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This sun-dried tomato and artichoke pasta salad is packed with fresh Mediterranean flavors! Think smoky grilled artichoke hearts, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, and crunchy cucumber. It’s all brought together with a zesty olive oil dressing infused with thyme, lemon zest, and a touch of Dijon mustard!
Mediterranean food lovers, you’re going to be hooked by this salad. This is not your typical plain salad that comes with a basic vinaigrette and raw veggies. Nope!
This one goes all-in on lemony, herby, and peppery notes. It’s umami-rich thanks to the grilled artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives. But don’t worry, it’s not just about canned ingredients. Fresh tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and fragrant basil add plenty of juiciness and freshness to balance it all out. It’s seriously flavorful and great for summer, so I hope you’re going to give this salad a try!
⭐️ Why I Think You’ll Love It
Bold, fresh, herby flavors.
Since I’m a big fan of artichoke hearts on pizza, adding them to this salad felt like a no-brainer. They add a meaty quality and an earthy flavor that pairs perfectly with the zesty dressing. On top of that, you have sun-dried tomatoes and olives that bring in a ton of umami, and chopped fresh basil that I use as a finishing touch for a pop of freshness!
Beginner-friendly.
Although it packs complex flavors, the beauty of this salad lies in its simplicity. The only thing you’ll need to cook is the pasta. Everything else consists of just chopping the vegetables and mixing up the dressing! Plus, it relies on simple ingredients that are easy to access for everyone.
Great for meal prep.
One batch of this salad yields about 5 large servings, making it great for meal prep. Serve it with vegan meatballs, air fryer lemongrass tofu, or vegan burgers, and you’ve got yourself a meal ready in no time!
🥒 Ingredient Details
Pasta
I like using fusilli for this salad as it grabs the dressing really well with all those little twists. With that being said, feel free to use any pasta you like, just keep the weight about the same.
Artichoke hearts
Artichoke hearts are the highlight of this salad, bringing some kind of meatiness and an earthy, slightly sweet taste. I suggest picking grilled artichoke hearts marinated in oil. They are usually sold in glass jars and can be found in the canned produce aisle.
Note: Skip the cheap artichoke hearts (mostly sold in cans), they’re usually tough and not great. It’s worth paying a bit more for the good-quality ones, which are way more tender and taste so much better!
For one batch of this recipe, I used a 10-ounce (283g) jar of grilled artichoke hearts that yielded 6 ounces (170g) drained.
Sun-dried tomatoes & fresh tomatoes
Next on the list are tomatoes. I use two kinds: sun-dried and fresh ones, for a combination of taste and texture. Sun-dried tomatoes add umami, saltiness, and some chew, while fresh cherry tomatoes bring juiciness and freshness.
Cucumber
For crispiness and juiciness!
Do I need to peel the cucumber? Unless you use cucumbers with thick skin, such as the American Slicing variety, there is no need to peel them. I like to use either Persian or English cucumbers.
Black olives
Regarding the olives, keep in mind that not all brands are equal. Some are way saltier than others and may overpower the salad. Try to find olives with a mild saltiness (usually, they are not as wrinkly and have a smoother appearance).
Which type of olive to pick: Kalamata, Mission, or Niçoise are great choices. You can also use green olives, depending on your preference.
Fresh basil
Fresh basil is the final touch, adding freshness, a bit of brightness, and just a hint of peppery flavor.
Dressing
The dressing is where all the magic happens in this salad. The base consists of olive oil for nice fruity vibes, then lemon juice for some tang, and a bit of yellow mustard to add a subtle kick. I also add dried thyme and black pepper for earthy, herby notes, and some lemon zest to add a citrusy flavor. A small splash of maple syrup helps balance out the saltiness.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. I used fusilli pasta and cooked it for 12 minutes.
- Drain it. Once the pasta is tender, drain it and rinse it twice under cold water. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Drain it well!
I highly recommend letting the pasta sit in a colander for 10–15 minutes to drain it really well. If it’s still wet, it will water down the dressing and make the salad taste a bit bland.
- Make the dressing. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, dried thyme, salt, ground black pepper, and lemon zest to a small bowl. Whisk until well combined. Alternatively, you can add everything to a small shake and give it a good shake.
- Prepare the artichokes and dried tomatoes. Take the artichoke hearts and the sun-dried tomatoes out of the oil and transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Pat them dry slightly with another piece of kitchen paper towel. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) chunks.
- Add the vegetables to the pasta. To the bowl containing the pasta, add the artichoke hearts, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, cucumber, olives, diced tomatoes, and chopped basil.
- Add the dressing. Pour the dressing into the bowl.
