BBQ Pasta Salad
A pasta salad for BBQ lovers! Elbow noodles, corn, tomatoes, scallions, chewy BBQ tofu crumbles and a creamy dressing. A fun twist on pasta salad!
The moment it hits 90 degrees outside, you can bet that pasta salad is on our dinner table at least a few times a week. It’s the perfect side dish to black bean sliders, kebobs and grilled vegetables.
While I have a few pasta salads here, like my classic vegan pasta salad and a cherry caprese pasta salad, I wanted to create something that was a bit more unique. Enter this BBQ pasta salad version! With scallions, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado and sharp cheddar cheese– it’s a pasta salad for BBQ lovers.
Why we love this recipe
It’s fun! And different– two things that I always try to focus on when creating new recipes. I obviously love the classics, but it’s also fun to throw unexpected ingredients together and see what happens.
This BBQ pasta salad is the perfect side dish for potlucks and summer get-togethers. You can assemble ahead of time, then add the dressing and avocado right before serving.
BBQ Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Noodles of choice. I think elbows are a classic.
- Scallions
- Corn kernels– fresh or cooked from frozen
- Halved cherry tomatoes
- Avocado
- Fresh Cilantro
- Sharp cheddar cheese, optional for dairy-free
- Creamy BBQ dressing
Substitition Notes
As with most pasta salad recipes, this one is pretty forgiving. I like scallions but you could also do pickled red onions if you’d like. I don’t recommend omitting them all together because I think the creamy salad needs a little bite and the scallions do this will. Same with the fresh cilantro.
The cheese is optional; I went with a white cheddar for appareance but any kind works.
I almost always grab the fire-roasted frozen corn from Trader Joe’s in my recipes. Then I simply toast on a skillet until warmed through. If fresh corn is in season when you make this one, then use that. You can enjoy the kernels raw or cooked!
How to Make this Pasta Salad
Make the dressing
Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing first, set aside.
Cook the noodles and the tofu
If your noodles and tofu need to be cooked, do that. To quickly stop the cooking of the pasta, rinse well in cold water after draining.
Assemble the salad
Combine the cooked noodles, BBQ tofu cubes, cheddar cheese, scallions, corn, avocado, tomatoes and cilantro together.
Tips for Success
The color of this dressing is a muted brown– that’s what happens when you mix BBQ sauce and greek yogurt together! It might not be the prettiest color, but I promise you it is AMAZING. The salad will look great once combined with the bright and colorful ingredients– scallions, cilantro, corn and tomatoes.
I call for greek yogurt in this recipe to be lower in fat than mayo, but you can use mayo if you’d like. To make this salad vegan, then I’d recommend using a vegan mayo and omitting the cheese.
More Salad Recipes
- Vegan Pasta Salad
- Tahini Salad with Summer Vegetables
- Chopped Italian Pasta Salad
- Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad
- Cherry Caprese Salad
More Recipes Using BBQ Sauce
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
- Ranch Kale Salad with BBQ Tofu Cubes
- BBQ Tofu Sliders
- Vegan BBQ Tempeh Bowls
If you make this recipe, make sure to come back to leave a rating and a comment! Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
BBQ Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow noodles, cooked
- 1 batch BBQ Tofu Cubes
- 1/3 cup sliced scallions, green parts only
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or cooked from frozen
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, optional
Creamy BBQ Dressing
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt or mayo of choice
- 2 tablespoons mayo, if not using mayo above, for a creamier taste
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lime juice or vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to package directions, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking, then set aside.
- Make the BBQ Tofu Cubes while the noodles are cooking. (Bake the tofu, marinate in BBQ sauce and saute on the skillet until chewy. Full recipe for BBQ tofu here)
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the creamy dressing.
- Place the ingredients for the salad, including the noodles and BBQ tofu, in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Season to taste as needed and serve.