Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad
Cowboy caviar is typically a dip, but in this recipe, it has been transformed into a healthy pasta salad filled with plenty of veggies, plant-based protein, and a zesty sauce.
Everything you love about cowboy caviar is made into a delicious, healthy, and filling pasta salad that works great as a main dish or side dish. This quick and tasty recipe is great for a BBQ, meal prep, and leftovers. It is filled with colorful veggies, plant-based protein, and plenty of fiber. This simple and flavorful pasta salad is sure to be your new go-to recipe.
You will love Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad because:
- Cowboy caviar pasta salad is an easy healthy recipe
- It comes together in just about 30 minutes.
- This recipe is perfect for any occasion and can feed a crowd
- A great recipe for meal prep and tastes great as leftovers
- It’s loaded with bright and flavorful veggies
- Topped with a zesty dressing and feta cheese or vegan feta cheese
- Use high-protein pasta like chickpea pasta to make it even more filling and protein-packed
- This recipe can be a great main dish or side dish
Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad is made with:
- Black beans: I used drained and rinsed canned black beans
- Black-eyed peas: I used drained and rinsed canned black-eyed peas
- Corn: I used drained and rinse sweet canned corn
- Pasta: any pasta will work, but I like shells for this recipe and I like to use chickpea pasta to boost the protein
- Red onion: diced red onion to add some tang
- Green pepper: Both green peppers and bell peppers in this recipe
- Bell peppers: Use red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
- Tomatoes: cherry or grape tomatoes work well in this recipe
- Cilantro: cilantro adds so much flavor to this recipe
- Limes: 2-3 limes makes the sauce zesty
- Olive oil: a heart-healthy source of healthy fats for the dressing
- Red wine vinegar: to give the dressing a little extra flavor
- Maple syrup: just a little to balance out the recipe and add a little sweetness (you won’t really taste it)
- Feta: feta cheese or vegan feta cheese if you are dairy-free
Recipe Tips:
- To make the perfect pasta use salt in the water and make sure to cook 1-2 minutes less than the suggested time to keep it from getting overcooked or mushy
- Buy prechopped veggies to make this recipe come together even quicker
- You can swap the feta cheese for vegan feta cheese if you want this pasta to be dairy-free and vegan
- I used chickpea noodles to add more protein, fiber, makes this dish lower in carbs and more filling
- Feel free to use your favorite pasta shape or type of pasta
- I like to use grape or cherry tomatoes because they store well and don’t get mushy
- This recipe keeps well in the fridge for up to 5-6 days but it is not freezer friendly
Other Recipe You May Enjoy:
Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad
Cowboy caviar is typically a dip, but in this recipe, it has been transformed into a healthy filling pasta with plenty of veggies, plant-based protein, and a zesty sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz boxes of pasta shells (I used chickpea pasta)
- 1 can drained and rinsed black beans
- 1 can drained and rinsed black eyed peas
- 1 can drained sweet corn
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 bell peppers (orange, red, or yellow)
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2-3 limes juiced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 6 oz feta cheese (vegan or regular)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil water and make pasta as directed, but cook 1-2 minutes less than the box instructs to keep pasta from getting mushy, then let cool
- Dice onion and peppers keeping them similar in size
- Chop grape or cherry tomatoes in half
- Finely chop cilantro
- Drain and rinse beans and corn
- Mix together olive oil, red wine vinegar, juice from limes, and maple syrup
- In a large bowl add cooked pasta, onions, peppers, beans, corn, tomatoes, and cilantro. Mix pasta together then add the dressing and feta and toss.
Notes
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