Southwest Black Bean Pasta Salad for Toddlers
Need a fun lunch idea for toddlers that's both nourishing and kid-approved? This Southwest Black Bean Pasta Salad is an easy toddler lunch you can make ahead for daycare, meal prep, or quick weekday lunches. The best part? No reheating required.
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"This is such a unique take on pasta salad. We usually stick to creamy recipes so this was a fresh change!" - SS
Easy? Check.
Budget-friendly? Check.
Nutritious? Check.
Baby, toddler, and mom approved? Double-check.
Preparing lunches day after day can start to feel repetitive, especially when you're trying to find easy toddler lunch ideas that are both nourishing and practical. So if your looking for more delicious lunchbox ideas? Bookmark these Mix and Match Pizza Buns for another make-ahead favourite, our Cold Noodle Salad for even more cold lunch ideas, or finish the meal with our Peanut Butter Jam Bars for a satisfying snack that travels well. Together, these recipes make packing lunches easier and help keep variety on the menu all week long. Not just for your little people, but also for you. These are the recipes we love day in and day out in our homes.
The southwest-inspired flavours are mild enough for toddlers, but this recipe is also incredibly easy to adapt. Add or swap vegetables, adjust the seasonings, or toss in your child's favourite cheese to make it work for your family.
Recipe Overview: Southwest Black Bean Pasta Salad
🕒 Less than 10 min cook time
🥕 Exposes your child to cold dishes
🔄 Easily customizable - use what veggies you have on hand
🍅 Introduces your child to mild flavours and spice
👶 Baby friendly from 6 months+ with modifications
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- Recipe Overview: Southwest Black Bean Pasta Salad
- Key ingredients
- Allergen information & substitutions
- How to make this southwest black bean pasta salad
- How to serve this pasta salad at each baby & toddler stage
- Southwest black bean pasta salad FAQ
- Play + books that match this recipe
- Other recommended pasta recipes
- Southwest Pasta Salad
Key ingredients
Pasta
Use any pasta shape that you'd like--for this recipe we're using rotini but fusilli, penne or farfalle would be lovely too. If you're not sure what pasta is best for your baby, we've dedicated an entire blog post to that!
Honey or Maple Syrup
If you're offering this recipe to a baby then you're going to want to omit the honey and maple syrup. First, honey can be dangerous for children under 12 months, plus, it's a source of added sugar which isn't recommended for babies. After 12 months, feel free to use either option since it's a part of the dressing.
Black Beans
We opted to use canned black beans for this recipe. Just make sure you give them a good rinse to remove excess sodium. However, if you prefer to cook a batch of beans in your electric pressure cooker, feel free to do that!
Cherry tomatoes
Slice juicy cherry tomatoes in halves or quarters depending on your child's ability. Cherry tomatoes, when whole, can be high risk for choking.
Corn
Our preference is to use canned corn for this recipe since they tend to be juicy and ripe!
Allergen information & substitutions
The primary allergen in this recipe is wheat, since most pasta is typically wheat based. If your child has an allergy to wheat, use an alternative option since there are many great options on the market now!
For the most recent step-by-step recommendations for introducing food allergens to infants, visit our video lesson in Start Solids Confidently, your go-to resource for feeding babies.
How to make this southwest black bean pasta salad
The full recipe is below, but here are a few key steps to visualize the process.
Step #1: Cook pasta according to the instructions on the box. Once cooled, add to a large salad bowl.
Step #2: Rinse black beans, and add to pasta.
Step #3: Add in remaining ingredients. You can add in any additional proteins at this step such as cooked chicken.
Step #4: Add in cilantro and dressing. Toss to combine.
How to serve this pasta salad at each baby & toddler stage
6-9 months: When serving this dish to young babies be sure to make the following modifications - this is a full out baby led weaning experience!
- Omit the honey and salt in the dressing- see this blog post for more on babies and sugar and this one for more on making family meals baby-friendly. Here's more changes to make:
- Preload squished beans onto a spoon or fork
- Offer thinly sliced peppers in finger-sized strips and cook until they are soft. Another idea is to offer jarred roasted red peppers!
