I was never a big fan of pasta salads. That was, until I tried this one. This pasta salad is made with quinoa pasta so it is packed with protein, it gets its creaminess from avocado and has a crunchy kick from broccoli with little sweet bursts of tomatoes.

My friend and I created this salad together one summer for dinner and it was SO good that we made it again the next day for a picnic!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups uncooked quinoa or brown rice pasta.
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 tbsp cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (or 1/2 cup full fat organic yogurt)
• Juice from 1 large lemon
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Sea salt
• cracked black pepper

METHOD

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, steam the broccoli florets for 2-3 minutes until bright green and still slightly crunchy.
• Once the pasta and broccoli are cooked, place in large bowl and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside to cool.
• In a bowl, mash the avocados until smooth. Add the vegan mayonnaise, the juice from the lemon, the minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pasta/broccoli. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss everything to coat. Store in the fridge until ready to eat. Serve cold. Enjoy!