Vegan taco pasta salad features red peppers, sweet corn, protein-packed black beans, cilantro, and noodles tossed in a creamy taco-inspired sauce! Complete your summer bbq or potluck spread with this delicious oil-free side dish!
This delicious vegan taco pasta salad is loaded with red peppers, sweet corn, protein-packed black beans, and the creamiest taco-seasoned sauce! This dish can be enjoyed hot or cold, it's kid-friendly, it's made with no oil, and it only takes 30 minutes to whip up!
Everyone always brings Italian pasta salad to BBQs and potlucks, why not switch it up with this zesty version of vegan pasta salad? This flavorful plant-based pasta is the perfect side dish to compliment any main course and it's great for sharing with friends and family.
How to Make Vegan Taco Pasta Salad
First, boil the raw cashews in water for 10 minutes and then drain the water (Photo 1). While the cashews are boiling, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water. When the noodles are done cooking, pour the noodles into a colander, and drain the hot water. Immediately rinse the hot noodles with cold water to stop the cooking process.
In a small blender (I used a Nutribullet with a medium-sized cup), add raw cashews, almond milk, tomato paste, green onions, dried seasonings, and fresh lime juice to the cup. Blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy (Photos 2 & 3).
Next, add the diced onion, bell peppers, corn, and black beans (I like the organic canned black beans from Costco because they're very low in sodium and the can is BPA-free) to a large pan or mixing bowl (Photo 4).
Pour the creamy taco sauce over the vegetables and add the cooked noodles to the pan (Photos 5 & 6). Toss it well to coat each noodle with sauce. Put the pasta in the fridge for a few hours to chill. When you're ready to serve, garnish the vegan pasta salad with fresh cilantro, lime wheels, and sliced jalapenos.
What Else Can I Add to Vegan Pasta Salad?
There are so many options! Pretty much anything that you would put on tacos would be delicious in this vegan pasta salad. You could also add:
- Diced Tomatoes
- Thinly Sliced Red Cabbage
- Baked Tofu
- Avocado
- Spinach
- Sliced Green Onions
- Shredded Jackfruit
- Vegan Shredded Cheese (I use Violife shredded cheddar)
- Salsa
- Hot Sauce
- Pickled Jalapenos
Can You Make it in Advance?
This vegan taco pasta salad will last for 3-5 days in the refrigerator, but I wouldn't make it more than one day in advance. After a couple of days, the pasta starts to absorb the sauce and the noodles get a little soft. It still tastes good, but the dish is definitely the best when it's made fresh.
How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?
You can store the leftover pasta in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.
Can You Freeze it?
You can freeze the leftover vegan pasta salad. When you're ready to eat the pasta, take it out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator to defrost for 24 hours. The sauce might separate a little bit when it defrosts, so it's better to reheat the vegan pasta salad instead of eating it cold.
When you reheat the pasta, you'll need to add a little bit of water, vegetable broth, or more unsweetened plant milk to the pasta to help loosen the sauce. Garnish with fresh cilantro if you have it.
Ways to Adapt This Recipe
This cold vegan pasta salad recipe is delicious just like this, but you could switch it up with the following variations:
- Add Vegan Meat Substitutes: You could top the vegan pasta salad with shredded chipotle jackfruit or seasoned lentils as a ground beef substitute.
- Make it Spicy: Add 1-2 chipotle peppers (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce) to the blender cup to give the sauce a spicy kick.
- Add Fresh Greens: Roughly chop 5 oz of fresh spinach or massaged kale and stir it into the pasta. It's an easy way to works more greens into your diet and it adds a pretty pop of color to the recipe.
- Use Grilled Corn: You can add even more flavor to the pasta salad by using grilled or fire-roasted corn.
- Serve it Hot: This vegan taco pasta salad can also be enjoyed hot! Saute the vegetables in a large pan and mix in the sauce and cooked noodles. You don't need to rinse the hot pasta with cold water, just add the drained pasta to the pan.
