The natural pairing of strawberries and balsamic vinegar shines in this healthy tofu shirataki pasta salad, accented with basil, zucchini, goat cheese, and fresh greens.
Without fail, every time I even think about decreasing my daily carb intake, I crave pasta salad. Dense, chewy, full of savory goodness and cheese—gosh, I salivate just thinking about it. This craving is as inevitable as tax day, so it’s a good thing I buy pasta only when I need it, rather than having a pantry stash of it. Know thyself, right? But that was before I discovered the miracle of shirataki noodles.
Shirataki noodles are a very low-carb, low-calorie type of noodle. Plain shirataki is not super appetizing, but there’s a brand that sells it mixed with tofu, which gives it a better flavor and a chewier texture that ends up tasting more like real pasta. Once I tried it in a pasta salad, it changed the scope of carb cravings for me. It seriously feels like a cheat code for healthy eating, and I can’t go back to spaghetti squash “pasta” salad.
This healthy pasta salad recipe combines my favorite salad ingredients—strawberries, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette—with a spring greens mix, smoky grilled zucchini, avocado, and basil. The tofu shirataki noodles have a long soak in the homemade balsamic vinaigrette before the salad is assembled, which is key to how they work in this dish. The result is a pasta salad that’s bursting with flavor in every bite, with barely a fraction of carb content of regular pasta.
Is This Pasta Salad With Strawberries And Balsamic Vinaigrette Healthy?
Yes, this pasta salad is healthy. Strawberries are high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and zucchini is high in fiber and other nutrients. Both are low-calorie and relatively low in carbs. Goat cheese provides protein, some healthy fats, and small amounts of many vitamins and minerals. The olive oil provides lots of healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Tofu shirataki noodles contain a small dose of protein, a bit of calcium and fiber, and are low in carbohydrates.
Overall, this recipe is low in fat and calories, vegetarian-friendly, and gluten-free. It can easily be made vegan by swapping the goat cheese out for a plant-based soft cheese alternative. If you’re counting carbs, you won’t be doing a ton of counting for this dish!
What Is Shirataki?
If this is your first exposure to shirataki noodles, you’re about to go down a rabbit hole of research if you’re anything like me. When you look at the nutritional information on a package of shirataki noodles (the type without tofu mixed in), you’ll notice a lot of zeroes. It’s basically zero-calorie, zero-carb, and zero-protein. This will lead you to the inevitable question: If nothing is in shirataki, what is it?
Shirataki is a Japanese noodle made from the corm (underground stem) of the konjac plant. Technically, the noodles are made by shaving a block of gelatinous yam cake into thin “noodles.” The yam cake is mostly made of water, containing only a small percentage of konjac flour, which thickens the cake. Konjac has a lot of soluble fiber in it, so the resulting noodles are high in fiber, but they don’t have a ton of flavor by themselves. The texture of pure shirataki noodles is like a hard jelly. They’re typically sold in an alkaline water solution, and you’ll need to rinse them well before use. The addition of tofu to the shirataki mixture adds some much-appreciated noodle-like texture, along with a little bit of flavor.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
You can store fully assembled leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, and the sooner you eat it, the better it will taste!
Serving Suggestions
This healthy pasta salad with strawberries makes an excellent summer lunch by itself or a great side for savory main dishes. Try it with juicy grilled meats and fish, such as this Juicy Grilled Chicken Breast, Vietnamese Grilled Chicken, Salmon Kabobs, or Keto Steak With Garlic Butter Mushrooms.
I could also see serving this at a potluck lunch alongside other family-style dishes, like Instant-Pot BBQ Chicken, Mustard Potato Salad, and Broccoli Casserole. In this setting, your tofu shirataki pasta salad will be the most unique dish on the table, so be prepared to answer a lot of questions about shirataki!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 packages House Foods Tofu Shirataki, Spaghetti-Shaped Noodle Substitute 8 ounces per package
For The Dressing:
- 4½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon agave nectar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
For The Salad:
- 1 cup zucchini sliced, about 2 zucchini
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1½ cups strawberries sliced
- 2 cups spring salad mix
- 3 ounces goat cheese crumbled
- 1 large avocado sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil minced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Drain and rinse the noodles in a colander. Add them to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels, removing as much moisture as possible. Let the noodles sit on the counter for 30 minutes to cool and continue drying.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, agave nectar, Dijon mustard, and Italian seasoning until smooth and mixed. While whisking, stream in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil until the dressing thickens and becomes creamy.
- Add the dry noodles to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Toss to coat evenly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Once the noodles have chilled, preheat your grill to medium heat.
- Toss the sliced zucchini with the ½ teaspoon of olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until zucchini is tender and grill marks form, about 3-5 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. Toss the grilled zucchini into the bowl of noodles.
- Add the sliced strawberries, spring mix, goat cheese, avocado, and basil into the salad and toss until evenly mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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