Southwest Penne & Romaine Salad

Southwest Penne & Romaine Salad is a delicious side dish or hearty dinner recipe with loads of fresh vegetables, whole grain pasta, black beans, crunchy tortillas all tossed with an easy and healthy Greek yogurt salsa ranch dressing!

Penne Romaine Salad

This southwest romaine salad is part pasta salad, part lettuce salad, and the combination is great! I love adding some al dente pasta to a lettuce salad to add a nice bite. In combination with the crispy romaine lettuce, spicy salsa ranch dressing made with Greek yogurt, healthy vegetables and crunchy tortilla strips, this penne salad is is loaded with flavor and texture.

Easy Potluck Recipe

This Southwest Penne Romaine Salad makes a great addition to any potluck. It can be served as a side to sandwiches or meat or is hearty enough with the pasta to make a great lunch all on it’s own. It’s always nice to add a healthy recipe or two to a typical spread of hot dishes and desserts!

I am starting to plan ahead for my sister’s upcoming bachelorette party that I will be hosting later this month. We decided to camp out at a cabin for a weekend with all the girls and have lots of food, drink and fun. I thought this penne romaine salad would work great for one of the lunches, seeing it is hearty with plenty of protein from the chicken and black beans, but will still appeal to those wanting to eat a bit healthier.

It is a bit of a challenge to plan meals for a group of diverse girls, some of which I have never even met! When I cook for my family, I have a “take it or leave it” attitude, but in this instance, I am trying to be a bit more accommodating. 🙂

More healthy potluck recipes to share!

• Easy Guacamole Recipe
• Crock Pot Buffalo Turkey Meatballs
• Light Parmesan Ranch Pasta Saad
• Pink Pickled Deviled Eggs
• Fruit & Quinoa Salad

Print Recipe

4.84 from 6 votes

Southwest Penne & Romaine Salad

Southwest Penne & Romaine Salad is a delicious side dish or hearty dinner recipe with loads of fresh vegetables, whole grain pasta, black beans, crunchy tortillas all tossed with an easy Greek yogurt salsa ranch dressing!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Cuisine: Southwest

Keyword: chicken salad, pasta salad with romaine lettuce, penne salad, romaine lettuce salad, romaine salad

Servings: 6

Calories: 258kcal

Author: Danielle | Krafted Koch

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 c. whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 c. romaine lettuce chopped
• 1/2 c. cilantro chopped
• 1/2 c. black beans rinsed
• 1 1/2 c. tomatoes chopped
• 1 c. cooked chicken cubed
• 1 c. green onions diced
• 1 c. tortilla strips

Dressing

• 3/4 c. plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 c. salsa
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. ranch seasoning

Instructions

• Cook pasta in salted water according to directions until al dente. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking process and toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
  
• Add the pasta to a large bowl along with the cilantro, black beans, tomatoes, chicken and green onions.
  
• In a small bowl mix the yogurt, salsa and ranch. Pour the salsa ranch over the pasta and chicken mixture and mix well.
• Add the romaine lettuce to the bowl and fold gently so everything is coated evenly.
• Top with tortilla strips and serve immediately.

Notes

Sweet corn or jalapenos would make great additions as well!

Nutrition

Serving: 6Servings | Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 501mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g