Guys, I am a leftover queen. Repurposing leftovers should be its own class of cooking and I would own it! It makes me happy to give them new life. Let’s be honest. Leftover grilled chicken isn’t great microwaved.

This pasta salad produced a GIANT serving for one. Probably could have split it. Definitely ate the whole thing. Sorry, not sorry. Homemade ranch dressing is so easy to make and make disappear.

The Gist of it

Make the zesty ranch. It’s lime juice, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and Tex-Mex spices. Always adjust the salt to your liking.
Pro tip: I find it easiest to make the dressing in the same bowl that you plan to toss the salad in. It’s one less dish to wash!
Chop peppers, chicken, avocado, onions, and tomatoes. Toss in the bowl with dressing and roasted corn, crumbled cheese, kale (or spinach if you prefer), and pasta.
Inhale pasta salad. Don’t forget to breathe.

This salad is best made with leftover pasta, grilled chicken, and all the vegetables you are trying to rid your refrigerator of. I guess you could boil pasta for the salad and grill chicken specifically for this, but that sounds like more work.

I had leftover pickled red onions and roasted corn on the cob, but regular red onions and plain corn from a can work just as well. The easier, the tastier.

Southwest Pasta Salad with Zesty Ranch

Get ready to eat a big bowl of yum. Chopped bell pepper, minced jalapeño, pickled red onions, queso fresco crumbles, baby kale, rotini, avocado slices, roasted corn, chopped tomatoes, grilled chicken, and a quick, delightful southwest-themed ranch dressing.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American, Southwest, Tex-Mex

Ingredients

Salad

8 oz Grilled chicken chopped
2 cups Rotini pasta cooked
½ cup Roasted corn
4 Cherry tomatoes quartered
1 Orange bell pepper chopped
½ Avocado skin removed, seeded, sliced
2 Green onions sliced thinly
2 tbsp Red onion slices optionally pickled
2 oz Queso fresco crumbled
1 cup Baby kale or spinach
1 Jalapeño minced, seeded if sensitive to spice

Southwest Ranch Dressing

Juice of Lime
⅓ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
½ tsp Onion salt
1 tsp Tomato paste
¼ tsp Chili powder
pinch Cumin
¼ tsp Garlic powder
½ Jalapeño small, minced

Instructions

Prepare the salad dressing in a large bowl by combining all of the ingredients and stirring thoroughly with a fork or whisk.
Add to the bowl all of the salad ingredients. Toss to coat in dressing. Serve.

Keyword Southwest ranch dressing, Summer salad, Tex-Mex pasta salad