Chicken Pasta Salad

This Chicken Pasta Salad with avocado, tomato, and basil is loaded with protein and packed with so much flavor. It’s a quick weeknight dinner recipe to serve your family, ideal to take to parties and picnics, and perfect for meal prepping.

I boil the chicken breasts in a pot with chicken broth, garlic salt, and pepper for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. You can also grill chicken for this salad, just make sure to grill chicken breasts or pan-sear on medium-low heat, so chicken doesn’t burn while undercooked in the inside. If you don’t have time to cook the chicken, store bought rotisserie chicken works well.

In a second pot, I cook the rotini pasta. I like a classic rotini pasta salad, because rotini holds the dressing pretty well, but any sturdy pasta will work. Avoid spaghetti and long pastas such as tagliatelle. Rotini, bow tie, penne, and macaroni are all good alternatives for this chicken pasta salad recipe.

Once the chicken is finished, remove from pot and shred or chop.

When pasta is done strain and set aside to cool.

While pasta is cooling, chop up all ingredients and mix together ingredients for dressing.

Combine everything into a large bowl and mix.

Check out our video HERE.

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Chicken Pasta Salad


  • Author: Shamila Sobers
  • Total Time: 30
  • Yield: 6 1x

Description

This Chicken Pasta Salad is loaded with hearty, fresh ingredients making it a perfect option for any meal.  


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 medium cooked chicken breasts, shredded or chopped
  • 3 cup low sodium chicken stock
  • 2 ripe avocado pitted and diced
  • 1 pound cooked rotini pasta or similar
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion 
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup freshly chopped basil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Add chicken and chicken broth to a pot; add garlic salt and boil for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Once cooked, remove from pot and shred or chop chicken.
  2. Cook pasta as instructed on packaging, drain, and set aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, add the salad ingredients, the shredded chicken, avocado, onion, cherry tomatoes, and basil.
  4. In a jar, combine the ingredients for the dressing: Italian seasoning, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  5. Drizzle the dressing over your chicken pasta salad. Toss gently until all the ingredients are combined. Serve immediately, or chill for later. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Additional add-ins that go well with this salad would include chopped cucumber, crispy bacon, corn, olives…
  • To keep the avocado from turning brown, coat the avocado in either lemon juice or lime juice. It will act as an antioxidant.
  • You can make it up to a day in advance, leaving the avocado and tomato until you are ready to serve.
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 20

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June 15, 2021

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