Grain & Pasta Salads Recipes

Grain & Pasta Salads

High-Protein Edamame Quinoa Salad Bowl

This pairs quinoa and edamame together specifically because both are complete or near complete sources of plant protein on their own, making this bowl unusually high in protein for an entirely vegan salad. A sesame ginger dressing whisked together separately, rather than store bought, keeps the flavor bright and lets you control exactly how much sweetness and heat goes in.

35m4

Grain & Pasta Salads

High-Fiber Pearl Barley Roasted Veggie Salad

This roasts the vegetables at a high temperature until their edges caramelize, which builds a depth of flavor that boiled or steamed vegetables simply can't match. Pearl barley simmered until chewy but tender gives the salad a satisfying, nutty bite and a fiber content that a lighter grain wouldn't offer.

50m5

Grain & Pasta Salads

Classic Summer Italian Pasta Salad Bowl

This tosses the pasta with a portion of the dressing while it's still warm, since pasta absorbs dressing far more readily right after cooking than once it's gone cold and firm. Letting the salad chill for at least an hour before serving is what gives the Italian vinaigrette enough time to fully soak into every ingredient, not just coat the surface.

32m6

Grain & Pasta Salads

Italian Caprese Orzo Salad Pasta Bowl

This turns the classic caprese combination into a heartier pasta salad by tossing warm orzo directly with olive oil and torn basil, letting the pasta pick up the herb's fragrance as it cools rather than adding it only at the end. Using small mozzarella pearls instead of larger chunks means every forkful gets a bit of that classic tomato, basil, and mozzarella combination.

25m5

Grain & Pasta Salads

Low-Sodium Wild Rice Cranberry Walnut Salad

This simmers the wild rice until the grains just begin to split open, the visual cue that signals it's properly tender without turning mushy or needing extra salt to taste good. A maple orange dressing built without any added salt leans on natural sweetness and acidity instead, keeping the whole salad well within a lower sodium range.

60m5

Grain & Pasta Salads

British Creamy Cold Pasta Sweetcorn Salad

This rinses the cooked pasta under cold water right after draining, a step that stops the cooking instantly and washes off excess starch, keeping the noodles from clumping together in the creamy dressing. A classic British mayonnaise and salad cream blend, rather than mayonnaise alone, gives the dressing the slightly tangy edge that's familiar from packed lunch pasta salads across the UK.

27m5

Grain & Pasta Salads

Healthy Mediterranean Lemon Quinoa Salad Bowl

This rinses the quinoa thoroughly before cooking, which washes away the natural coating called saponin that's responsible for a bitter, soapy taste if left on. Tossing the quinoa with the lemon dressing while it's still warm lets the grains soak up far more flavor than if the dressing were added once everything had already cooled.

35m4

Grain & Pasta Salads

Moroccan Spiced Couscous Dried Fruit Salad

This blooms the cinnamon, cumin, and ginger directly in the hot broth before pouring it over the couscous, which is what infuses the grains with real spiced flavor as they steam rather than tasting flat once mixed in afterward. Dried apricots and cranberries stirred in while the couscous is still warm soften slightly and plump up, adding pockets of natural sweetness through every bite.

20m5

Grain & Pasta Salads

Southwest Black Bean Quinoa Corn Salad

This chars the corn in a dry skillet before mixing it in, the same technique used for Mexican street corn, which adds a smoky sweetness that plain raw or boiled corn can't offer. A cumin lime dressing whisked separately and poured over the cooled quinoa and beans ties the whole bowl together with a bright, zesty finish.

35m5

Grain & Pasta Salads

Indian Cold Spiced Chickpea Rice Salad

This tempers the mustard seeds and curry leaves in hot oil before tossing them through the cooled rice, the same tadka technique used in South Indian cooking, which builds far more aroma than simply sprinkling the spices in raw. Cooling the rice completely before mixing is what keeps the grains separate and fluffy instead of turning into a sticky, clumped together mass.

35m4