Name: Mexican Pasta Salad
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: Pasta Shells: 0.5 cup Gluten-Free; Corn on the Cobb: 2; Black Beans: 15 ounces; Romaine Lettuce: 2 heads; Grape Tomatoes: 0.5 cup, chopped; Avocado: 1 ripe; Cilantro: 0.25 cup; Raw Cashews (Pre Soaked): 0.3 cup; Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: 2; Non-Dairy Milk: 0.25 cup; Limes: 2; Salt: 0.5 teaspoon; Maple Syrup: 1 teaspoon

Ingredients

0.5 cup Gluten-Free Pasta Shells

2 Corn on the Cobb

15 ounces Black Beans

2 heads Romaine Lettuce

0.5 cup, chopped Grape Tomatoes

1 ripe Avocado

0.25 cup Cilantro

Cashew Chipotle Dressing

0.3 cup Raw Cashews (Pre Soaked)

2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

0.25 cup Non-Dairy Milk

2 Limes

0.5 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Maple Syrup

Directions

Savory and slightly spicy Mexican pasta salad that is gluten free and vegan!

Salads are definitely a go-to for lunch and they are great for using up leftover vegetables!

For a truly filling salad, adding pasta is a no brainer.

This recipes uses a gluten free quinoa pasta but you can use any short pasta you like!

My secrets to a great salad recipe are adding a protein, in this case beans, at least three colors, and make a flavorful dressing!

I’m calling this a Mexican salad as I am using some of the traditional ingredients including corn and avocado and the sauce is a creamy and spicy chipotle pepper dressing.

To make it easy, I am using canned black beans.

Draining and rinsing the canned beans is a necessary step as it removes excess salt and starch to improve flavor.

It can also remove the metallic flavor sometimes found in canned beans.

Beans and legumes are very nutritious and a rich source of fiber and B vitamins.

Black beans may also help reduce the spike in blood sugar that occurs after eating a meal, which may help reduce the risk of diabetes and weight gain.

I always have avocados on hand as they are a great source of healthy fats.

Avocado adds color and a creamy bite to this Mexican pasta salad.

For another pop of color and a fresh bite, grape tomatoes are my go to!

Steps

1 Done	Cook Your Pasta & Grill the Corn Cook your pasta shells according to package instructions and grill your corn on the cobb in either your oven or in your cast iron skillet with a bit of olive oil to get some charred marks.
2 Done	Make the Cashew Chipotle Dressing While your pasta and corn are cooking, make the cashew chipotle dressing. If your raw cashews have not been soaking in filtered water for at least 6 hours, add them to a container with hot water and allow the nuts to soften for at least 30 minutes. Add all of your ingredients into your blender or food processor and blend until smooth. This will take a minute or two. If you like it spicy add 3 whole chipotle peppers, for a more mild spice, just add 2. If the sauce is too thick for your liking add a splash of milk or water to thin it out, then blend again. Give it a taste and adjust salt, if needed.
3 Done	Chop Your Veggies Wash and dry your lettuce then slice into thin strips and add to your salad bowl. Wash and chop your tomatoes and slice or cube your avocado and add to the lettuce. Drain and rinse your black beans and add to the salad as well. Cut the corn kernels off the cob and also add your drained pasta to the salad. Lastly, wash and dry the cilantro, chop and add to the salad.
4 Done	Assemble The Salad Top the salad with your dressing, toss and eat! If you are not planning on eating the entire salad, only add dressing to what you are serving and store your leftover salad and dressing separately.

15 Comments Hide Comments

LOVE! Gorgeous salad!

This is so light and fresh! And that chipotle dressing? SWOON.

This is so creative and so pretty too! I’ve never had a pasta salad like this, but have all of the heart eyes for this. Love those big shaved chunks of the corn in there. Yum!