Chicken, Pasta and Broccoli Salad with Garlic Dressing Recipe
A hearty salad with pasta, pieces of chicken, and lightly crunchy broccoli in a creamy garlic dressing. In American homes, salads like this are often made from dinner leftovers: cooked pasta, roast chicken, and vegetables from the fridge. It tastes a bit like pasta with sauce, just in a cold version with more vegetables.
This salad turns simple ingredients into a complete meal: protein from the chicken, carbs from the pasta, and plenty of vegetables, all bound together with a light, garlicky dressing.
Chef's tips
Make sure all the warm ingredients cool completely before mixing the salad, so the dressing stays creamy and doesn’t separate. Short pasta shapes like fusilli or penne work best because they hold the dressing well.
How to serve
Serve in a large bowl sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and, if you like, chopped fresh parsley or chives. It’s ideal for buffets, potlucks, or as a packed lunch.
Ingredients
- pasta - 250 g
- chicken breast - 300 g
- broccoli small - 1 piece
- bell pepper - 0.5 piece
- corn - 100 g
- natural yogurt - 150 g
- mayonnaise - 2 tablespoon
- garlic - 1 piece
- lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
- vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon
- salt
- black pepper
Preparation
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the instructions on the package, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside to cool.
- Wash the broccoli and divide it into small florets. Bring a pot of water with a little salt to a boil, add the broccoli, and cook for 3–4 minutes, until bright green and slightly tender but still crunchy. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- Wash and pat dry the chicken breast, then cut it into cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the pieces are golden and cooked through. Set aside to cool.
- Wash the bell pepper, remove the core and seeds, and cut into cubes. Drain the corn in a sieve.
- In a bowl, mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic pressed through a garlic press, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Put the cooled pasta into a large bowl, then add the chicken, broccoli, bell pepper, and corn.
- Pour the garlic dressing into the bowl with the pasta and vegetables. Gently but thoroughly mix so that the dressing coats all the ingredients.
- Chill the salad in the fridge for at least 20–30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve cold.
Storage
Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. If it thickens, loosen it with a spoonful of yogurt before serving and adjust the seasoning.
I like to make this salad when I have leftover cooked chicken and pasta in the fridge. It’s very forgiving, so you can easily swap in whatever vegetables you have on hand.