How to Serve it Hot Instructions
This recipe is the perfect cold vegan side dish to bring to share at family gatherings or potlucks, but it's also an incredibly delicious meal that you can serve hot for dinner as the main course! To serve this pasta hot, I recommend that you first saute the onions and peppers in a large pan until soft. Next, add the corn, black beans, and hot cooked pasta (don't rinse it with cold water after you drain it) to the pan. Pour the taco sauce over the top and mix it all together. Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy!
Substitutions & FAQ
- Bell Pepper Variations: You can use red, yellow, orange, or green bell peppers. I prefer to use red or orange bell peppers because they're the sweetest.
- Black Bean Substitutions: Instead of black beans, you could use kidney beans, chickpeas, or pinto beans.
- Almond Milk Substitutions: You can use unsweetened coconut milk (from a carton, not a can) or unsweetened cashew milk instead of almond milk.
- Green Onion Substitution: If you don't have green onions, you can substitute ½ tsp of onion powder.
- Can You Use Frozen Vegetables? Fresh is best for this recipe, but you can use frozen corn and bell peppers if that's what you have on hand. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables and let them cool before adding them to the pasta.
Success Tips
- Soak the cashews for 2-3 hours or boil them for 10 minutes prior to blending so they are easier to blend and digest.
- Don't use vanilla-flavored plant milk or plant milk that has any added sugar. Use unsweetened plant milk so the creamy taco sauce won't taste sweet.
- Use noodles that will catch and hold the sauce. I like to use casarecce, cavatappi, shells, macaroni elbows, rotini, or penne pasta.
- Rinse the pasta with cold water after you drain the hot water. Doing this will stop the cooking process immediately.
- Store the leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or freeze it for a future meal.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes You'll Love!
Pistachio Avocado Vegan Pesto Pasta
Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Hummus Pasta
Spinach Artichoke Dip Stuffed Shells
Vegan Taco Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Large Pan or Bowl
- Blender
- Large Pot
- Medium Blender Cup
Ingredients
Taco Sauce -
- 1 cup raw cashews (pre-soaked or boiled)
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 2 medium limes)
- 3 green onions (only the green part)
- 2 tbsp salt-free taco seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp himalayan pink sea salt (add more to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Pasta Salad -
- 1 lb uncooked pasta (use gluten-free noodles if necessary)
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 medium red peppers diced
- (1) 14 oz can black beans (rinsed and drained)
- (1) 14 oz can corn (rinsed and drained)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (add more to taste)
- 1 small lime sliced
- 1 small jalapeno sliced
Instructions
- Boil the raw cashews in water for 10 minutes (or soak the cashews in cold water for 2-3 hours) and then drain the water.
- While the cashews are boiling, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water. When the noodles are done cooking, pour the noodles into a large colander, and drain the hot water. Immediately rinse the hot noodles with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- In a medium-sized blender cup, add the raw cashews, 1 ½ cups almond milk, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 3 green onions (only the green onions), 2 tbsp taco seasonings, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp salt, and 3 tbsp fresh lime juice. Blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Add more salt to taste.
- Add the diced onion, bell peppers, corn, and black beans to a large pan or mixing bowl. Pour the creamy taco sauce over the vegetables and add the cooked noodles to the pan. Toss it well to coat each noodle with sauce.
- Put the pasta in the fridge for 2-3 hours to chill. When you’re ready to serve the pasta, garnish it with fresh cilantro, lime slices, and one sliced and seeded jalapeno.
Notes
- Soak the cashews for 2-3 hours or boil them for 10 minutes prior to blending so they are easier to blend and digest.
- Don't use vanilla-flavored almond milk or plant milk that has any added sugar. Use unsweetened plant milk so the creamy taco sauce won't taste sweet.
- Use noodles that will catch and hold the sauce. I like to use casarecce, cavatappi, shells, macaroni elbows, rotini, or penne pasta.
- Rinse the pasta with cold water after you drain the hot water. Doing this will stop the cooking process immediately.
- Store the leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or freeze it for a future meal.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally posted on 11/21/16 but I updated it with new pictures and better recipe instructions on 6/23/20.
