This gnocchi salad is made with peppery arugula, juicy cherry tomatoes, and avocado chunks along with oven-toasted gnocchi in a zippy lemon vinaigrette! It’s makes a delicious vegan show-stopping side, or you can double up the servings and enjoy it as a main.
There’s something that’s been missing from your salads. Yeah, if you read the title of this post you know what I’m talking about … it’s gnocchi!
I can’t believe it took me this long to put gnocchi in a salad. But just recently I started thinking I wanted to create a different kind of pasta salad. I love my classic vegan pasta salad and all, but I thought gnocchi might take it to a whole new level, and boy oh boy did it ever.
This gnocchi salad isn’t really like traditional pasta salad though. For this salad you’ll be baking the gnocchi in the oven, making them delightfully crispy. Think of them like extra awesome, potatoey croutons. Yeah, they’re REALLY GOOD.
This salad is also super easy to throw together. Whip it up and serve it at your next get together — it’ll definitely impress your guests!
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Gnocchi. You’ll need shelf-stable potato gnocchi. Most varieties are vegan, but check the ingredients just to be safe!
- Olive oil. Since this will go in the dressing, you’ll definitely want to use extra virgin olive oil.
- Arugula. I love the peppery flavor of arugula with lemon vinaigrette, but feel free to swap it out with another green, like baby spinach or spring mix.
- Fresh basil.
- Cherry tomatoes.
- Avocado.
- Vegan Parmesan cheese. This is totally optional! It adds some wonderful flavor and texture, but the salad will still be delicious without it. You can use my vegan Parmesan cheese recipe, or just buy it at the store.
- Salt and pepper.
- Lemon juice. This is for your dressing, and it’s the star flavor, so make sure it’s freshly squeezed (not bottled!).
- Lemon zest.
- Shallot.
- Garlic.
- Dijon mustard.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by toasting your gnocchi. Arrange them on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Give them a sprinkle with salt, then stick the baking sheet into a preheated oven. Bake them for thirty minutes or so, stirring around the halfway mark.
Get everything else ready while the gnocchi bake. To make the dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced shallot, garlic, Dijon mustard and salt in a small container and shake it up. Place the remaining salad ingredients into a large bowl.
Take the gnocchi out of the oven when they’re golden brown and crispy. Let them cool for a bit.
Once the gnocchi are cool, add them to the salad, then drizzle it with the dressing and toss it. Add some vegan Parm, salt and pepper.
Your gnocchi salad is all ready! Divide it onto plates and dig in.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover gnocchi salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. The avocado will probably turn brown, but it will still be fine to eat.
More Salad Recipes
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Baked Gnocchi Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
This gnocchi salad is made with peppery arugula, juicy cherry tomatoes, and avocado chunks along with oven-toasted gnocchi in a zippy lemon vinaigrette! It’s makes a delicious vegan show-stopping side, or you can double up the servings and enjoy it as a main.
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package shelf-stable potato gnocchi
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces arugula
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium avocado, diced
- 4 tablespoons vegan Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Dressing
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°F.
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Place the gnocchi on a baking sheet and drizzle them with the olive oil. Rub the olive oil in with your hands, getting as even a coating all over the gnocchi as you can. Sprinkle the gnocchi lightly with salt.
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Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake the gnocchi for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring them halfway through, until they’re crispy and lightly browned in spots. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack when they come out of the oven.
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Make the dressing while the gnocchi bake. Place all ingredients into a mason jar or similar small container with a lid. Shake until fully mixed. Taste-test the dressing and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
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Place the arugula into a bowl, along with the basil, cherry tomatoes, and diced avocado. Add the gnocchi once they are cool (Note 1).
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Drizzle the salad with dressing, using as much as you’d like (Note 2), and sprinkle it with vegan Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. Toss the salad to distribute the ingredients.
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Serve.
Notes
- You can add the gnocchi to the salad warm if you’d like to serve it that way. Just be aware that it may wilt the arugula, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing — just different.
- Leftover dressing will keep for about five days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 279mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 734IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg
