Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad

This Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad combines a fresh and zesty cowboy caviar dip with chicken and pasta for a perfect high-protein summer meal!

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Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:

• Favorite Dip Turned Dinner – cowboy caviar is such a delicious dip on its own, but adding some chicken and protein pasta turn it into a one bowl dinner situation for a whole balanced meal.
• High-Protein – between the chicken, two kinds of beans, and a protein pasta, one serving provide over 30 grams of protein!
• Fiber-Rich – with so many fresh ingredients, beans, and a high fiber pasta, this pasta salad packs a whopping 16 grams of fiber per serving. (So note, if you’re not used to eating a high fiber diet, please work up to this amount in one meal gradually!)
• Insanely Flavorful – the dressing, the fresh ingredients, the cilantro — it all adds SO much flavor.
• Super Satisfying – this pasta salad has a super satisfying combination of flavors and textures, plus it’s physically satisfying, too, with all that fiber and protein!
• Meal Prep-Friendly – Pasta Salad is one of my favorites to meal prep and this one is no exception. No reheating required, the flavors get even better, and it makes for a super convenient and delicious grab-and-go meal.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions:

For a full ingredient list with quantities, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Pasta – I love to use a pasta that has a little more protein and fiber for a nutritional boost. I’ve been loving Barilla Protein+, but you could also use Brami, Banza, Goodles, or any other pasta you prefer.
• Chicken – any kind of pre-cooked chicken works! This is a great way to use up some leftover rotisserie chicken or meal prepped chicken breast.
• Beans – just like cowboy caviar, you need both black beans and black eyed peas.
• Corn – I usually use frozen corn kernels (you can put them in a fine mesh sieve under cold water to quickly thaw them!)
• Tomatoes – the recipe calls for grape tomatoes, but you can use cherry, Roma, or any diced tomato you have.
• Bell Pepper – I use red, but you can use any color you prefer.
• Red Onion – diced, and you can increase/ decrease base on your personal preference
• Jalapeno – remove the seeds and membranes for the flavor but no heat!
• The Dressing – I know it looks like a laundry list of ingredients, but they come together to make the most delicious, zesty, very subtly sweet sauce! See the recipe card for all the individual recipe ingredients!

How to Make Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad

For complete instructions, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Boil pasta to according to package directions.
2. While pasta is boiling, whisk dressing and chop veggies.
3. Drain pasta when done, then rinse under cold water until room temp.
4. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss until everything is evenly coated in the dressing.

Tips and Variations

• Use a Veggie Chopper to help with all of the chopping!
• Gluten-Free – use your favorite gluten-free noodle!
• Dairy-Free – this pasta salad is naturally dairy-free!
• Nut-Free – it’s also naturally nut-free!
• No Added Sugar – there’s only 1 tablespoon of honey in the whole recipe, but you can use your preferred non-nutritive sweetener if you prefer.
• Vegetarian – you can skip the chicken entirely, or substitute a plant-based protein crumble or roasted tofu.
• Rinse the pasta with cool water – this helps make the pasta less starchy and helps cool it faster.

Pasta Salad Storage + Meal Prep

I adore meal prepping pasta salad! The flavors meld together even better as it sits in the fridge, and it makes for one delicious balanced meal that I always actually look forward to eating.

I like to store the pasta salad in individual containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can also make it ahead for a summer dinner or potluck. I recommend making up to 1 day in advance and storing in an airtight container in the fridge until it’s time to serve.

Shop This Recipe

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All of my favorites can be found on my Amazon storefront, including a whole page dedicated to my Meal Prep Essentials!

• 16 Ounce Glass Jars
• Glass Meal Prep Single Compartment Containers
• 2 Cup Glass Round Containers with Lids
• Bamboo Butcher Block
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More Pasta Salad Recipes to Love

• Big Mac Pasta Salad
• Elote Pasta Salad
• Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad
• High Protein Pasta Salad
• Balsamic Pasta Salad
• Dense Bean Pasta Salad

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