This creamy pasta salad with chicken, vegetables and a surprisingly healthy dressing is a delicious meal in itself. Perfect as a quick and easy lunch or dinner, it is also ideal for entertaining, picnic, potluck or even lunchbox, it is kid-friendly too. You can never go wrong with such a simple yet delicious dish.
This easy pasta salad with a creamy mint yogurt dressing tastes as amazing as it looks, with its different colors, flavors and nutrients. A healthy pasta salad that looks and tastes creamy (without actual cream in it) is the best and most delicious way to make kids (and grownups) eat their veggies.
Ingredients for chicken pasta salad
Pasta: Fusilli or farfalle are best suited for a pasta salad, especially one with a creamy dressing as the dressing clings on to the grooves and curves of the pasta, making it very flavorful. Like the fusilli in veggie pasta salad with balsamic vinaigrette.
Dressing: This 5-minute easy dressing gives a characteristic creamy flavor to the pasta salad. It is made of basic ingredients- yogurt, mint, almonds, chilies, garlic, lemon juice and pink salt.
Chicken: Chicken breasts are marinated with spices, pan-seared and diced.
Want a hands-free, no-mess recipe for cooking chicken breasts? Try the juicy oven-baked chicken breasts.
Vegetables: Salad vegetables like bell peppers, celery, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, onions and carrots can be used.
How to make creamy pasta salad
(Full printable recipe card at the end of post.)
Cook the pasta al dente, drain and rinse in cold water.
While the pasta cooks, prep the vegetables and rest of the ingredients.
Cook the chicken: Marinate the chicken with chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, lemon juice and salt. Pan-fry the marinated chicken breasts in oil. Chop them into bite-sized cubes.
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Make the dressing: Blend all ingredients in a food processor.
ingredients for creamy dressing for pasta salad 
Toss the chicken, vegetables and pasta together. Add the mint yogurt dressing and toss well. Garnish with green onions. Serve this salad immediately or chill and serve later.
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FAQ
Do you rinse pasta for a cold pasta salad?
Yes, rinsing helps cool down the pasta so it stops cooking. It also keeps the pasta from sticking together, since rinsing removes the starch that’s clinging onto the pasta.
How do you keep pasta salad moist?
The mint yogurt dressing retains moisture naturally so it keeps the pasta salad juicy and creamy. You don’t even require oil for this dressing.
How do I make pasta taste better?
The dressing makes all the difference in a pasta salad. Yogurt, mint and garlic are a great combination with pasta and chicken and they come together as a yummy salad.
Bonus tip: The salad dressing tastes even better if you roast the garlic and almonds. Dry-roast in a pan on low flame for 5 minutes and cool before blending.
Please let me know how this recipe turned out for you. I would love to hear from you!
If you love simple salads, you may also like:
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Thank you and happy cooking!
– Sheeba.
Easy creamy pasta salad with chicken
Ingredients
Pasta salad dressing
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup mint leaves tightly packed
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1 or 2 green chilies jalapeno or serrano
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt Himalayan pink or regular (note 1)
Chicken
- 3 chicken breasts about 150 grams/5 oz each
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for searing
Pasta salad
- 1 cup uncooked pasta farfalle or fusilli, preferably
- 1/2 cup bell peppers thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup celery chopped
- 1/4 cup cucumber thinly sliced into half-moons
- 3 tablespoons green onions for garnish
Instructions
Cook pasta
- Cook pasta al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Cook chicken
- While the pasta is cooking, prep the chicken and vegetables. Mix chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, lemon juice and salt. Rub the chicken with the spice mix.
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan and sear the chicken breasts on medium-high heat. Cook covered for 3 to 4 minutes on one side, flip and cook the other side for 3 minutes. (note 2)
- Remove from heat and let it cool. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
Pasta salad
- Mix the vegetables, chicken and pasta in a large salad bowl. Drizzle half of the yogurt dressing and toss everything together. Add the remaining dressing and toss again. Garnish with green onions. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled. (note 3)
Video
Notes
- Himalayan pink salt gives better flavor to salads (see: lentil salad with turmeric, veggie pasta salad). You can substitute with regular salt if unavailable.
- Cooking the chicken covered will let the chicken “sweat” and makes it tender and juicy. You can also cook chicken using the juicy baked chicken breast recipe.
- Make-ahead option: This pasta salad doesn’t keep well. You can leave it in the refrigerator overnight, not any longer. It is not suitable for freezing, either.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume it the next day.
- Vegetarian option: Substitute the chicken with a tofu stir-fry like the chilli garlic tofu scramble or boiled eggs.
More pasta recipes you might like
More chicken recipes
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Wonderful idea to serve pasta salad with mint-yoghurt sauce. It looks absolutely delicious.
Thanks, glad you liked it!!
this looks soooooooo good
Thank you!!
This is my kind of salad. Filling and so tasty #cookblogshare
Thank you, glad you liked it! It disappears in no time whenever I make it.
This sounds delicious, I’m especially attracted to that dressing!
Thanks, Chloe! My whole family is addicted to this dressing!
Good day.
Thank you for the amazing recepies. I am diabetic and a little picky. For example I cannot for the life of me get yoghurt into my mouth, I despise it 100000%. What can I use in place of the yoghurt?
Hi Anna Marie, thanks for stopping by.
You can replace yogurt with cashew cream. Soak cashews in hot water for 15 minutes and blend into a smooth paste. This is an equally delicious and healthy alternative to yogurt.
Nice recipe. I used ready-made roast chicken, shredded. It neede d an element of sweetness though so i added dried cranberries. Next time I would add some cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes and pineapple chunks.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Dianne! I love to add dried fruits to my salads, too. Pineapple and chicken also make a great combo!