2 an avocado, cubed
- 1/2 cup strawberry pepper jelly vinaigrette
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package directions.
- While your pasta cooks, wash and slice the vegetables. Prepare the peas and crumble the feta. (see note on blanching frozen peas)
- Make the Strawberry Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette if you haven’t already.
- Drain the pasta when it is done cooking.
- Add everything to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- I like to serve with grilled chicken breast to make it a full meal.
- Please leave a five-star review if you loved this easy recipe!
Notes
- To meal prep: combine everything except the salad dressing (I suggest leaving out the avocado when meal prepping too). Divide into four equal portions and store in air-tight containers in the fridge. Add two tablespoons of dressing right before eating.
