Blueberry and Broccoli Pasta Salad with a tangy Lemon Buttermilk Dressing ~ spring forward with this colorful and healthy pasta salad made with gluten free pasta, lots of fruits and veggies, and an extra dose of crunch!
This salad was fun to fun to invent, and so easy to put together once I had all the flavors figured out., but honestly, when I told my husband I was making a salad with blueberries and broccoli he screwed up his face in the most annoying way. If you’re not sure about blueberries and broccoli just trust me ~ the first bite of this wonderful salad will convince you. It all starts with a box of naturally gluten free pasta made with chickpeas!
After cooking and draining, I toss the pasta with some of my lemony buttermilk dressing ~ it keeps the pasta from sticking together, and will also soak in a bit while I prep my other ingredients. This salad has an unusual mix of fresh veggies and fruit, along with dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. The end result is really wonderful, I love the contrast between the sweet and savory flavors
This salad is sophisticated enough for an adult palate, but also a great kid-pleaser ~ those juicy blueberries and crunchy apples can help introduce the joys of broccoli to your picky eaters,
You can make this healthy pasta salad recipe in the morning, it will hold up fine in the refrigerator. I like to refresh it with a little more dressing just before serving. The dressing is a tangy mixture of lemon juice, poppy seeds, buttermilk, and mayo…not as thick as most mayonnaise based dressings and so delicious I could eat it with a spoon! But if you’re a mayo lover, you might also try a classic salad cream dressing with this recipe.
Why are smart carbs so important?
So many of the carbs we consume in our Western diet are empty, overly processed carbohydrates like white bread and white rice. They’re wreaking havoc with our bodies and leading to all sorts of health problems like obesity and diabetes. But I love carbs, and I’m not about to do with out them, so I try to replace the empty ones with better choices. Good carbs, or smart carbs, are foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans. You can instantly improve your diet by simply switching out refined flour pasta with this chickpea and lentil pasta, I love simple solutions like this!
The flavors in this salad work together so well, I hope you give it a try, I have a hunch it’ll become a family favorite. And if you have little ones who would live on pasta if they had their way, this is a really smart choice for them. My youngest daughter wanted ‘buttery pasta’ 24/7, I wish chickpea pasta had been around for me then 🙂
More pasta salads!
Blueberry Broccoli Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (227g) Spiral Pasta, made from chickpeas or whole grains.
- 1 cup small broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup diced apples, tossed with lemon juice to prevent browning
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp buttermilk
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse the pasta in cold water to stop the cooking. Put in a bowl and drizzle with some of the dressing, toss gently.
- Put the broccoli in a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon of water and microwave for 90 seconds. Drain.
- You can assemble the salad in two ways ~ You can arrange the ingredients on top of the pasta, and then dress and toss at the table, or you can mix everything together, it’s your call.
- Add just enough dressing to moisten the salad without drowning it, you can always add more later.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Video
Nutrition
Notes:
- If you like, add some cheese to this salad, I think mild cheddar, Gouda, or Monterey Jack would work well, and cut it in a small dice.
- You can incorporate Chickapea pasta into any of your favorite pasta recipes, like my Israeli Pasta Salad, or my Pasta Salad with Tuna.
- If you can’t find Chickapea pasta at your local store, you can find it on Amazon, HERE.
Thanks for pinning!
I came across this recipe at the perfect time… I had blueberries and broccoli in my CSA basket. I never would have thought to use them together, but this turned out fantastic. I didn’t have buttermilk, so I used sweet milk, and with the lemon juice, I figured that’s pretty much buttermilk anyway. I also cooked the broccoli on the stovetop in water rather than in the microwave. Just my personal preference. I doubt it made any difference, other than saving a dish to wash.
Thanks Alicia ~ I love combining unexpected ingredients, and I agree, I wouldn’t have normally thought of these two together. I’ve recently seen kale and blueberries together and I’m planning to try that this week. If it turns out good it’ll go on the blog 🙂
What a colourful and tasty salad, This is one of the most interesting salads I have seen in a while. Luckily I can find these ingredients here although Bluberries that are not popular here but I think I can add Grapes as a substitute, right? I don’t often eat Pasta but this recipe, I can not wait to try it, looks so colorful and fascinating. Great combination. Thanks
Girl, this looks so good!
I’m always looking for ways to make pasta healthier. This is brilliant!
This recipe sounds delicious – so colorful.
Where does one buy chickpea pasta? Is this a Trader Joe’s item or maybe Whole Foods.
Love the video
There’s a store locator on their site, here, Sherry:http://choosechickapea.com/where-to-buy/
I love all the colors and textures of this salad – just gorgeous!
My dad is going to try a gluten-free diet for a while to help control inflammation and I’m looking for excellent, familiar foods made gf, so I am really glad to learn about Chickapea Pasta. I’m going to grab a few boxes to play with for him. This salad looks divine!
Have to admit, I’ve never tried chickpea pasta — but this wonderfully unique combination of veggies and fruit is intriguing enough for me to want to try. Strawberries and spinach salads have become ubiquitous. Why not blueberries and broccoli! Hats off to your creativity, Sue