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    Home » Pasta

    Southwestern Pasta Salad with Yogurt Salsa Dressing Recipe

    Published: Jun 22, 2015 · Modified: May 30, 2019 by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 12 Comments

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    Whip up this healthy southwestern whole wheat pasta salad for your next barbecue. It gets its flavor from black beans, corn and an easy yogurt salsa dressing.
    Southwestern Pasta Salad with Yogurt Salsa Dressing…A fantastic vegetarian side dish or entrée! 166 calories and 4 Weight Watchers PP | cookincanuck.com #healthy #recipe

    Southwestern Pasta Salad with Yogurt Salsa Dressing…A fantastic vegetarian side dish or entrée! 166 calories and 4 Weight Watchers PP | cookincanuck.com #healthy #recipe

    Pasta salad has been my kryptonite ever since I was a kid. If there is a bowl of it sitting in the fridge, all resolve melts like ice cream in the desert. In fact, I feel overwhelmingly compelled to keep a fork nearby at all times so I can access a quick bite whenever the craving strikes.

    Southwestern Pasta Salad with Yogurt Salsa Dressing…A fantastic vegetarian side dish or entrée! 166 calories and 4 Weight Watchers PP | cookincanuck.com #healthy #recipe

    To me there is no summertime side dish more perfect than a pasta salad. Meat-filled, meatless, veggie or fruit (seriously have you ever tried a pasta salad with plums? Good stuff!) Whatever ingredient combinations you dream up, they almost always work in pasta salad.

    My mum's specialty is a traditional mayo-based salad, packed with salmon and capers. Childhood kryptonite.

    Southwestern Pasta Salad with Yogurt Salsa Dressing…A fantastic vegetarian side dish or entrée! 166 calories and 4 Weight Watchers PP | cookincanuck.com #healthy #recipe

    These days, I'm keeping things a little lighter, so typically opt for versions dressed with vinaigrettes, pesto-like sauces or yogurt-based dressings.

    This version boasts a salsa yogurt dressing, which is nothing more than salsa whisked into Greek yogurt, with a sprinkle of cumin and salt. The dressing is just as good on green salads - a great reason to keep a container on hand at all times. Come to think of it, I'll bet it would also be good dolloped on grilled chicken or fish.

    The rest of the ingredients are your basic southwestern fare - black beans, corn, red bell peppers and cilantro. You could also mix in fresh, diced tomatoes and avocado for an extra layer of flavor and texture.

    Southwestern Pasta Salad with Yogurt Salsa Dressing…A fantastic vegetarian side dish or entrée! 166 calories and 4 Weight Watchers PP | cookincanuck.com #healthy #recipe

    If you let the salad sit overnight, be sure to have some extra dressing on hand, as the pasta absorbs the dressing the longer the salad sits. Just mix in an extra portion of the dressing to add flavor and moisture back into the salad.

    Other vegetarian side dish recipes:

    Vegetarian Side Dish Recipes | cookincanuck.com
    Cookin' Canuck's Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro Vinaigrette
    Cookin' Canuck's Strawberry & Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds
    Healthy Nibbles & Bits' Sorghum Salad with Kale Pesto
    The Iron You's Easy Baked Parmesan Zucchini
    Recipe Runner's Heirloom Tomato & Blue Cheese Salad

    Southwestern Pasta Salad with Yogurt Salsa Dressing Recipe

    Whip up this healthy southwestern whole wheat pasta salad for your next barbecue. It gets its flavor from black beans, corn and an easy yogurt salsa dressing.
    5 from 2 votes
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    Course: Pasta
    Cuisine: Southwestern
    Keyword: Vegetarian, Whole Wheat Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 12 Cups
    Calories: 202kcal
    Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
    • 2 ears corn cooked & kernels cut off
    • 1 14 ounce can reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed & drained
    • 1 red bell pepper diced
    • ¼ cup minced cilantro
    • 3 green onion thinly sliced

    The Dressing:

    • ¾ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
    • ⅔ cup salsa your favorite kind
    • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
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    Instructions

    • Cook the penne according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
    • In a large bowl, combine the pasta, corn kernels, black beans, red bell pepper, cilantro and green onion.
    • Toss with the dressing. Serve.

    The Dressing:

    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, salsa, cumin and salt. Taste and season with more salt, if desired.

    Notes

    Weight Watchers Points: 4 (Points+), 3 (Old Points)

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Cup | Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 470IU | Vitamin C: 14.6mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

    Disclosure: This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Jess

        November 03, 2015 at 12:36 pm

        Had this last night for dinner with my husband. We both loved it! Was extremely filling

        Reply
      2. Sarah

        August 31, 2015 at 2:08 pm

        Thanks 🙂

        Reply
      3. Sarah

        August 31, 2015 at 1:22 pm

        Could I substitute sour cream for greek yogurt?..Just ran out :\

        Reply
        • Dara

          August 31, 2015 at 1:52 pm

          I haven't actually tried it with sour cream before, but it's worth a shot! You could also increase the amount of salsa in the recipe.

          Reply
      4. Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen

        June 25, 2015 at 8:27 am

        How did you know I would wake up this morning wanting to eat salsa out of a jar with a spoon? This might be a slightly more nutritious way to satisfy that craving. 🙂

        Reply
      5. Stephanie

        June 24, 2015 at 10:00 am

        I love these flavors! I actually make the same dressing for my salads all the time - so good!!

        Reply
      6. Paula-bell'alimento

        June 23, 2015 at 2:34 pm

        I'm loving the corn in there! And the yogurt dressing. Okay I'm loving all the things in there ; )

        Reply
      7. Colleen (Souffle Bombay)

        June 23, 2015 at 7:29 am

        I am a sucker for a good pasta salad - the combination you have going on here looks delicious. This is a must try for me! Pinning! Oh and if I had to list my kryptonite food...it would be a long list lol! Well, at least 5 anyway!

        Reply
      8. Liz @ The Lemon Bowl

        June 22, 2015 at 10:17 am

        I love using yogurt + salsa for salad dressing - how perfect to use it for a pasta salad!! I'll bring the wine.

        Reply
      9. Liz

        June 22, 2015 at 9:21 am

        Thank you Dara for the nice salad. Have a great week.

        Reply
      10. Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet

        June 22, 2015 at 9:09 am

        Yay for pasta salad Mondays! Yours looks amazing! We love southwestern flavors so I could eat this everyday!

        Reply
      11. Erin@WellPlated

        June 22, 2015 at 8:31 am

        Pasta salad is just the best for cleaning out a fridge and I love how creamy and flavorful this dressing would be!

        Reply

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      I'm Dara, a Canadian living in the U.S. and sharing my favorite healthy recipes. My cooking motto is that healthy eating never needs to be boring!

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