This easy and healthy vegetarian tortellini salad is loaded with vegetables like fresh summer corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, and more!
Lunch

Summer Veggie Tortellini Salad

Happy June, y’all!  It’s (basically) summer, and we just got back last night from a long weekend at the beach.  We always eat most of what’s in the fridge before we head out of town so nothing goes to waste while we’re gone, but unfortunately that means arriving to a nearly empty kitchen after vacation.  Last night we managed to make it through on what we had at home after eating a late lunch on the road, but I knew this morning I would have to figure something out.

As predicted, I didn’t even feel like writing a grocery list, much less spending a whole lot of time in the kitchen making dinner.  I wanted something quick and fresh that I could prepare ahead of time and pull out of the fridge to serve when Oliver got home from work.  So what happened to meet those requirements?

Pasta salad happened.

For a little extra excitement, I chose tortellini rather than any other boring pasta not stuffed with cheese.  I used refrigerated tortellini that only had to be cooked for three minutes, so the majority of the time it took to make this was spent chopping veggies and waiting on the pasta to chill.  I also threw together a simple vinaigrette to toss it in.  Store-bought salad dressing would work just as well, but I prefer to use the ingredients I always have on hand anyway, plus it’s nice to know there aren’t any mysterious ingredients in it.  This particular vinaigrette is my favorite to whip up in a pinch, and I serve it with pretty much every salad I make.

Tonight we enjoyed our tortellini salad over a bed of greens, but it would also make a great side dish.  I think I might have found my new go-to for summer potlucks and cookouts…

You might also like: Asparagus Pasta Salad

This easy and healthy vegetarian tortellini salad is loaded with vegetables like fresh summer corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, and more!

If you try this Summer Veggie Tortellini Salad at home, I’d love to hear what you think! Share pictures with me on social media by tagging @thesavvyplate on Instagram or by mentioning my page The Savvy Plate Blog on Facebook!

Summer Veggie Tortellini Salad

Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Author Savannah

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
  • pinch of salt

For the salad:

  • 10 oz. cheese tortellini
  • 3/4 cup fresh corn* about one ear of corn
  • 6 oz. cherry tomatoes quartered
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives pitted and chopped

Instructions

  1. Add vinaigrette ingredients to a small jar, and shake to combine.  You may need to whisk with a fork to ensure that the honey is fully incorporated.
  2. Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Toss with 1 tbsp of the vinaigrette to prevent sticking, and allow to chill completely.
  3. Add all vegetables to the chilled tortellini, and toss with vinaigrette according to preference.  I used about half of the dressing and saved the rest for later use.
  4. Serve cold.

Recipe Notes

*I roasted the corn in the husk directly on the oven rack at 350 for 30 minutes, allowed it to cool, and then cut the corn from the cob.

This easy and healthy vegetarian tortellini salad is loaded with vegetables like fresh summer corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, and more!

 

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