The Monthly Blog Patrolling (MBP) is a theme based event started by Coffee at the Spice Café where a recipe from a fellow blogger is cooked and written about. A great way to discover new blogs and recipes. This month’s edition is being hosted by Raaga, The Singing Chef with a theme of “Soups and Salads”
What I chose to re-create was the A to Z Pasta Salad I found at Susan V’s Fatfree Vegan Kitchen. The salad appealed to me because it had pasta (of course) and that one could use whatever vegetables are available in the kitchen.
Susan’s recipe is vegan so I changed it to vegetarian. She also invites us to use whatever combination of vegetables and Italian dressing we prefer. So I have tweaked her recipe only to adjust for those ingredients I didn’t have. But I would definitely advise that you go through her recipe. My version follows.
Susan's A to Z Pasta Salad (V)
Ingredients
- 125 gm paneer
- 1 1/2 tbsps soy sauce (mine was dark)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 1 green bell pepper medium sized , chopped
- 2 carrots medium , sliced
- 2 tomatoes medium , deseeded and chopped
- 8 green bean (cut into 1/2" pieces)
- 1/4 cup sweet corn frozen
Dressing:
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp oregano dried
- 1/2 tsp basil dried
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and keep aside.
- Mix the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, water and garlic paste. Marinate the paneer in this mixture for at least an hour. Place the paneer on a greased tray and bake at 200C for about 12minutes or till the paneer cubes start to brown.
- In the meanwhile, blanch the beans, carrots and sweet corn in salted water. In the same water cook the penne till just done. Drain.
- Put the tofu, blanched vegetables, bell pepper, tomatoes and the penne in a bowl. Add the dressing and season with salt and pepper as required. Mix well so that the dressing coats everything.
- I served this at room temperature. This recipe makes comfortable portions for 3 to 4 people. A very tasty salad and perfect for the summer (and any other time of the year).
I'm Aparna and My Diverse Kitchen is my ovo-lacto vegetarian food blog where you'll find recipes, food stories & photography. I've been blogging since 2007 and believe the kitchen, and the dining table (by extension) is really the heart of a home. 
Aparna, pasta salad looks very colorful and tempting.
Pasta salad looks great – nice flavours there.
Hi Aparna…That was a colorful salad. Looks so good. Love the color combo…
Your pasta looks so colorful! I love the fresh ingredient you used in it. Nice combo.
Tried this out Aparna….just too good!!! have posted it on my blog too..thanks for a great recipe..
Sheba, this is probably my favourite salad. Shall check out your post.