Southwest Pasta Salad is made with black beans, corn, avocado, peppers, and a chipotle lime dressing. This salad delivers big on flavor and is made for light summer lunches, potluck dinners, and picnics in the park.
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 8- 10 servings
Calories 304kcal
Ingredients
Pasta salad
8ouncesrotini pastaor other short pasta
1 - 15 ouncecan black beansdrained and rinsed
1cupcorn kernelscooked, frozen and thawed, or drained canned corn
2roma tomatoesdiced small
½red oniondiced small
1largered bell pepperor other colored bell pepper, diced small
Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add the rotini pasta. Cook until al dente, about 7-9 minutes. Drain and rinse the pasta when it's finished cooking.
8 ounces rotini pasta
Make the Dressing
Combine garlic, zest, juice, white vinegar, chipotle chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and olive oil in a small blender.
2-3 garlic cloves, 2 limes, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon dry mustard, ¼ teaspoon oregano, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, Salt and pepper to taste
Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Salt and pepper to taste
Allow the dressing to sit while you assemble the salad.
Assemble the Salad
Chop up your veggies as instructed in the recipe card.
Place pasta, beans, cilantro and veggies into a mixing bowl. Toss to combine.
1 - 15 ounce can black beans, 1 cup corn kernels, ½ red onion, 1 large red bell pepper, 1 avocado, ¼ cup cilantro, 2 roma tomatoes
When ready to eat, add the dressing to the pasta and veggies. Toss to coat the veggies and pasta.
Notes
Cook the Pasta Al Dente. Translated from Italian, al dente means “to the tooth.” Cook the pasta until it is tender but still has a bit of chew to it.
Rinse the Pasta After Cooking. This will help the pasta cool down faster while removing excess starch which can cause the pasta to stick in the salad.
Tips to Keep the Avocado Fresh. Avocado can brown quickly after being cut if not dressed sufficiently in an acid, such as lime or lemon juice. For this reason, if you prepare the salad more than 1-2 hours ahead of time, wait to cube and stir in the avocado right before serving.
Optional: Meal Prep It! This salad is perfect for packing in lunches or serving up for an easy side dish later in the week. To make it ahead of time, whisk up the dressing as directed in the recipe card and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Combine the pasta, beans, and vegetables – omitting the avocado– and store in a separate airtight container. Toss the pasta mixture with freshly cut avocado and the dressing before serving and enjoy!