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Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Tangy, crunchy and creamy, this high protein dill pickle pasta salad is easy to make with minimal ingredients. Perfect for bbq's, this cold pasta salad is just what you need on a hot summer day.
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Why you’ll love this recipe

  • 10 grams of protein per serving.
  • Dill pickle pasta salad is made with chickpea noodles making it naturally gluten-free.
  • Great for meal prep, bbq’s and large families.
  • Delicious and unique way to get rid of extra pickle juice from the jar.  

If you’re like me and eat pickles straight out of the jar, this one is for you. I have merged my love of dill pickles and obsession with pasta salad to create a dill pickle pasta salad that is out of this world. 

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

This dill pickle pasta salad is what pickle lovers dreams are made of. Salty, tangy, and crunchy this pasta salad is everything you didn’t know you wanted.

Dill pickles, red bell pepper, celery and red onion are chopped and tossed with chickpea pasta and then dressed with a creamy yogurt based dressing. Finish it off with a few simple spices to boost the flavor and you have a pasta salad that pickle lovers everywhere can rave about. 

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Even better, this pasta salad is gluten-free, high in protein and lower in fat than your average pasta salad. Not only is it delicious, it’s nutritious too!

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All about the pickles.

Considering pickles are the basis of the dill pickle pasta salad, let’s get into a few things about them. First, buy a brand that you love! You will have leftover pickles so you want to enjoy them. Bubbies is my all time favorite brand! Second, the size and type of pickle doesn’t matter. You will be chopping them up for the pasta salad so buy whichever pickle variety you will use for other meals or recipes. I usually buy sandwich pickles because that’s what we eat. Buy what works for you!

Also, I must note – do not use relish in place of the pickles! It will totally change the flavor of the pasta salad. If you want a sweet relish flavor then it is ok to swap. 

Is this gluten and dairy free?

The dill pickle pasta salad is gluten-free if using Banza chickpea noodles or any other gluten-free alternative. Check your noodles to ensure they are gluten-free!

This recipe has Greek yogurt and low-fat mayo so is not dairy-free. You always have the option to swap those out for non-dairy alternatives but I have not tried it so can’t say how it would be. With so many non-dairy alternatives out there, I’m sure it would be just as good!

Ingredients and Substitutes:

These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for this dill pickle pasta salad recipe.

Chickpea Pasta: this recipe is high in protein due to the use of chickpea pasta which is much higher than typical noodles. You can use any other type of noodle but note the protein may lower. 

Greek Yogurt: I am using Fage non-fat plain Greek yogurt. Use any you prefer but I find Fage has the best flavor. You can also substitute with all mayonnaise here.

Mayonnaise: I am using low-fat mayo or use full fat if desired.

Pickles: any preferred dill pickle variety.

Vegetables: red bell pepper, celery and red onion.

Herbs and spices: Fresh or dried dill and salt and pepper. Adds so much flavor to the salad.

How to make this dill pickle pasta salad:

Cook the pasta

Cook your pasta according to the package instructions until it’s al dente. If using Banza Chickpea pasta, I like to cook about 6-7 minutes so it doesn’t get mushy.

Once cooked, drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to cool it down quickly and stop the cooking process.

Prepare the dressing

While your pasta is cooking, you can prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, low-fat mayonnaise, pickle juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir until well mixed.

Assemble your salad

In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chopped pickles, red onion, celery, and bell pepper.

Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Toss until everything is evenly coated in the dressing.

Refrigerate

Cover the pasta salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, to allow the flavors to meld together.

Serve!

When you’re ready to serve, give the salad a good stir and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Serving notes!

The pasta salad makes 6 servings at approximately 170g each.

This recipe is perfect for meal prep, large gatherings and bbq’s. Serve it with my air fryer blackened chicken, cast iron flank steak or grilled teriyaki chicken

If you like this recipe be sure to check out some of our other easy summer recipes!

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Tangy, crunchy and creamy, this high protein dill pickle pasta salad is easy to make with minimal ingredients. Perfect for bbq's, this cold pasta salad is just what you need on a hot summer day.
5 from 11 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Rest 3 hours
Course Side Dish
Servings 6 servings
Calories 199 kcal

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You can find this recipe and many others on MyFitnessPal and MacrosFirst by searching: Ohsnapmacros – Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz. chickpea pasta
  • 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt 112g
  • 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise 112g
  • 1/4 cup pickle juice
  • 1 tsp. dried dill (or 1 Tbsp. fresh dill)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup dill pickles chopped
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped
  • 1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup celery finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Cook your pasta according to the package instructions until it’s al dente. If using Banza Chickpea pasta, I like to cook about 6-7 minutes so it doesn’t get mushy.
  • Once cooked, drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to cool it down quickly and stop the cooking process.
  • While your pasta is cooking, you can prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, low-fat mayonnaise, pickle juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir until well mixed.
  • In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chopped pickles, red onion, celery, and bell pepper.
  • Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Toss until everything is evenly coated in the dressing.
  • Cover the pasta salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, to allow the flavors to meld together.
  • When you’re ready to serve, give the salad a good stir and add additional salt and pepper if needed.

Notes

All nutritional information is an estimate. 
  • This recipe has 6 servings at 170g each.
  • Adjust salt and pepper to suit your preferences.
  • Use any variety of dill pickle you will eat for other meals/recipes.

Nutrition

Serving: 170gCalories: 199kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 10gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 635mgPotassium: 490mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

16 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was super easy to make, and DELICIOUS! Made the blackened air fryer chicken per the suggestion in the recipe to go with this and it paired together so well with the pasta salad! Yum, yum, and yum!

  2. 5 stars
    So delicious! It has the same comfort feeling and similar taste as a classic macaroni salad but with a dill pickle kick. I am in love and it will be my new go to for potlucks. It has held up great for meal prepping as well!

  3. 5 stars
    My whole family enjoyed this! It was like a macaroni salad but better! It was creamy and I enjoyed the veggies 🥗

  4. 5 stars
    I have made this a few times this summer already, it’s so good and so simple. It’s definitely and hit at parties!

  5. 5 stars
    Can’t beat the flavor with that dill pickle kick! Great mix of textures with the soft pasta and crunchy veggies. Perfect summer side dish!

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