Summer Tortellini Salad with Garlic Herb Dressing

This Summer Tortellini Salad with Garlic Herb Dressing comes together in no time and is packed with fresh summer flavors! The tortellini makes this salad filling, and the arugula and cherry tomatoes offer a bright freshness. Enjoy this easy summer tortellini salad for lunch, or bring it to a potluck to share.

Summer Tortellini Salad Recipe Ingredients

• Tortellini – I use cheese tortellini for this recipe. I like to use store-bought tortellini that can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. It’s fresh and only takes a couple of minutes to cook. You can also usually find cheese tortellini in the dried pasta section.
• Chickpeas – I like to add chickpeas to my salads for the extra protein, taste, and texture. You can also use white beans.
• Tomatoes – I used cherry tomatoes because it’s cherry tomato season, and I finally have some growing in my garden! Cherry tomatoes are sweet and summery, but any kind of tomato can be used. Be sure to dice it into small pieces if using a larger tomato.
• Arugula – For this tortellini salad, I used a mixture of arugula and baby spinach. Arugula has a nice peppery bite that I love. You can use any kind of greens you prefer, though.
• Red Onion – If you know me, you know that red onion is a must for most of my pasta salad recipes! You can substitute shallot if you want something a bit milder in flavor.
• Capers – The capers are optional, but add a nice vinegary bite that goes well with the cheesy tortellini.
• Dressing – The dressing is a homemade garlic and herb dressing. It’s made using olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs, dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper.

How To Make Summer Tortellini Salad

1. Heat a large pot of water until boiling. Add your tortellini and cook according to package directions. Once the tortellini is finished cooking, drain and allow to cool until ready to use.
2. Make your dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, about 30-60 seconds. Set the dressing aside until ready to use.
3. To a large bowl, add the cooled tortellini, chickpeas, arugula, tomatoes, red onion, and capers. Next, pour the dressing over the pasta salad and mix everything together until fully combined. Season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
4. Tortellini salad can be served immediately or refrigerated until ready to enjoy.

Tortellini Recipe Frequently Asked Questions

• Can this recipe be made gluten-free? It can easily be made gluten-free if you can find some gluten-free tortellini. If you can’t find any, you could just use regular gluten-free pasta and add some tiny mozzarella balls. It would give you a very similar taste!
• Where can I buy vegan tortellini? You can probably find it at a grocery store like Whole Foods or somewhere with plenty of vegan options.
• Can this tortellini salad be made ahead of time? Yes, it can be made ahead of time. The only thing to watch out for is that the arugula may wilt a bit if it’s in the refrigerator for more than one or two days.
• How long will leftovers last in the refrigerator? If stored in an air-tight container, leftovers should last about four days or so. The arugula might get a bit wilted, but everything else should be fine.

Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP.

Looking For More Vegetarian Summer Salad Recipes?

Lemon Broccoli Pasta Salad with Feta

Zucchini Chickpea Quinoa Salad

Broccoli Blueberry Salad with Chickpeas

Loaded Black Bean Salad

Macaroni Coleslaw Salad

Summer Tortellini Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: She Likes Food
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This Summer Tortellini Salad with Garlic Herb Dressing comes together in no time at all and is packed with tons of fresh summer flavors! The tortellini makes this salad filling and the arugula and cherry tomatoes offer a bright freshness. Enjoy this easy summer tortellini salad for lunch or bring to a potluck to share!

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Ingredients

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• 1 (15 oz) package cheese tortellini
• 3 cups baby arugula or baby spinach
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 12 oz (1 pint) cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
• 1/2 medium sized red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup capers, drained

Garlic Herb Dressing

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup chopped fresh herbs, I used a mixture of parsley and cilantro
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 1–2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

1. Heat a large pot of water until boiling.  Add in your tortellini and cook according to package directions.  Once tortellini is finished cooking, drain and allow to cool until ready to use.
2. Make your vinaigrette.  Add all vinaigrette ingredients to a blender and blend until a smooth dressing is formed, about 30 seconds or so.  Set dressing aside until ready to use.
3. To a large bowl, add in your cooled tortellini, chickpeas, arugula, tomatoes, red onion and capers.  Next, pour the vinaigrette over the pasta salad and mix everything together until fully combined.  Season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
4. Tortellini salad can be served immediately or refrigerated until ready to enjoy.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Category: Lunch, Vegetarian
• Method: stovetop
• Cuisine: American