Vegan Creamy Asparagus Pea Macaroni Salad! Ideal for potlucks, picnics, and bright, seasonal lunches, this salad marries comfort-food creaminess with veggie-forward freshness, making it a standout recipe for any spring table.
This Vegan Creamy Asparagus Pea Macaroni Salad is the quintessential spring celebration on a plate. Creamy, tangy with a bold mustard kick, and wonderfully bright, it shines with blanched asparagus spears, sweet green peas, and crisp green onions folded into perfectly tender macaroni. Each bite balances the richness of the plant-based cream with the crisp, garden-fresh flavors of asparagus and peas, while the mustard undertone adds a zippy depth that keeps you reaching for more.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
This macaroni salad is so delicious! Yasmeen devoured 3 big bowls, stating “YUMMM!”
The verdict is in: it’s irresistibly creamy, lightly tangy, and wonderfully satisfying without any dairy. I love how the asparagus snap and peas pop against the tender macaroni, while the mustard-brightened dressing ties everything together in a cheerful, crowd-pleasing finish.
If you’re chasing a vibrant, spring dish that tastes even better than it looks, this recipe is your new go-to—perfect for easy weekend lunches and sharing with friends and family!
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This Vegan Creamy Asparagus Pea Macaroni Salad is a delicious spring macaroni salad. Creamy and full of mustard flavor, this dish is filled with blanched asparagus spears, baby sweet peas, and green onions.
- Blanched Asparagus: The asparagus is blanched thereby resulting in a firm crunchy texture and mouthfeel. If you are concerned about textural issues, then consider skipping this recipe.
- Pasta Amount: If you enjoy a really creamy macaroni salad, use 8 oz. of dry pasta. If you enjoy a regularly creamy macaroni salad, use 12 oz. of dry elbow macaroni. We do not recommend using more than 12 oz. as you will end up with a dry macaroni salad as the macaroni really soaks up the sauce.
- Trimmed Asparagus: First snap the asparagus by holding both ends of the asparagus in your hands and bending until it snaps in half. Then discard the woody bottom end. The woody bottom end is very unpleasant and typically inedible. The asparagus will automatically snap where the asparagus divides the tender end from the woody end.
- Sweetness: Our family was completely divided over the amount of maple syrup that was needed for this dish. We ultimately went on the lower end as this macaroni salad is all about those mustard flavors. Feel free to ramp up the maple syrup if you prefer a sweeter macaroni salad.
- Dijon Mustard: Our family was completely divided over how much Dijon mustard was enjoyed. Start on the low end and add more to suit your personal preferenced.
- Cooked Pasta: After you cook the elbow macaroni, rinse it, and set it aside, it can sometimes get sticky while it waits. If it is sticky, then right before pulling the salad together, simply rinse the pasta again with cold water to loosen it up. Drain well.
- Hot Sauce: The small amount of hot sauce will not make this macaroni salad spicy or add heat. It adds depth of flavor. We loved it. You can leave it out if you wish, but if you have it on hand, use it.
- Cashew Based Sauces: Cashew based sauces tend to tighten up in the refrigerator. If you need to loosen the macaroni salad up, add a 1/2 teaspoon to one teaspoon warm water to individual servings, mix well, this will make the cream base luxurious again.
- Making and Serving Later: This macaroni salad tastes best immediately after making it. As with most cashew cream-based macaroni salads, they tend to really drink up the dressing. If you are planning to make this salad for a picnic (or later use) and you want maximum presentation, texture, and taste. We suggest doing the following:
- Prep all your veggies and place them in a bowl, tightly cover, and place in the fridge. Keep the green onions separate in a tightly covered bowl. In other words, put it in a tightly-covered bowl, then wrap the bowl in plastic wrap.
- Make the sauce ahead of time and place in the fridge. Cover tightly.
- Cook the elbow macaroni, rinse with cold water, drain well, and place in the fridge.
- Right before serving, rinse the undressed macaroni with warm water, gently loosen the macaroni with your fingers, then switch to cold water. Drain well, then place in a large bowl with the diced veggies.
