Air fryer gnocchi salad is hearty enough to be a main dish salad, and fun enough to bring to a potluck! Everyone will love the air fried gnocchi with its crispy exterior and fluffy inside.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.
There are two things that make a really great salad - texture and flavor.
This air fryer gnocchi salad happens to be surprisingly strong in both of these categories. While there's a lot to chew in this recipe, there's a little bit of soft with the tender lettuce and tiny mozzarella pearls, and a little bit of crisp with the air fried gnocchi and the fresh red onion.
The flavor combination of pesto + ranch + sundried tomato + red onion + mozzarella is deeply satisfying and screams "Italian". Changing up the flavor of your pesto will make this like a whole new experience every time. I absolutely loved my pistachio pesto here, but basil pesto and other flavors would be great as well.
Serve this as a side salad alongside pizza or sandwiches, or make it a main dish with a little bread on the side.
Ingredients
Air Fryer Gnocchi
- Shelf stable gnocchi
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Coarse kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Pesto Ranch Dressing
- Ranch dressing
- Pesto (I used pistachio pesto)
Salad
- Spring mix or chopped kale
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Red onion
- Fresh mozzarella pearls or shaved parmesan
- Fresh parsley
How to make air fryer gnocchi salad
Air Fryer Gnocchi
- Preheat the air fryer to 390ºF.
- In a large bowl, toss gnocchi with the remaining ingredients until fully coated.
- Once hot, add the gnocchi to the air fryer and cook for 13 minutes, shaking the basket once or twice to prevent sticking and allow them to cook evenly.
- Remove from the air fryer and allow to cool slightly before adding to the salad.
Pesto Ranch Dressing
- In a small bowl, combine the ranch and pesto until well combined.
Assemble the Salad
- In a large bowl, use salad tongs to combine spring mix, sun dried tomatoes, red onion, mozzarella pearls, parsley, air fried gnocchi, and dressing until everything is coated in the dressing. If you prefer you can serve the dressing on the side.
Top tips
Use sun dried tomatoes in oil
I always prefer to use sun dried tomatoes that are packed in oil instead of dry packed because they're so much more moist and flavorful. I usually buy the julienne cut, but you may want to cut them even smaller if they aren't already bite sized.
Be sure to lightly drain the oil from the tomatoes before using them, or reserve it for cooking or making vinaigrettes in the future.
How to store gnocchi salad
Leftovers can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The gnocchi will lose some of its crispness, but if you haven't added it to the dressing you could store it separately and reheat in the air fryer until crisp.
Tips for customizing gnocchi salad
- Swap the pesto ranch for your favorite store bought dressing or just plain pesto or ranch
- Instead of air fried gnocchi, try croutons, bagel chips, roasted chickpeas, pepitas, or nuts
- Add diced avocado or your favorite roasted vegetable
- Add 2 tablespoons of torn fresh basil
- Make this gluten free by using a gluten free gnocchi and checking your dressing ingredients for hidden gluten
FAQ
Gnocchi is a potato dumpling generally made from mashed potato and flour. When made from scratch it occasionally contains egg, but shelf stable gnocchi is usually vegan. Gnocchi is generally treated like pasta, served warm with a sauce.
Mozzarella pearls are a tiny version of fresh mozzarella, similar to the big logs you might slice for topping a pizza. They're usually found in the fancy cheese section of the grocery store, and can be substituted with cubed mozzarella or shaved parmesan if needed.
Not all parmesan cheese is vegetarian. If this is important to you, look for a parmesan cheese that is made with vegetable rennet instead of animal rennet.
More salad recipes
- Pizza Salad
- Winter Salad with Butternut Squash
- Kale and Sweet Potato Salad
- BBQ Chickpea Salad with Cornbread Croutons
- High Protein Vegan Salad with Hummus
- Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Panzanella Salad
- Vegan Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Tofu
- Vegan Potluck Barley Salad
- Summer Salad with Fruit
- Vegetarian Autumn Grain Bowl
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Air Fryer Gnocchi Salad
Ingredients
Air Fryer Gnocchi
- 1 pound shelf stable gnocchi
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pesto Ranch Dressing
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
- 2 tablespoons prepared pesto, I used pistachio pesto
Salad
- 3-4 cups spring mix or chopped kale
- 4 ounces sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
- ⅔ cup fresh mozzarella pearls or shaved parmesan
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
Air Fryer Gnocchi
- Preheat the air fryer to 390ºF.
- In a large bowl, toss gnocchi with the remaining ingredients until fully coated.
- Once hot, add the gnocchi to the air fryer and cook for 13 minutes, shaking the basket once or twice to prevent sticking and allow them to cook evenly.
- Remove from the air fryer and allow to cool slightly before adding to the salad.
Pesto Ranch Dressing
- In a small bowl, combine the ranch and pesto until well combined.
- Assemble the Salad
- In a large bowl, use salad tongs to combine spring mix, sun dried tomatoes, red onion, mozzarella pearls, parsley, air fried gnocchi, and dressing until everything is coated in the dressing. If you prefer you can serve the dressing on the side.
Assemble the Salad
- In a large bowl, use salad tongs to combine spring mix, sun dried tomatoes, red onion, mozzarella pearls, parsley, air fried gnocchi, and dressing until everything is coated in the dressing. If you prefer you can serve the dressing on the side.
Leave a Reply