dill pickle crunch pasta salad
No need to be in a pickle about what you'll meal prep this week.
Ingredients
- 1 lb short-cut pasta
- 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2-3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 6-8 strips tofu or regular bacon, crumbled
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese, cubed
- 1/3 cup dill pickles, chopped
- fresh dill and basil, to serve
dill pickle ranch
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup vegan or regular mayonnaise
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3 tbsp pickle brine
- 1/4 cup dill pickles, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cool water to halt the cookage-ing. Cooking. Whatever
- Meanwhile, make the ranch. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayo, dill, garlic, onion, pickle brine, chopped pickles, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Pour the pasta into a large bowl. Add the romaine, cucumbers, bacon/tofu bacon, pepper jack, and pickles. Pour over half of the ranch and toss to coat.
- Divide the pasta salad among bowls and serve with additional ranch, fresh dill, and basil, as desired.
Notes
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Drain and press a block of extra firm tofu to remove excess water for about 5-10 minutes. I make a homemade press by placing paper towels on a large plate, then the tofu, then more towels, another plate, and a skillet.
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Slice the tofu very thin (as thin as you can without breaking it) and place onto the baking sheet.
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In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and black pepper. Pour over the tofu and, using a basting brush, coat each slice. Flip, and brush the sauce over the opposite side. Let sit while the oven heats.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking time. Let cool on the baking sheet: the tofu will continue to crisp up.