Quick, easy & filling – this pasta salad is a transformation of your favorite avocado and bacon sandwich! Ready in just 20 minutes, it’s creamy, fresh, and punchy, with lots of contrasting crunchy and silky textures. Plus, as a bonus, it’s vegan-friendly!

Creamy Avocado BLT Pasta Salad with Tempeh Bacon

Quick, easy & filling – this pasta salad is a transformation of your favourite avocado and bacon sandwich! Ready in just 20 minutes it's creamy, fresh and punchy, with lots of contrasting crunchy and silky textures. Plus, as a bonus, it's vegan friendly!

Course Salad

Cuisine Australian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 15

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 716kcal

Cost $16

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

Pasta

400 g bow pasta or pasta shape of choice

Avocado dressing

1 avocado large, ripe, pit removed
80 g fresh baby spinach washed
1/2 bunch fresh dill
1/4 cup natural yoghurt plant-based
1/4 cup mayonnaise plant-based
1 lemon juiced
1 garlic clove peeled
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cracked pepper

Tempeh bacon

300 g tempeh
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
1/2 tbsp smoked paprika

Crunchy chickpeas

800 g canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
1/2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Other add-ins

250 g cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 red onion finely sliced
1/2 bunch fresh dill finely chopped

Instructions

Cook pasta to packet instructions and allow to cool completely.
*Note – you can use either an oven or air fryer for this recipe. If using an oven, preheat it to 200C/400F.

Tempeh bacon

Slice block of tempeh in half, then into thin strips approximately 0.5cm or 1/4 inch wide.
Combine all remaining tempeh bacon ingredients in a medium size bowl to make a marinade. Taste and adjust flavor as needed. It should be salty, smoky, and sweet (the sweetness may seem excessive but it's needed to balance the natural bitterness of the tempeh).
Add tempeh to the marinade bowl and massage with your hands. Leave to soak for 10-15 minutes.

Crunchy chickpeas

Combine drained and rinsed chickpeas with all other ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
If using an air fryer, add the tempeh bacon to one half of the basket and the chickpeas to the other. Air fry for 15-20 minutes at 200C/400F, shaking half way through so they crisp evenly.
If using an oven, transfer tempeh pieces using tongs onto a lined baking sheet in a single layer. Keep the remaining marinade. Place chickpeas onto another lined baking tray in a single layer.
Bake tempeh for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven, flip, and brush generously with reserved marinade. Shake the tray of chickpeas so they cook evenly. Bake for a further 10 minutes, or until both the chickpeas and the tempeh are looking crispy.

Avocado dressing

Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth.

Combine and serve

Place the pasta and dressing in a very large bowl and mix until coated. Gently toss through the add-ins of cherry tomatoes, red onion, and dill. Then lastly, top with the chickpeas and tempeh bacon to serve.