This high protein pasta salad recipe is packed with blacked chicken, black beans, colorful veggies, and a creamy southwestern dressing made of Greek yogurt and spices.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, southwestern
Keyword creamy southwestern pasta salad recipe
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Servings 12
Calories 281kcal
Author Bon Appeteach
Ingredients
Blackening Seasoning
1tsp.Salt
1tsp.Black Pepper
1tbsp.Smoky Paprika
1.5tsp. Cumin
1tbsp.Garlic Powder
1.5 tsp.Onion Powder
1tsp.Oregano
1tsp. Thyme
Pasta Salad Ingredients
1lb.Chicken
2tbsp.Olive Oil
8oz.Pasta I used Kaizen pasta
1Red Pepperdiced small
1Poblano Pepperdiced small
1Jalapenodiced small, seeds removed
1/2Red Oniondiced small
1/2cupFresh Cilantrominced
1Avocadocubed
1canBlack Beansdrained and rinsed
1cupFrozen or Canned Corndrained
Creamy Southwestern Dressing
1/3cupOlive Oil
2/3cupGreek Yogurtplain
2Limesjuiced
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Start by mixing all the spices for the blackening seasoning together and set it aside. Some of the spice mix will be used for the chicken and some will be used for the dressing.
Lightly oil the chicken breasts and add a few teaspoons of the seasoning on all sides of each piece of chicken.
Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear each piece of chicken on one side in the pan for 2-3 minutes or until it easily releases. Flip the chicken over and turn off the burner. Place it in the oven to finish cooking through (this keeps the chicken super juicy but nicely seared) until it hits 165 F., about 10-15 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, begin to cook the pasta of choice (see notes on what I used above in the article) to al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Place in a large bowl and set it aside.
To the pasta, add in the diced peppers, onion, and cilantro. Mix to combine. Dice the chicken ad fold that into the pasta salad as well.
In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mixture. Whisk to combine and then test taste and add any additional seasoning as needed.
Fold the dressing mixture into the pasta salad until fully coated. Add the cubed avocado over the top of the pasta salad before serving and enjoy.
Notes
The pasta salad should keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.