Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad with Creamy Ranch Dressing

Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad with Creamy Ranch Dressing – An easy 15-minute pasta salad loaded with chicken, fresh tomato, crisp baby spinach and Parmesan goodness in a delicious ranch dressing. This chicken spinach pasta salad  is a definite crowd pleaser will be your new go-to pasta salad, and it’s also perfect for potlucks and summer get-togethers. Enjoy!

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Ingredients list for the Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad with Creamy Ranch Dressing

• 8 oz (220g) rotini pasta
• 1 lb (450g) cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach, rinsed
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped scallion
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

The ranch dressing

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
• 2 cloves garlic, grated (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Directions

1. To make the chicken spinach pasta salad: Cook pasta according to package direction. Drain and rinse with cold water, set aside.

2. In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the ingredients for the ranch dressing and mix/shake until combined.

3. In a large salad bowl, combine baby spinach, pasta, chicken, tomato, scallion, and red onion. Drizzle generously with the dressing and toss to coat.

4. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and serve the chicken spinach pasta salad immediately. Enjoy!

Tips for the chicken pasta salad

This chicken spinach pasta salad is healthy, perfect for busy nights, and makes a big enough batch so you can plan for work or school lunches.

• You can adjust consistency by adding more or less lemon juice and few drops of water to the dressing.
• The ranch dressing works also well as a dip for fresh veggies.
• Additional add-ins that go well with this salad would include chopped cucumber, crispy bacon, corn, olives, black beans…
• Being a cold chicken pasta salad makes it perfect for summer, picnics or potlucks. You can make it up to a day in advance, leaving the avocado and tomato until you are ready to serve the chicken pasta salad to keep the ingredients as fresh as possible.

Can I grill chicken instead of using pre-cooked chicken?

Yes, of course you can grill chicken for this salad. Make sure to grill chicken breasts or pan-sear on medium-low heat, so chicken doesn’t burn while undercooked in the inside. When out of fresh chicken, we like to use a bag of frozen grilled organic chicken breasts that we heat up in a skillet and use for the salad.

What’s the Best Pasta for the Chicken Pasta Salad? 

We 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 spinach pasta salad recipe.

How to Store the Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad?

This chicken spinach pasta salad keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days if stored in an air-tight container. You may have to toss up the chicken pasta salad leftovers to redistribute the dressing before serving. If you want to make it ahead of time, prepare all ingredients and you’ll add them together at the very last minute.

More chicken salad recipes

• Healthy Avocado Chicken Salad
• Blackened Chicken and Avocado Salad
• Healthy Chicken Pasta Salad with Pesto, Avocado, and Tomato
• Roasted Chicken Parmesan Kale Salad

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com