- Toss everything together. Next, toss the pasta and vegetables until they are coated with the dressing. At this point, you can taste it and adjust the saltiness/sweetness to your liking.
- Refrigerate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Give it a good stir before serving!
📔 Tips
Do not overcook or undercook the pasta.
Try cooking the pasta until it is tender. Al dente won’t yield the best results here as the pasta tends to firm up slightly when refrigerated. On the other hand, you don’t want to overcook it either, or it will end up being too soft and may break when you mix it with the other ingredients.
Chop the vegetables evenly.
Except for the artichoke hearts that you can keep whole if they are already cut (I love large chunks of them!), I suggest chopping the dried tomatoes, cucumber, and olives into even pieces. This not only makes the salad easier to eat but also helps all the flavors mix more evenly.
🌽 Tweak It!
Don’t hesitate to get creative with the add-ins! Here are some ideas of what you can add:
- Other vegetables: How about including a handful of corn kernels, sautéed mushrooms, edamame, or diced bell peppers?! You can add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the extra vegetables of your choice.
- Nuts: Add texture and nuttiness by incorporating toasted pine nuts, roasted cashews, or peanuts.
- Garlic or shallots: Finely chop a clove of garlic and/or a small shallot and add it to the dressing for sharpness!
- Preserved lemon: If you are really into zesty flavors, feel free to include about 1/4 cup of finely chopped preserved lemon.
- Dried tomato oil: For more complexity, you can replace half of the olive oil with the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar.
⭐️ Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy this salad as a light lunch/dinner, or serve it as a side with vegan fish fillets, vegan meatloaf, or green falafel. If you want to keep it lighter, pair it with greens such as sautéed broccolini, garlic winged beans, grilled eggplant, or green beans!
❄️ How to Store It
- To store: You can store this salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I would say that it tastes about 90% as good on the second and third days as it does on day one.
💬 FAQ
If you are using grilled artichoke hearts sold in oil, there is no need to cook them.
It all depends on your preference! Mine were quite small, so I didn’t chop them, but if yours are larger, go ahead and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Yes! It’s completely fine to use the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar. In fact, it’s a flavor-bomb as it is infused with tomato flavor and has a slight sweetness.
This pasta salad is super easy to prepare and perfect for meal prep. Great for busy days or when you don’t feel like cooking but still want something fresh and delicious. Hope you will love it!
⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
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Sun-dried Tomato & Artichoke Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups (300 g) uncooked fusilli or any other type of pasta
Dressing
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tbsp (14 g) yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp (8 g) nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp (5 ml) maple syrup
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
Add-ins
- 1 and 1/2 cup (170 g) grilled artichoke heart (from a 10-ounce (283g) jar)
- 1/2 cup (65 g) chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/3 cup (70 g) chopped cucumber
- 1/4 cup (25 g) chopped black olives
- 3-4 cherry tomatoes diced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. I used fusilli pasta and cooked it for 12 minutes.
- Drain it. Once the pasta is tender, drain it and rinse it twice under cold water. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.Note: I highly recommend letting the pasta sit in a colander for 10–15 minutes to drain it really well. If it’s still wet, it will water down the dressing and make the salad taste a bit bland.
- Make the dressing. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, dried thyme, salt, ground black pepper, and lemon zest to a small bowl. Whisk until well combined. Alternatively, you can add everything to a small shake and give it a good shake.
- Prepare the artichokes and dried tomatoes. Take the artichoke hearts and the sun-dried tomatoes out of the oil and transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Pat them dry slightly with another piece of kitchen paper towel. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) chunks.
- Add the vegetables to the pasta. To the bowl containing the pasta, add the artichoke hearts, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, cucumber, olives, diced tomatoes, and chopped basil.
- Add the dressing. Pour the dressing into the bowl.
- Toss everything together. Next, toss the pasta and vegetables until they are coated with the dressing. At this point, you can taste it and adjust the saltiness/sweetness to your liking.
- Refrigerate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Give it a good stir before serving!
- You can store this salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Do not overcook or undercook the pasta.
Try cooking the pasta until it is tender. Al dente won’t yield the best results here as the pasta tends to firm up slightly when refrigerated. On the other hand, you don’t want to overcook it either, or it will end up being too soft and may break when you mix it with the other ingredients.Chop the vegetables evenly.
Except for the artichoke hearts that you can keep whole if they are already cut (I love large chunks of them!), I suggest chopping the dried tomatoes, cucumber, and olives into even pieces. This not only makes the salad easier to eat but also helps all the flavors mix more evenly.
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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Turned out way better than I expected. Really flavorful and came together fast. Will be adding this to the rotation.
This salad was fantastic! I added some vegan meatballs to bring to school and share with my friends and it was delish. Everyone loved it.