This Creamy Taco Pasta Salad recipe is loaded with Mexican flavors! It is comforting, filling, and ready in no time. The creamy dressing is made with dairy-free mayo, zesty lime juice, and taco seasoning. This salad is the perfect allrounder. Use it for your meal prepping, easy weeknight dinners, and bring it to your next party!
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💡 The recipe in a nutshell
- Vegan (eggless, dairy-free, and without meat)
- Only 12 ingredients
- Super quick and easy to make
- Healthy, comforting, and filling
- Enjoy both warm and cold
👩🏽🍳 How to make + ingredient list
Making this creamy Taco Pasta Salad recipe at home is very easy and simple. You can also follow this how-to video in addition to the written instructions. Bring a pot of water to boil, add salt, and cook your pasta. Once cooked al dente, drain and rinse with cold water shortly. Then all you need to do is to combine the following ingredients in a big bowl:
- Cooked macaroni, or other pasta of choice
- Corn
- Black beans
- Cherry tomatoes
- Black olives
- Avocado
- Red onion
- Fresh cilantro
- Dairy-free cheese shreds
To make a creamy dressing you need to whisk together the following ingredients:
- Dairy-free Mayo (You can use a store-bought variety, or homemade. This vegan oil-free mayo recipe is packed with protein, affordable and so easy to make!)
- Juice of a lime
- Taco seasoning
Once your dressing is whisked together, add to the salad bowl and stir until all salad ingredients are covered. Then the salad is ready to be enjoyed!
🥑 Creamy Taco Pasta Salad Variations
There are so many simple ways to switch up this creamy pasta salad recipe! Here are my top suggestions:
- Add a vegan meat substitute! Vegan ground beef, plant-based chicken, or sausages (like chorizo flavor) would be a tasty addition. One of my personal favorites is to add this shredded and fried tofu.
- Sprinkle in more of your favorite taco toppings! Green or red bell peppers, salad greens, vegan feta or other plant-based cheeses would be a delicious addition.
- Switch up the seasoning! Adding other seasonings to the taco seasoning, such as a few spicy jalapeños, add even more flavor!
- Put some crunch on top! Crush some tortilla chips and sprinkle on top shortly before serving.
🤔 Can I make pasta salad the day before?
Yes, most pasta salads can be made ahead of time. So can this creamy taco pasta salad! In fact, this recipe is fantastic for meal prepping. It makes a big batch that you can prepare up to 3 days in advance. Just make sure to store it properly in an air-tight container in your fridge and to check on it before eating if you prepare this salad several days in advance.
🌮 What goes well with taco pasta salad?
This taco pasta salad is amazing and filling enough on its own, but serves as a fantastic side dish as well. Great additions are:
- Shredded and fried tofu
- Vegan ground beef
- Plant-based sausages, such as vegan chorizo or wieners
- Five Bean Salad
- Mexican rice, or cilantro lime rice
- Chips, salsa and guac
- Green beans
- Elote - Mexican street corn
- Stuffed peppers
- Garlic bread
For more ideas browse our recipe page.
🥣 Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Taco Pasta Salad Recipe
Equipment
- pot to cook pasta, bowl for the salad and dressing, sieve to drain cans, knife to cut onion, spoon to stir salad
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 250 g cooked macaroni, or other pasta of choice (8.8 oz)
- 1 can of corn drained
- 1 can of black beans drained
- 250 g halved cherry tomatoes (8.8 oz)
- 80 g black olives
- 1 ripe sliced avocado
- ½ chopped red onion
- ¼ bunch of freshly chopped cilantro
- 100 g dairy-free cheese shreds (3.5 oz)
Creamy salad dressing
- 100 g dairy-free mayo*
- juice of a lime
- 1 tablespoon Taco seasoning more to taste if needed
Instructions
- Bring water in a pot to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add salt and then pasta. Cook it until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a big salad bowl add all ingredients: cooked pasta, corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, olives, avocado, red onion, cilantro and cheese shreds.
- To prepare the creamy dressing whisk together mayo, lime juice, and taco seasoning in a separate smaller bowl. Once combined add to the rest of your salad and toss until all salad ingredients are covered. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
PS: Don't forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment on your experience - this helps improve my recipes and serves you with the best instructions, tips, and substitution ideas. Plus, I love hearing about your takes on my recipes! Tag me on Instagram @thesimplesprinkle to show me your pictures.
This looks wonderful! Will try love pasta salads!!!
Excellent flavor! I took this to a neighborhood potluck and there were no leftovers!
So tasty!! I love how many different textures and flavours you have going on in this taco recipe. I could have this all day long
this taco pasta salad turned out amazing! so flavorful and delicious!
Eaten cold, this is a perfect salad for summer 🙂
Totally delicious! Never would have thought of this on my own. The video tutorial was so helpful too!
This salad looked absolutely amazing so gave it ago, so delicious! It was super easy to make too which is good for a lazy home cook like myself. I'm making this again when my family comes over next time! Thank you for the recipe!
Love this creamy taco pasta salad! It's so easy and creamy!
Looks so colourful and delicious, and tastes even better!
What an amazing pasta salad! So flavourful! Love it!
Yummy, I always love new salad recipes at this time of the year!
Great pasta salad, perfect for the summer 🙂
Delicious recipe. Thank you for sharing.
This looks amazing and perfect for this weekend's pool party. Thank you for sharing.
A new and unique taco recipe to make today. It looks delicious and looks perfect for tonight's dinner.
Two of my favorite dishes combined into 1? What's not to love! Great for kid's lunches too.
Taco pasta! How clever and delicious!
This pasta salad is such a nice twist on a classic. I love the creamy sauce!
Loving the flavors combo of this taco pasta salad. Soooo good!