Mexican pasta salad loaded with avocado, tomato, black bean, corn, cilantro and a light and creamy cilantro sauce.
Fall is right away the corner (literally 2 days away!) but I thought I’d squeeze in one more salad recipe before we kiss summer goodbye. This cold pasta salad is unlike any you’ve had before. Since it’s a “Tex-Mex” salad, you know it’s going to be loaded with a ton of flavors and textures. Black beans, corn, tomato, onion, avocado, the works.
The real star of this whole dish is the creamy cilantro sauce. You can use mayo as the base but I like to use low-fat sour-cream or Greek yogurt to lighten up the dish and keep it healthy. To spice things up, add 1/4 cup of your favorite salsa.
Make a small batch or a large batch and store the rest in the fridge for up to 24 hours. To keep the avocado from browning, be sure to cover the pasta well with plastic wrap.
Creamy Tex-Mex Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta, cooked al-dente
- 1 avocado, cored and diced
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup corn, drained
- 1/2 cup tomato, diced
- 2 whole green onions, finely chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Dressing:
- 1 cup light sour cream, or mayo or Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper
- 1 lime juiced
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water and drain again. Pour into a large pasta bowl
Add the black beans, corn, tomato, onion, and cilantro to the pasta bowl. - In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the salsa. Pour over the pasta and stir until fully combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
To make ahead: Make the dressing and cook the pasta up to 1 day in advance. Toss together up to 4 hours before serving.
