Healthy Pasta Salad with Strawberries, Zucchini and Balsamic Vinaigrette {Super Simple + Vegetarian}

This healthy pasta salad is made with tofu noodles to keep it light and healthy! It’s a vegetarian meal that is easy and perfect for spring parties!

It’s Monday. And I know you need a pick-me-up.

So. I wrote you a poem.

Because I just really kinda sorta love writing you thing LOTS. Remember the Hummus Power salads? If you’ve been around FFF awhile, you know these feelings are TRUTH.

ALSO, if you don’t feel better after someone serenades you with beautiful worlds of poetic wonder and SOUL, then I don’t know if we can be friends anymore.

I’m kidding.

Maybe.

Let’s recite poetry and pretend that we are from the Shakespearean times of old. Whatever that means.

Anyway. Here goes:

Today I have a pasta salad for you.

Except, the pasta is made from Tofu!

It’s got creamy avocado and goat cheese too!

It’s so good, I almost don’t even know what to do!

So whaddya say, will you try something new?

Don’t be afraid, it’s good for you!

Yes, I realize that I rhymed “you” with “you” twice. But, it worked. Don’t you go critiquing my poetic license so early on a Monday morning. I wrote that BEFORE I had my coffee.

So, you should be really impressed.

Besides writing you pretty words full of meaning, I am also going to teach you something that you maybeprobably did not know: April is National Soyfoods Month! I am joining Super Soy-an Forces with House Foods to bring you a soy-packed meal to help ya celebrate in this last week.

Side note: If you are either 1. A child of the 90s or 2. Have small boys at home, you totally got the Super-Soyan reference. If not, Google “Dragon Ball Z.”

Back to the land of Tofu Shirataki salad NUMS.

A couple months back, I introduced ya’ll to House Foods and their awesome Tofu Shirataki noodles with a big ol’ bowl of comfort. Also known as Creamy Pumpkin Fettuccine.

If you haven’t tried tofu pasta, let me give you a few reasons why you should tangle yourself up in their nutritious noodle-y ways:

1. They taste REALLY good. As in the turned me from “NO TOFU EVER PLEASE. NEVAH.” To “Hi, I <3 Tofu and I will eat it for all the days, in all the ways forever and ever, in fact I probably have noodles sticking out of my teeth because they’ve turned into a permanent diet staple.”

Fer real guys. Take whatever pre-conceived notions of tofu that you have and chuck them RIGHT OUT THAT WINDOW OVER THERE.

2. 1 WHOLE PACKAGE (which serves 2) has 20 CALORIES. Which, if you do a wee bit of math, means: that 1 serving that I just face-planted into for dinner? T-E-N Calories.

You think you’re eating a plate of carby-no-bikini-season-for-me-this-year. Except THEN its all “PSYCH-I-DO-get-to-hit-the-beach-this-year-AND-eat-my-comfort-food-too”

You get it. And I know you’re into it.

Especially when all of that is mixed up with tangy balsamic vinegar, sweet, fresh strawberries and SUPER creamy avocado and goat cheese.

Because double the creamy goodness? <—  YES aaaand YES.

Can I just throw one more thing out there? It’s Monday. Which just so happens to be the day for all things NUH-UH NO MEAT.

And, I spy with my little eye, a salad. Full of health and general Spring tastiness…with Z-E-R-O meat in sight.

You’re picking up what I’m putting down.

Recipe

Healthy Pasta Salad with Strawberries, Zucchini and Balsamic Vinaigrette

5 from 3 votes

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Serves: 4 -6

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 10 minutes minutes

Total: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 8 Oz Packages of House Foods Tofu Shirataki Noodles Spaghetti Shaped

For the dressing:

• 4 1/2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Agave
• 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 3 Tbsp Olive oil

For the salad:

• 1 cups Large Zucchini sliced (about 2 )
• 1/2 tsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp Garlic minced
• Salt/pepper
• 1 1/2 Cups Fresh strawberries sliced
• 2 Cups Spring Salad mix
• 3 Oz Goat cheese crumbled
• 1 Large avocado Sliced
• 2 Tbsp Fresh basil minced

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Drain and rinse the noodles well. Place them into the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towel. You want to remove as much moisture as possible. * Let the noodles sit on the counter for 30 minutes to cool and continue drying.
• In a large bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar, agave, mustard and Italian seasoning until smooth and mixed. While whisking, stream in the olive oil until the dressing thickens and becomes creamy.
• Add the dry noodles into the vinaigrette, toss and mix to coat evenly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate 2-3 hours.
• Once the noodles have chilled, Preheat your grill to medium heat.
• Toss the sliced zucchini with the olive oil, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until tender and grill marks form, about 3-5 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. Toss the grilled zucchini into the bowl of noodles.
• Add the sliced strawberries, spring mix, goat cheese, avocado and basil into the salad and toss until evenly mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• DEVOUR immediately.

Tips & Notes:

* You want to make the noodles as dry as you can. I patted mine dry with paper towel 3 times, before letting them cool to room temperature, to really absorb that moisure

Nutrition Disclaimer

Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.

Author: FoodFaithFitness

Course:Salad

Cuisine:American

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Rate It

6 SmartPoints per serving, based off 6 servings.
This post is sponsored by House Foods. Thank you so much for allowing me to continue creating great recipes for you by supporting partnerships with brands that Food Faith Fitness loves to work with!

If you want to try House Food’s Tofu Shirataki Noodles, starting tomorrow, you can find some coupons on their Facebook Page!

If you make this recipe, please remember to tag @foodfaithfit and #foodfaithfitness on Instagram! I LOVE seeing your recipe recreations!

 Want more healthy salads?

Superfood Kale Salad with Salmon

Skinny Grilled Ranch Red Potato Salad

Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Kefir Vinaigrette

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