Strawberry Avocado Chicken Pasta Salad is loaded with spinach and arugula, strawberries, avocado, tender pasta noodles, chopped nuts, and a creamy balsamic dressing. This fresh Spring salad is the perfect dinner side or potluck dish!
It’s time for Spring salads around here! We just got back from being out of town for a week and as much as I adore eating out while we are traveling and trying new restaurants in whichever town we might be visiting, I came home craving fresh fruits, veggies, and greens so badly.
I’ve been wanting salads for every meal – yes even breakfast – so this salad today is in honor of my current salad obsession. It’s loaded with all the good stuff I promise!
How do you make pasta salad?
You can really put any favorite ingredients into a pasta salad. My favorite way to make pasta salad is to combine fresh greens, like spinach and arugula, with short pasta noodles like bowtie or spiral noodles. The fresh greens keep the pasta salad feeling light and fresh, rather than heavy, and it also makes the salad go farther which is perfect for serving a crowd.
After combining the greens and pasta, you can add protein such as cheese and shredded chicken or turkey, and any combination of fresh fruits or vegetables. Today I am putting strawberry and avocado together – I never get sick of that combination!
The last thing you’ll want to add to your pasta salad is a good dressing. This creamy balsamic dressing is the perfect combination of sweet and tangy and compliments the strawberries and avocados so well. I like to add chopped nuts for a bit of crunch and that’s all you need for a perfect pasta salad!
This Strawberry Avocado Chicken Pasta Salad has spinach and balsamic dressing for tons of flavor and perfect texture, and comes together in about 20 minutes when you use shredded rotisserie chicken (my favorite tip for cutting out prep time!). This is so easy to throw together and makes a great side dish or potluck salad!
Strawberry Avocado Chicken Pasta Salad
-
6
cups
fresh baby spinach -
1/2
cup
arugula -
1-2
cups
shredded cooked chicken
rotisserie chicken works well -
2
cups
cooked bowtie pasta -
1
cup
sliced strawberries -
2
avocados
sliced -
1/3
cup
crumbled blue, feta, or goat cheese -
1/2
cup
chopped pecans or walnuts
Creamy Balsamic Dressing
-
1/3
cup
balsamic vinegar -
1/4
cup
olive oil -
1
teaspoon
minced garlic -
1/2
teaspoon
dried Italian seasoning blend - salt and pepper to taste
-
2
tablespoons
honey -
1/3
cup
plain fat free Greek yogurt -
1
teaspoon
dijon mustard (optional)
Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, cover, and shake well until all ingredients are incorporated and creamy.
In a large bowl combine spinach, arugula, shredded chicken, avocado, pasta, strawberries, crumbled cheese, and chopped nuts. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
To prepare in advance, reserve dressing until ready to serve, then pour over salad and toss immediately before serving.