- Cashew-based sauces/dressings tend to tighten up when refrigerated. You may need to add a little splash of warm water or distilled white vinegar to the sauce, mix well, taste test (add more seasonings, if needed). Place the veggies and macaroni into a large bowl, add the dressing. Stir, taste test, adjust seasonings, and serve.
- Gluten Free Pastas in Pasta Salads: If using a gluten free pasta, rinse thoroughly and drain well. Serve immediately after making the macaroni salad. Gluten free pasta tends to seize up in the refrigerator and can become stiff and almost crunchy. We suggest serving immediately after making if using a gluten free pasta for the best results.
- Cashew Substitutions: You can try the typical substitutions like silken tofu, white beans, or other nuts or seeds with the understanding that the flavor and texture will be impacted accordingly. We have not tested any substitutions.
- Health Benefits of Asparagus: Asparagus is chalked full of Vitamin K, A, C, and E as well as folate and potassium. It contains significant fiber and is a great source of inulin, an awesome good gut bacteria. It aids in improving blood flow and helps lower blood pressure.
- Amount of Sea Salt: Our family was completely divided over the amount of sea salt needed to properly season this dish. Feel free to increase or decrease the amount accordingly.
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered air-tight container.
As with most pasta salads, this dish does not freeze well.
Pantry Products:
- Frozen Baby Sweet Peas: We used peas from a 13 oz. bag of Birds Eye Baby Sweet Peas. Feel free to use your favorite brand of frozen baby sweet peas.
- Dijon Mustard: We used Koops Dijon Mustard. Feel free to use your favorite Dijon mustard.
- Yellow Mustard: We used French’s Classic Yellow Mustard. Feel free to use your favorite yellow mustard.
- Hot Sauce: We used Frank’s RedHot Original Hot Sauce.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Stock pot to boil the macaroni
- High-speed blender
If you try this flavorful salad, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
Print
Vegan Creamy Asparagus Pea Macaroni Salad
- Prep Time: 25 Minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 Minutes
- Total Time: 35 Minutes
- Yield: 10 Cups 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Rich, wholesome, and zippy, this Vegan Creamy Asparagus Pea Macaroni Salad is the quintessential spring celebration on a plate.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 8 to 12 oz. dry elbow macaroni *
- 16 to 24 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed, sliced into 1-inch pieces *
- 1 ¼ cups frozen baby sweet peas, thawed
- 1 cup green onions, sliced (+/-)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 cup (raw) cashews
- 3 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon water
- ¼ cup yellow mustard *
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (+/-) *
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup (+/-) *
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce (optional) *
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *
Optional Topping:
- Sprinkle dried dill weed (or fresh)
Instructions
- Cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions, when done, immediately rinse thoroughly with cold water (rinse until all the macaroni is cold), shake off excess water, set aside to use in Step 4.
- In the meantime, place the cashews into a small bowl, cover with boiling water and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
- Trim the asparagus (see notes). Slice the head off at diagonal. Then slice the spear into 1-inch sized pieces at a diagonal and place in a glass bowl. Boil some water in a teapot, then once boiling, pour the boiling water over the asparagus and steep (blanch) for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, immediately pour the asparagus into a strainer and run cold tap water over the blanched asparagus until cold, place on a plate lined with a lint free dish towel (to absorb the water) and set aside.
- After the cashews have soaked for 20 minutes, then drain off and discard the water. Place the soaked cashews into a high-speed blender along with all the remaining Dressing Ingredients. Blend until smooth and emulsified, scraping down the sides several sides. Set aside.
- Place all the Salad Ingredients, including the cooked and cooled elbow macaroni and asparagus, into a large bowl, mix to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Pour the dressing over the mixture, gently toss. Taste test for flavor. Add more seasoning, if needed. Best if served immediately. If desired, sprinkle with dried or fresh dill weed. Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Serving: 8 to 10 (makes 10 cups)
This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.
Leave a Reply