Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad

This simple cilantro lime pasta salad makes for a perfect light lunch, side dish for burgers or is amazing to bring to picnics or potlucks for a delicious summer dish. It is filled with fresh corn, avocado, lime juice and cilantro and also is super versatile. Healthy, oil-free and 100% vegan.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Appetizer, Pasta, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy, summer, Vegan, vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 384kcal

Author: Jessica Laroche

Ingredients

8 oz short pasta of your choice I used bow ties
2 ears of corn or about 1 ½ cup frozen and thawed corn
1 large tomato diced
½ cup red onion finely diced
1 avocado diced

For the creamy cilantro lime dressing

¾ cup yogurt I used dairy-free cashew yogurt from Forager
¼-⅓ cup cilantro
2 cloves of garlic crushed
2 limes juiced
½ tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper for a spicier recipe
salt to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then, cook the noodles al dente following the packaging instructions. Once done cooking, drain well and set aside.
Also, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and then, add the corn. When it comes back to a boil, then keep simmering for 8-10 minutes, drain and let them cool down for a few minutes.
Once the corn is cool enough to handle, then remove the kernels: place the cob vertically on a cutting board and run a knife from top to bottom all around the cob following the hard pit.
In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, cilantro and salt. Stir to combine.
In a large mixing bowl, add the pasta, corn, tomatoes, red onion and avocado. Then, drizzle the sauce (start with about ¾ of the batch) and stir to combine. Add more sauce as needed and taste to adjust saltiness and flavors to your preference. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

To make this salad ahead of time, then I recommend to keep the sauce and avocado apart for best freshness. When ready to serve, add the cube avocado, drizzle the sauce and stir to combine. Once the salad is done, keep the leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
You can add more plant-based protein and make it more filling by adding some chickpeas, black beans, roasted tofu, etc. Also amazing served as a side dish with burgers or sandwiches. See the blog post for more ideas!
Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.

Nutrition