Servings: 10 cups 1x
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 6 ounces regular or gluten-free pasta of choice, cooked according to package directions and cooled (see notes)
- 2 cups loose-packed baby spinach leaves
- 2 cups cooked and diced chicken or shredded chicken
- 1½ cups fresh berries of choice (if using strawberries, slice them)
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- ⅓ cup sliced toasted almonds**
- ¼ cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
- 2 green onions, ends trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
For the Dressing:
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise*
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (½ of a large lemon)
- 2 tablespoons pure honey
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Then rinse under cold water to cool. (Note: The pasta can be cooked and cooled up to 2 days ahead of time.)
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, vinegar, lemon, honey, olive oil, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the salad ingredients: the cooked pasta, the spinach, cooked chicken, berries, red onion, almonds, cranberries, green onions, and basil.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to combine.
- Garnish with additional fresh basil if desired.
- Serve right away or refrigerate until ready to serve, tossing gently just before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
For standard pasta, I like all shapes of this high-fiber, two-ingredient pasta.
For gluten free pasta, I like Jovial brown rice pasta (available in a variety of shapes).
*For egg free, use vegan mayo
**For nut free, omit the almonds or use sunflower seeds instead
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups
- Calories: 344
- Fat: 20 g
- (Sat Fat: 3 g)
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Carbohydrate: 30 g
- (Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 10 g)
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 26 mg