street corn pasta salad

my dream pasta salad

If you’re ever stuck on what to meal prep, or you struggle with making something and end up not even wanting to eat it, this is my go-to formula for a foolproof, healthy meal prep you’ll actually love. Pretty much because there’s literally nothing to not like: high-protein pasta + your fave veggies + your fave protein + your fave salad dressing. So easy, so simple, and a guaranteed banger every single time.

This is my version of the above: grilled corn (obviously, because I’m obsessed), crunchy cukes, red onion (another unhealthy obsession), grilled chicken for protein, kale for health, and some jalapeno and cotija cheese for fun. ᵕ̈ All tossed together with Trader Joe’s cilantro dressing because a. that dressing is elite, and b. summer is finally here in NYC and I’m not spending any more time indoors meal prepping than I have to.

As always, the below measurements in italics are just suggestions! I like to keep the ratio of protein and veggies higher than pasta because that’s what makes me feel good. Add more of what you like, less of what you don’t like- it’s the best part about cooking for yourself <3

ingredients:

• kale, 4 cups, chopped

• mini cucumbers, 4, diced

• corn, 2 cups (frozen/grilled/raw/whatever you like)

• red onion, 1/2, diced

• cilantro, leaves of one bunch, chopped

• high protein pasta, 1/2 box

• grilled or rotisserie chicken, (I used 2 lbs of chicken thighs), diced

• cotija cheese, 1/2 cup

• 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced

• cilantro dressing, 1/2 cup

• greek yogurt, mayo, or sour cream, 1/4 cup

• juice of one lime

• avocado, optional

steps:

1. cook pasta according to package

2. make dressing by whisking the dressing, greek yogurt, and lime juice together

3. toss everything together w dressing, add more salt if needed, and enjoy w avocado when ready to eatᵕ̈

hot tips:

• I recommend removing the seeds from cucumbers whenever meal prepping bc they contain a lot of water and tend to make your salad watery as it sits in the fridge.

• For pasta salads, I usually cook the pasta for the max amt of time on the package bc it helps the pasta not absorb all the dressing as it sits. (IYKYK)

• Adding the greek yogurt/mayo is totally optional and only if you’re like me and love a creamy mayo-based pasta salad.