BBQ Pasta Salad

By Alexandra Caspero on May 2, 2023

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.

BBQ pasta salad ingredients

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.

pasta salad with tofu and corn and avocado

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

  1. Make the dressing

    Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing first, set aside. dressing for BBQ pasta salad

  2. 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. The BBQ tofu and the pasta can both be cooked ahead of time for easy assembly. tofu in a skillet

  3. Assemble the salad

    Combine the cooked noodles, BBQ tofu cubes, cheddar cheese, scallions, corn, avocado, tomatoes and cilantro together. Add in the dressing, toss to combine, and enjoy. pasta salad with tofu and corn

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.

BBQ Tofu Pasta Salad ingredients

More Salad Recipes

More Recipes Using BBQ Sauce

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!

Print
BBQ Tofu Pasta Salad ingredients

BBQ Pasta Salad

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 46 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, side dish, salad, pasta salad
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

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!


  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 46 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, side dish, salad, pasta salad
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 46 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, side dish, salad, pasta salad
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Scale

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

  1. Cook the noodles according to package directions, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking, then set aside.
  2. 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)
  3. Whisk together all the ingredients for the creamy dressing.
  4. 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.

did you make this?

Tag @delishknowledge on Instagram and hashtag it #delishknowledge

The Ultimate Plant-Based Protein Cookbook + Course

(Includes 40+ recipes!)

FREE 7-DAY COURSE + COOKBOOK

Meet Alex Caspero

Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Plant-Based Chef and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.

(no comments) leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.