Southwest Pasta Salad with Black Beans and Corn
Learn how to make this southwest pasta salad with black beans and corn. It's fresh, bold, and super easy to make. Perfect for meal prep, easy lunches or dinners, and serving at potlucks, BBQs, and more.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 ounces bow tie pasta
- (1) 15-ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1½ cups frozen corn charred
- 1 bell pepper diced, orange, yellow, or red
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 jalapeño minced (adjust to taste)
- 5 green onions sliced (reserve some for topping)
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 avocado diced (optional, add last)
Chili Lime Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Zest from 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons sriracha adjust to taste
- 1¾ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, proceed to the next step.
- Char the corn: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add light drizzle of oil and the corn. Let it sit undisturbed for a few minutes, then stir occasionally until lightly charred. Charring is optional, but so worth it! Meanwhile, make the dressing.
- Make the dressing: Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together until smooth. Taste and adjust salt or lime as needed.
- Start with the pasta: Add pasta to a large bowl and toss with a small amount of dressing.
- Build the salad: Add black beans, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and green onions. Pour in the remaining dressing and an optional charred tomato salsa if using, and toss to coat.
- Serve: Top with reserved green onions and an optional light sprinkle of smoked paprika, vegan feta, or homemade vegan parmesan.
Notes
- Optional add-ins when serving: 1 ripe diced avocado, 2 tablespoons charred tomato salsa
- If you prefer it milder, you can reduce sriracha by 1 teaspoon and remove seeds from the jalapeño pepper. For more heat, add extra sriracha, jalapeño, or serrano peppers.
- Add in diced avocado just before serving (especially if using for meal prep).
Nutrition
Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 880mg | Potassium: 661mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1395IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
