Vegan Creamy Pesto Chickpea (Printable)

Protein-packed pasta mixed with creamy pesto, chickpeas, arugula, and fresh vegetables for a refreshing meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 oz short pasta such as fusilli or penne

→ Creamy Vegan Pesto

02 - 2 cups fresh basil leaves
03 - 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked 1 hour and drained
04 - 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
05 - 2 cloves garlic
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
07 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1/4 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Salad

11 - 1 can chickpeas (14 oz), drained and rinsed
12 - 3 cups fresh arugula
13 - 3.5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
14 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
15 - 1 small cucumber, diced

# Directions:

01 - Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a sieve and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.
02 - Combine basil, soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, plant-based milk, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping sides as necessary. Adjust seasoning to taste.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled pasta, chickpeas, arugula, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and cucumber.
04 - Pour creamy pesto over salad and toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
06 - Serve immediately for best texture, or refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's naturally creamy without any dairy, thanks to soaked cashews doing the heavy lifting.
  • The chickpeas turn this from side dish into a protein-packed main that actually fills you up.
  • Everything comes together in under thirty minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners or last-minute gatherings.
02 -
  • Never blend your pesto too much or it becomes bitter; a few seconds of over-blending releases oils from the basil that turn it dark and acrid.
  • Cold pasta doesn't absorb seasoning well, so taste as you build the salad and don't be timid with salt—it's the bridge that lets all the flavors speak.
03 -
  • Soak your cashews in hot water rather than cold to cut the time in half, and always taste the pesto before adding salt because nutritional yeast brings its own savory depth.
  • The secret to pesto that doesn't separate is keeping everything cold before blending and using the plant milk to adjust consistency rather than more oil.
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