- Instead of cherry tomatoes, offer a ripe tomato sliced into large wedges
- Serve your baby larger pieces of pasta, our favourite is rotini
9-12 months+: By this stage, your baby is likely working on their pincer grasp which means they can pick up tiny pieces of food with their fingers. You can serve this pasta salad mostly as is, but skip the corn and honey/maple syrup and salt from the dressing. For the other items, just make sure they are sliced in small pieces!
For the rest of the family: Follow the recipe exactly as suggested. You're welcome to add any additional spices or ingredients like jalapenos, spicy cheese, or cooked chicken!
Southwest black bean pasta salad FAQ
You can easily make this toddler lunch recipe gluten free by swapping the pasta for a gluten free version. We're into chickpea pasta as it has more iron, fibre, and protein than others, but rice, quinoa, and corn-based pasta will also do the trick.
While it's good to be aware that various pastas offer different nutrient profiles (i.e., whole wheat has more fibre and often more protein), the type of pasta you buy is up to you - buy what you like, have access to, and what respects your budget.
In terms of shape, rotini, fusilli, penne, or macaroni will do but here's the full read on exactly what shape might be ideal for your child.
We're always looking for baby ad toddler lunch ideas that will last us more than one meal and this recipe fits that bill - it lasts well in the fridge for 3 days! Store in an airtight container.
This recipe -as written- is yummy but we're also into these add-ins to switch things up depending on what's in our kitchen:
- Shredded cooked chicken
- Cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
- Avocado (add right before serving)
- Red onion
- Finely diced jalapenos
For starters, this pasta salad includes all four building blocks we look for in healthy lunch options for toddlers:
Fat (canola oil) - Supports your little one's growing brain, PLUS helps keep them fuller longer.
Fibre (black beans, corn, peppers, tomatoes, whole wheat pasta) - Stabilizes blood sugars, prevents constipation, and helps with fullness too.
Protein (black beans) - Needed for growth and development daily. Both animal and plant-based sources are great.
Produce (tomatoes, peppers) - Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants galore!
Play + books that match this recipe
When kids get the chance to interact with "food " during playtime or read food related books, they become more comfortable with the food, and are more likely to want to eat it at mealtimes! Here are some options to include pasta during play and story time.
Other recommended pasta recipes
If you tried this Southwest Black Bean Pasta Salad recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Southwest Pasta Salad
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ lb rotini pasta
- 1 cup black beans canned (drained and rinsed)
- ½ cup tomatoes diced
- ½ cup red orange, or yellow pepper, diced
- ½ cup corn canned or frozen * see note
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped finely
Dressing
- 3 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 tablespoon lime juice preferably fresh
- ½ tablespoon honey or maple syrup **see note below
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the directions of the box.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.
- Pour the dressing ingredients over the salad. Toss to combine.
- Cover and chill for one hour prior to serving.
Notes
- Feel free to add more herbs and spices if you and your child enjoy flavour. As is, this recipe is mild.
- Other add ins:
- Shredded chicken
- Cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
- Avocado (add right before serving)
- Red onion
- Finely diced jalapeños (for those that enjoy some spice!)
I'll have to try this, my toddler loves pasta salad. Maybe next week though, he's had cold leftover pasta for every meal today. :'D
Sweet! It's good to switch it up early so that our kids can get used to the idea that pasta can be eaten cold as well as hot.
My kids seem to think pasta = hot dish so we are still "warming" up to this recipe. We like to keep everything separate and they build their own bowls.
Great way to make it in a way that all family members can find something that is acceptable to them!
This is so colorful! Yum.
Yes and it's great for fun outdoor meals and picnics.
This is such a unique take on pasta salad. We usually stick to creamy recipes so this was a fresh change!
I'm a sucker for a pasta salad and love that his one is easily modifiable for babies!