This vegan street corn pasta salad features sweet summer corn, crisp bell peppers, tender pasta, and fresh herbs tossed in a creamy chili-lime dressing. It's simple to make, and every bite packs a whopping flavor punch. This one just might steal the show at your next cookout!
Have you had Mexican street corn (aka, elote) before? It's basically grilled fresh corn with a spicy mayo sauce. There's some cheese and butter in there somewhere, but they're easy to replace or just skip. I LOVE Mexican street corn, and by that I mean I love the original dish, and I really love applying the concept to other dishes like my street corn tacos and street corn dip. I'm so hooked on street corn, you might call me a street corner. (<— I deeply apologize for that one.)
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Today, I merged street corn with another summer favorite, vegan pasta salad, in what turned out to be pretty much the ultimate cool side dish.
My street corn pasta salad starts with fresh corn, although you can also use frozen. You'll blister it in a skillet, then mix it up with a creamy, zesty Mexican-spiced dressing, some diced red bell pepper, fresh cilantro, and scallions. And boy is it good! I couldn't stop eating spoonfuls from the bowl, so I'm confident it'll go quick at your next barbecue.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Pasta. I like rotini for my pasta salad, but other small shapes work too, like penne, farfalle, or even orzo.
- Vegan butter. Look for this near the regular butter in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
- Corn. Use fresh summer corn if you can — it's the best! Otherwise, frozen can be subbed when fresh isn't in season.
- Garlic.
- Vegan mayonnaise.
- Lime juice. Use freshly squeezed juice for the best flavor. You'll need the zest as well, so no excuses!
- Olive oil. Feel free to use another cooking oil if you'd like.
- Spices. You'll just need chili powder, ground cumin, and smoked paprika.
- Lime zest.
- Salt & pepper.
- Red bell pepper. Feel free to use a different bell pepper color.
- Fresh cilantro.
- Scallions.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Cook the pasta. Start with this and work on the other steps while it cooks. Just follow the package directions and drain it into a colander when it's done.
Step 2: Cook the corn. Cook the kernels in a large skillet in vegan butter over medium-high heat. Avoid constant stirring — you want to let them sit for a minute or two at a time to brown and blister. Once you see that happening, add the garlic and cook it with the corn for about a minute. Transfer it to a plate to cool when done.
Step 3: Make the dressing. Mix your vegan mayo, lime juice, olive oil, spices, lime zest and salt in a large bowl. Feel free to give it a taste and make adjustments at this stage.
Step 4: Mix. Add the pasta to the bowl with the dressing, along with your cooked corn, diced bell pepper, chopped cilantro, and scallions. Stir it up, give it a taste, and add some more salt and black pepper if you'd like.
Step 5: Serve. You can let the salad cool to room temperature and serve (it won't take long), or cover the bowl and chill for later. It will keep for about 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Variations
- Spicy street corn salad. Add some cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce to the dressing. You could also mince up a jalapeño pepper and cook it with the garlic.
- Add vegan cheese. Since traditional street corn is made with cheese, I see no reason not to include it here, if that's your thing. Vegan feta crumbles would be a good choice!
- More stir-ins. Go ahead and get creative! Try adding beans, fresh veggies like carrots, celery, or broccoli, or even meat substitutes.
More Vegan Pasta Salad Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Street Corn Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried rotini pasta
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 4 cups fresh corn kernels (or frozen, see Note)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain it into a colander when done.
- While the pasta cooks, melt the vegan butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add the corn. Cook the corn for about 4 minutes, letting it sit undisturbed for a minute or two, then stirring, until the kernels begin to brown and blister. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook it with the corn for about 1 minute, until very fragrant. Remove the skillet from heat and move the corn to a plate or bowl to cool slightly.
- Whisk the mayo, lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, lime zest, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add the pasta, corn (it's fine if it's still warm), bell pepper, cilantro, and scallions. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve at room temperature or cover the bowl and chill.
Notes
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