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blt pasta salad with tomatos lettuce and bacon on white plates.

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Why I love this BLT pasta salad

Bacon, lettuce tomato sandwiches are such a classic American dish, but, if I have to be honest, I’m really not a fan. BLT-inspired recipes, on the other hand, are my jam. I love them. My friend makes an awesome BLT dip that I absolutely love, and I love a good BLT pasta salad.

My other favorite macaroni salad has a mayonnaise and pickle juice based dressing, but I wanted this one to have a lot of flavor because I find that BLT ingredients need a little extra help sometimes.

Unfortunately, so many of these recipes call for sour cream or cheese. Not so fun when you’re living dairy free. Luckily, there’s vegan sour cream. It’s such an easy swap, and I use it in so many things.

My favorite right now is Tofutti’s Better Than Sour Cream because I think it tastes the most similar to the real thing. I use it in my dairy free ranch dressing and the sauce for my favorite salmon recipe.

More dairy free pasta recipes: dairy free alfredo sauce / pasta carbonara / cheesy butternut squash pasta sauce / penne bolognese

close up of blt pasta salad with a spoon scooping some out.

Here’s what you’ll need to make BLT pasta salad

serving bowl with tomatoes, pasta, chives, chopped bacon, and chopped lettuce in sections ready to be mixed.

How to make BLT pasta salad

Whisk together the mayonnaise, vegan sour cream, white wine vinegar, parsley, garlic and salt & pepper to make the dressing. Set this aside.

Chop up the bacon, chives, and slice the tomatoes into halves. Place all these ingredients into a bowl.

Stir in the dressing to combine.

Note: You will want to wait on adding the lettuce until ready to serve to prevent it from getting soggy.

two plates with blt pasta salad ready to eat with a fork on one of the plates

FAQs and tips on how to make BLT pasta salad

How do you cook bacon in the oven?

How you cook bacon in the oven will depend on how thick your bacon is. You will have to cook it longer if it is thick cut if you want it to be crispy. It’s best to stay close by to make sure you don’t over cook it. Also, keep in mind the bacon will crisp up a bit still after you take it out of the oven.

Should you rinse the pasta when you are making pasta salad?

No, you want to just drain the water. The pasta water will retain some of the starchiness of the pasta water which actually will helps the sauce absorb into the pasta.

How long will pasta salad last?

Pasta salad is the best when served in the first 24 hours, but you also want to let the dressing absorb into the ingredients for the most flavor. In the recipe you will want to add the lettuce right before serving so it does not wilt.

close up of blt pasta salad in a serving bowl.

More summer salad recipes:

More dairy free pasta recipes:

a serving bowl full of blt pasta salad with a spoon resting in the bowl.
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Dairy Free BLT Pasta Salad

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★

1 from 1 reviews

This dairy free BLT pasta salad features elbow macaroni, fresh tomatoes, crispy lettuce and savory bacon tossed in a creamy, flavorful dressing. It’ll be the best summer side dish at your next barbecue or potluck.

  • Author: Melissa Belanger
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 minutes
  • Total Time: 26 minutes
  • Yield: 16 servings 1x
  • Category: Salads
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup vegan sour cream or unsweetened coconut yogurt
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the salad:

  • 1 16-ounce package elbow macaroni
  • 1 1/2 cups quartered grape tomatoes
  • 1  2.5-ounce package crumbled bacon pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1/3 cup finely diced red onion

Instructions

  1. Prepare macaroni according to package directions for al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water. When cooked, drain and rinse with cold water until cool.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients, adding the vinegar to taste. Add salad ingredients and stir to coat evenly. Serve immediately
  3. If you’re making this salad ahead of time, leave out the lettuce until just before serving. If salad seems dry when serving, add a tablespoon or two extra mayonnaise or vegan sour cream and stir to combine.

Notes

Add the lettuce before serving to keep it crispy!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 198
  • Sugar: 1.4 g
  • Sodium: 227.4 mg
  • Fat: 9.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 22.9 g
  • Fiber: 1.2 g
  • Protein: 4.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 5.8 mg

Keywords: dairy free, pasta, bacon, BLT, blt salad, pasta salad, blt pasta salad

Recipe adapted from She Wears Many Hats.

Last Updated on November 4, 2021 by Melissa Belanger

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4 Comments

  1. Pingback: Summer Tomato Salad - Simply Whisked - Dairy Free Recipes

  3. Hi, there must be a typo in this recipe to have 3 tablespoons of vinegar. I use that and that vinegar flavor was so overwhelming, I had to throw the whole salad away!! Please correct the recipe if this is a typo.

    ★

    Reply

    1. This wasn’t a typo. The dressing is supposed to be a tangy ranch-style dressing. I’m sorry you didn’t care for it.

      Reply