This flavorful Taco Pasta Salad recipe features vegan "beef" crumbles, crisp veggies, and a creamy southwest dressing. It's so delicious, flexible, and immensely satisfying! (Vegan, oil-free, gluten-free option.)
This recipe is all the goodness & flavor of a taco... but served in delicious pasta form! It's so zesty, nourishing, and incredibly satisfying.
It features a healthy, protein-rich base of tender pasta and homemade chickpea-walnut taco crumbles. (Yum!) Then we add crisp veggies like romaine, onion, tomato, and sweet corn.
Finally, we toss it in a creamy southwest-style dressing. (It's the same dressing I created for my Mexican Macaroni Salad - so flavorful and tasty!)
Best of all, it's flexible with your favorite additions or whatever you have on hand. See below for some ideas. It makes a large amount so it's a great dish for meal prep or crowds - bring it to family gatherings, picnics, BBQs, and potlucks!
Ingredients for Taco Pasta Salad
For this recipe, you'll toss together in a large mixing bowl:
- Elbow pasta: Be sure to use gluten-free if needed. (Lately I've been using the "Jovial" brand made from organic brown rice.) Or you can swap in a different shape like rotini, fusilli, or shells.
- Sweet corn: Either cooked fresh, frozen (then thawed), or canned works great. Most often I use a 15-ounce can for convenience. I purchase organic corn whenever possible.
- Roma tomatoes: You'll need 3 roma tomatoes, but you can substitute with grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes for a stronger, sweeter flavor.
- Romaine lettuce: This adds refreshing crunch to the salad!
- Black olives: These are optional, so leave them out if you're not a fan.
- Red onion: If these are too strong for your taste, swap in about 3 green onions instead.
- Fresh cilantro: This adds herby freshness, but feel free to omit.
- Vegan "beef" crumbles: We'll use one batch of my easy Chickpea-Walnut Taco Crumbles. They add great texture, plant-based protein, and zesty flavor thanks to the taco seasoning.
- Vegan mayo: I use my homemade Cashew Mayo, but substitute your own favorite mayo. (Dairy-free sour cream could also possibly work, but I haven't tested that version.)
- Salsa: Either store-bought or homemade is great. (I enjoy this Restaurant-Style Blender Salsa.) You'll need a half cup salsa. We'll stir this into the dressing for zesty flavor. You can use mild or medium, your choice.
- Fresh lime juice
- Taco seasoning: We'll use a couple teaspoons of my homemade Taco Seasoning blend to enhance the dressing. I prepare this ahead of time and keep it in a sealed jar in the pantry.
Customizing
Other additions: Add red bell pepper, avocado, black beans, pinto beans, or crumbled tortilla chips for crunch!
Dressing amount: The salad is lightly to moderately dressed. If you like yours saucy and creamy, you could reduce the pasta to 8 ounces instead of 12 ounces. (Or simply increase the dressing!)
Make it cheesy: Add vegan cheddar cheese shreds or nutritional yeast.
Meatless crumbles: Swap out the chickpea-walnut taco crumbles for your favorite vegan ground beef crumbles. (Either store-bought or homemade.) Cook this separately according to package instructions. I suggest adding 1-2 tablespoons of Taco Seasoning to flavor it while cooking. Use about 1-2 cups crumbles.
Make it spicy: This recipe is mild as written if using mild salsa and taco seasoning. For some heat, include diced jalapeño (either fresh or pickled), chipotle in adobo sauce, or simply top with your favorite hot sauce before serving.
Batch Size
Just a friendly note that this recipe makes a large batch! (It's about 16 cups salad total.) So reduce the recipe if you don't want that much.
Serving
This dish is great for crowds! Bring it to BBQs, picnics, family gatherings, and potlucks. It's also tasty for meal prep, take-along lunches, or simply enjoyment at home.
Main dish or side dish: It's hearty enough for a main dish, but can be served as a side dish as well. I find it's about 8 servings as a main dish, or 12-16 as a side dish.
Storing
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Once it's tossed with the dressing, I find it holds up for about 3 days. It slightly dries out as it chills, so feel free to reserve some of the dressing to toss in later. (I don't bother with this, but it can help keep the salad more creamy and fresh.)
Speedy Assembly
For quicker assembly, I prepare the taco seasoning and cashew mayo in advance. You can even bake the taco crumbles a day ahead too! Then just store them in the fridge until you're ready.
For more inspiration, also browse all vegan Mexican-inspired recipes or salad recipes.
Taco Pasta Salad with Southwest Dressing (Vegan!)
Ingredients
- 1 batch Chickpea-Walnut Taco Crumbles
- 12 oz. elbow pasta (GF if needed)
- 1 1/2 cups sweet corn, cooked
- 3 roma tomatoes
- 2 cups romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cup black olives (optional)
- 1/3 cup red onion
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
For the creamy southwest dressing:
- 3/4 cup cashew mayo
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp. taco seasoning
Instructions
- Make taco crumbles: Start by making the Chickpea-Walnut Taco Crumbles. (Or make this up to a day in advance and store in the refrigerator until ready.)
- Cook pasta: Cook the pasta according to package instructions, leaving al dente (slightly firm, not mushy).
- Make dressing: Meanwhile, add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Prepare vegetables: Dice the tomatoes. Chop or thinly slice the romaine lettuce. Slice the black olives (if using). Dice the red onion. Roughly chop the cilantro. Add all to an extra-large bowl with the sweet corn. (I use my huge 4 quart mixing bowl.)
- Assemble salad: When the pasta is done cooking, drain it well and add to the bowl. Add the cooked taco crumbles. Then immediately add the dressing and gently toss well to combine. You can serve it immediately at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator first for at least an hour.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
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J says
Excellent pasta salad
Kaitlin says
Great to hear!