Description
A bold and creamy Vegan Southwest Pasta Salad loaded with black beans, roasted corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, and fresh cilantro, all tossed in a smoky cashew chipotle dressing. Perfect for potlucks, meal prep, and summer gatherings.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces whole wheat pasta
- 16 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups fire-roasted corn
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup raw cashews (unsalted)
- 1 lime, juiced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2–3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and generously salt the water.
2. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions.
3. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water to cool, and set aside.
4. While the pasta cooks prepare the dressing by adding water, cashews, lime juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt to a high-speed blender.
5. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, then set aside.
6. Add the halved tomatoes to a large mixing bowl and toss with about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
7. Add the diced bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, black beans, corn, and cooled pasta to the bowl.
8. Pour the creamy vegan southwest dressing over the salad.
9. Toss everything together until evenly coated.
10. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
11. Serve immediately or refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld.
Notes
Short pasta shapes like rotini or fusilli hold the creamy dressing best.
The dressing can be made up to one week in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
If the dressing thickens in the fridge, thin it with a few splashes of water before mixing.
The finished pasta salad keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 11g
- Cholesterol: 0mg