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Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
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Picnic Pasta Salad

By Chef Linda

Something about summer screams "pasta salad!". The riot of colors, the easy make-ahead nature, the flexibility to add what you've got on hand, and the decadence of putting pasta and mayo together–oh yeah, it's worth screaming about. This Picnic Pasta Salad leans into the spicy side of life. Ideally, you make it with heaps of chopped spicy dill pickles, but if you can't find them, regular dill pickles and a good dose of crushed red pepper flakes will do the trick. A well-stocked pantry would have most of the ingredients here so it's the perfect dish to make when you don't have plans to hit the grocery store. There's nothing hard and fast here about the recipe; adjust it, persuade it, make it your own, but whatever you do, you should make it soon.

Ingredients

 1 lb elbow macaroni (use GF if you prefer)
 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
 ¼ cup yellow or Dijon mustard
 ¼ fl oz fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons
 2 tbsp maple syrup
 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
 1 tsp salt
 ½ tsp ground black pepper
 3 large stalks celery, chopped, about 1 cup
 1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped into small pieces, about 1 cup
 1 cup finely chopped spicy or regular dill pickles
 2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts, about ⅓ cup, or substitute red onion or shallot
 ⅓ cup chopped fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, or parsley)

Directions

1

Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling, salted water, according to the package directions; best to cook pasta slightly “al dente”, or with a little bite to it so it doesn’t become too mushy after adding the dressing. Drain and rinse with cool water. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, syrup, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add in celery, red pepper, scallions, and pickles. Add pasta and herbs and toss to combine everything. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes first.

Notes

Picnic Pasta Salad
IngredientsDirections

Picnic Pasta Salad

DifficultyEasyCook Time10 mins
YIELDS
6 to 8

picnic pasta salad 1
INGREDIENTS

 1 lb elbow macaroni (use GF if you prefer)
 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
 ¼ cup yellow or Dijon mustard
 ¼ fl oz fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons
 2 tbsp maple syrup
 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
 1 tsp salt
 ½ tsp ground black pepper
 3 large stalks celery, chopped, about 1 cup
 1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped into small pieces, about 1 cup
 1 cup finely chopped spicy or regular dill pickles
 2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts, about ⅓ cup, or substitute red onion or shallot
 ⅓ cup chopped fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, or parsley)

DIRECTIONS

1

Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling, salted water, according to the package directions; best to cook pasta slightly “al dente”, or with a little bite to it so it doesn’t become too mushy after adding the dressing. Drain and rinse with cool water. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, syrup, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add in celery, red pepper, scallions, and pickles. Add pasta and herbs and toss to combine everything. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes first.

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