Add a tangy twist to your side dish with our Vegetarian Spinach Pasta Salad & FLOJ Poppyseed Dressing. Not only is it full of flavour, but it also contains many key nutrients your body craves, like vitamin C, iron, potassium, and folate.

Salad Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) grapeseed oil
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch thick half-moons
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• ½ teaspoon (3 ml) salt
• 4 ounces dry whole grain penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves
• 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves
• ¼ cup pecan halves

Dressing Ingredients

• ½ cup (125 ml) Florida Orange Juice
• ¼ cup (60 ml) Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) poppy seeds
• ½ teaspoon (3 ml) salt

Preparation

Combine the orange juice, yogurt, vinegar, olive oil, honey, mustard, poppy seeds and salt in a jar, cover and shake to combine. Set aside until ready to use.

Place the oil in a medium sauté pan, set over medium high heat and when the oil shimmers, add the zucchini, broccoli and bell pepper and sauté until the zucchini is almost tender, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Transfer the vegetables to a large mixing bowl, add the pasta and toss to combine. Refrigerate until cooled, about 30 minutes. Add the spinach, cherries and pecans and 3/4 of the dressing and toss to coat. Add more dressing as needed. Serve immediately or chill up to 1 hour before serving. Reserve the remaining dressing for another use.