Back
Southwestern Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
4.5 from 6 votes

Southwestern Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

This easy pasta salad is a summer favorite. You will LOVE the creamy avocado dressing!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Course: Main Course, Salad, Snacks
Cuisine: American, International, Vegetarian

Ingredients

For the salad:
  • 8 ounces pasta I used Rotini
  • 1 black beans 15 oz can, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper diced
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper diced, orange or yellow
  • 1/2 cup red onion diced
  • 1/2 cup sweet corn can use frozen corn
  • 1 avocado peeled, seeded, and diced, large
  • black pepper to taste
  • salt to taste
  • 1 lime for juicing over the salad
  • 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
For the Creamy Avocado Dressing:
  • 2 avocado peeled and seeded, ripe
  • 3 tablespoons yogurt plain, Greek
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk low-fat
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro chopped, fresh
  • 2 tablespoons green onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper chopped and seeds removed, small
  • 2-3 tablespoons lime juice fresh
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin ground
  • salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and stir in the pasta. Cook until al dente. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, make the Creamy Avocado Dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, red onion, corn, and chopped avocado. Pour dressing over pasta salad and stir until salad is well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the salad, so the avocados don't brown. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve at room temperature or chilled.
  4. Note-you may have leftover dressing, depending on how "dressed" you like your pasta salad. If the dressing is too thick, add more buttermilk.