Texas Caviar Pasta Salad
Last Updated on January 15, 2022 by Annie
Freshen up your summer spread with a light and healthy, vegan Texas Caviar Pasta Salad. Made with a variety of fresh vegetables, beans, and a flavorful dressing, this pasta salad is sure to please!
One of my favorite things about summer has to be the abundance of fresh produce. As someone who came to eating vegetables late in life, I have been making up for lost time with fresh summer dishes like Heirloom Tomato Galettes, Pico de Gallo, and oven-baked zucchini bites.
My second favorite part of summer has to be the gatherings. Picnics, potlucks, and BBQs are great ways to gather with friends and enjoy the fresh flavors of summer. In my option, no summer gathering is complete without a good pasta salad. Instead of making a traditional mayo-based pasta salad, I went with a twist on one of my favorite summer dishes, Texas Caviar.
Packed with fresh veggies and vibrant flavor this pasta salad takes your summer potluck to a whole new level! It’s easy to make, naturally dairy-free, and vegan making it the perfect addition to your next backyard gathering.
How to Make Texas Caviar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- Orzo Pasta– Cooked to package directions for al dente, rinse with cold water, and then refrigerate to chill.
- Black Beans– A can of drained and rinsed black beans.
- Corn– A can of drained and rinsed corn or you can use frozen corn and allow it to thaw.
- Roma tomatoes- Fresh seeded and diced.
- Bell pepper- A mix of red and green, seeded and diced.
- Jalapeño- Seeded and diced for a little kick of heat.
- Cilantro- Fresh chopped cilantro for flavor and garnish.
- Avocado- Diced and only added in when it’s time to serve the pasta salad.
- Dressing- A homemade dressing made of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, and spices.
Directions
Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Once cooked, rinse under cold water and refrigerate to chill.
Next, drain and rinse the black beans and the corn and add to a large bowl.
Chop the Roma tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeño, and cilantro. Add the chopped vegetaables on top of the beans and corn.
In a medium bowl whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. Set aside.
Remove the pasta from the fridge and toss into the bowl with the other ingredients. Stir the pasta in until evenly distributed then drizzle with the dressing and stir to coat.
Refrigerate 1 hour to allow the dressing to sink in and add chopped avocado when you are ready to serve.
How to Serve Texas Caviar Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is the perfect addition to summer cookouts, potlucks, and BBQs. It is excellent on its own or as a side to a number of different dishes.
Variations or Substitutions
This is also an extremely forgiving recipe if you need to add ingredients, swap out others, or try something a little different. Some easy substitutions to make include:
- Pasta- Using other small shape kinds of pasta such as mini elbows, mini shells, or ditalini pasta in place of orzo.
- Gluten-Free- You can quickly make this dish gluten-free by swapping out the orzo pasta with DeLallo’s gluten-free orzo.
- Quinoa- Sub the pasta out with quinoa for a healthy grain bowl recipe.
- Bell peppers- Use any available bell peppers, if you have to use two red, two greens, or even an orange or yellow it will still be delicious!
- Avocado- Double the avocado if they are fresh, in season, and plentiful!
Pasta Salad Facts
Should you wash pasta for pasta salad?
Yes. Pasta salad is the only time you should run your pasta under running water. Rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process which also prevents a transfer of heat to the other vegetables and beans in the salad.
How far in advance should you make your pasta salad?
I would not recommend making pasta salad more than a day in advance. You definitely want to give the pasta salad time for all of the flavors to meld together so allow for at least an hour before you plan to serve but feel free to make it up to 24 hours in advance. Reserve the avocado for right before serving to prevent it from getting too brown.
How do you store pasta salad?
If you are planning to serve within an hour or so you can store the pasta salad in the serving bowl or platter covered tightly with plastic wrap. If it’s going to be longer before serving or you are storing leftovers keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
If you tried this delicious Texas Caviar Pasta Salad and enjoyed it feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear how it went! Or, snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!
You can also get delicious dairy-free recipes and tips by signing up for my newsletter!
Texas Caviar Pasta Salad
Freshen up your summer spread with a light and healthy, vegan Texas Caviar Pasta Salad. Made with a variety of fresh vegetables, beans, and a flavorful dressing, this pasta salad is sure to please!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Orzo Pasta uncooked
- 1 can Black beans 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
- 1 can Corn 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
- 2 Roma Tomatoes seeded and diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper seeded and diced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper seeded and diced
- 1 Jalapeño seeded and diced
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
- 1-2 Avocados diced
Pasta Salad Dressing
- ⅓ cup Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 Limes juiced- about 4 Tablespoons
- 3 cloves Garlic diced or microplaned
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Thyme
Instructions
-
Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Once cooked, rinse under cold water and refrigerate to chill.
-
Drain and rinse the black beans and the corn and add to a large bowl.
-
Chop the Roma tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeño, and cilantro. Add these chopped vegetables on top of the beans and corn.
-
In a medium bowl whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. Set aside.
-
Remove the pasta from the fridge and toss into the bowl with the other ingredients. Stir the pasta in until evenly distributed then drizzle with the dressing and stir to coat.
-
Refrigerate 1 hour to allow the dressing to sink in and add chopped avocado when you are ready to serve.