Mexican Macaroni Salad

This post is sponsored by STAR Fine Foods.

Summer is just about here and that means it’s time for lots of parties and cookouts! I don’t know about you guys, but whenever I get invited to a BBQ, I am always in need of good side dishes to bring. The Classic Macaroni Salad is always a favorite, but I decided to give it a Mexican twist this time!

This Mexican Macaroni Salad is packed with black beans, fresh tomatoes, jack cheese, fresh corn, and Ripe Olives from my friends at STAR Fine Foods. I know a lot of people tend to prefer green olives, but I’ve always been a black olive girl. A bowl of black olives on the table during big family dinners has been the norm since before I was even born. I could seriously eat a whole jar of these olives if you let me! Black olives are so perfect for a pasta salad like this too! I love their more mild flavor.

For the dressing, I mixed up a really simple and fresh cilantro vinaigrette using tons of fresh cilantro, olive oil, shallots, cumin, and lime juice. The dressing is super light, but adds a ton of flavor to the macaroni salad. This is truly the perfect side dish to mix up for your next summer BBQ. It’s really tasty, but nice and light too!

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Yield: serves 6

Mexican Macaroni Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

This light and delicious macaroni salad is loaded with tomatos, black olives, black beans, and jack cheese and tossed in a cilantro vinaigrette!

Ingredients

For the cilantro vinaigrette:

• 2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed
• 1/2 cup STAR Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt to taste

For the macaroni salad:

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 1 ear shaved fresh corn, husks and silks removed
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup STAR Ripe Olives without liquid
• 1 cup cubed jack cheese
• 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
• Cilantro vinaigrette

Instructions

1. Make the vinaigrette. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl of a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Add salt to taste. Feel free to use more olive oil if needed to thin the dressing to your desired consistency. Set aside.
2. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and let cool. Add the cooked macaroni to a large bowl. Add the corn, black beans, olives, cheese, and tomatoes to the bowl. Pour desired amount of the vinaigrette on top and mix everything together until well-combined. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 301mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 10g

Full Disclosure: This post is part of an ongoing collaboration I have with STAR Fine Foods. While I have been compensated for my work to develop the recipe, all opinions and text are my own.

Related posts:

Classic Macaroni Salad Easy Mexican Rice Mexican Pizza Mexican Street Corn