The perfect quick and healthy weeknight meal!
If you haven’t heard, I am a very large fan of meals that take like 15-20 minutes! This one takes the cake. Boil pasta, blend the dressing, cut up an avocado and a tomato. Mix it all together in a large bowl, and BOOM! This vegan Southwestern pasta salad with creamy cilantro lime dressing will be your new go to weeknight meal! I promise. It is incredibly flavorful, healthy and you only need 10 ingredients!
This crazy delicious pasta salad can be served hot and cold! I have eaten it both ways and love it either way. It is great to serve cold to take to a party, or if you want it to be super duper quick for dinner, you can just serve it while the pasta is still hot or warm!
I also definitely must mention, that I am in IN LOVE with this creamy cilantro lime dressing. This recipe is enough for this pasta salad, but I like to make a double batch and put it on other salads, or drizzled onto a hummus and veggie wrap for lunch! It is versatile and perfect!
Another idea I wanted to mention, is that I often make this just into a regular salad without the pasta if you are trying to cut out some carbs(just every once in a while). I replace the pasta with chopped romaine, and it is still really filling, protein heavy and delish! You can of course always use gluten free pasta if you need a gluten free and vegan entree!
Try this salad! You need it in your life. I will never have enough quick dinner ideas, I just love to discover them, create them and let you in on all the quick, healthy(mostly), vegan dinner ideas I have! I hope you enjoy, but I think it is impossible not to!
Vegan Southwestern Pasta Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
Ingredients
Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
- 3/4 C. Cilantro
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 1/3 C. Coconut milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Pasta Salad
- 1 Box Pasta of choice, vegan
- 1 Avocado, chopped
- 1 Can(15oz.) Black beans
- 1 Can(15oz.) Corn
- 1/3 C. Tomatoes, chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and let cool for a few minutes.
- While the pasta is cooling, make the creamy cilantro lime dressing. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth. Scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the black beans, corn, chopped avocado and chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Now add the pasta and stir to fully incorporate the salad.
- Now pour the dressing on top and stir again to fully coat everything. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cold later.
Making this tonight. I love these foods together so I can not wait to try it. I am wondering if the coconut milk you use in this is the canned coconut milk or if the boxed (like Silk or such) coconut milk will work? I have both so I wanted to check.
I had the exact same question! Hoping for an answer – thinking canned.