Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad

5 from 1 vote

This Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad is a fresh mix of baby spinach, bowtie pasta, grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, and toasted almonds, all tossed in a zesty citrus vinaigrette. Light, flavorful, and so easy!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Dinner, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Healthy

Keyword: chicken spinach pasta salad

Servings: as a side

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $5.21

Equipment

Small blender or mini food processor

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups mini bowtie pasta or penne pasta, measured dry
6 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach stems removed
1 cup diced cooked chicken leftover marinated and grilled chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup sliced almonds see note 1 for toasting them

Dressing

2 clementine oranges
1 large lemon
1-1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard do not use yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

US - Metric

Instructions

Prepare pasta according to package directions. (Don’t cook all the pasta; only use 1-1/2 cups!) Generously salt the water (I add 1 teaspoon to every 4 cups water), or the whole salad will taste under-seasoned. Drain pasta, rinse under cold water, let cool, and allow to dry. Add to a large bowl.
Add the coarsely chopped spinach to the pasta and toss to combine. Add in chicken, tomatoes, feta, and toasted almonds (see note 1).
Zest and juice clementines to get 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tbsp juice. Zest and juice lemon to get 1/4 teaspoon zest and 1 tbsp juice. Combine all the dressing ingredients (except the oil) in a small blender or mini food processor. Blend until all ingredients are well incorporated. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream and pulse until just combined. Transfer to a mason jar and store in the fridge until ready to use. Shake vigorously before topping the salad.
Only dress what will get eaten immediately (see storage). When ready to eat, drizzle on the prepared dressing (add to preference; you may not want to add it all right away. I typically add most of it and a bit more to moisten the salad as it settles). Gently toss salad. Adjust any seasonings (salt and pepper) to taste and serve.

Notes

Note 1: To toast almonds, add them to a dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring every 15 seconds for 1–3 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Keep a close eye—they burn quickly!

Storage: This salad stores well as long as the almonds, feta cheese, and dressing aren’t mixed in. Store the salad separate from the extra toppings and add those ingredients right before serving.

Nutrition