Pasta Salad with Chicken and Broccoli in Yogurt Dressing Recipe
A hearty American-style pasta salad with chunks of chicken, crunchy broccoli, and a light yogurt-based dressing. In the US, salads like this often appear at picnics and potlucks, where everyone brings a dish to share. The flavor is creamy but not heavy, with gentle tang from the yogurt and crunch from the vegetables.
This is a twist on the popular American potluck and cookout pasta salads, but made with yogurt instead of a large amount of mayonnaise. That makes it closer in character to Polish everyday lunch salads, while still being sturdy enough to transport and to sit out on a buffet.
This salad is inspired by American potlucks – as filling as a main course but served cold, which makes it perfect for transporting and for sitting out on a buffet table. The creamy yogurt-and-mayonnaise dressing coats the pasta and chicken, while the broccoli, pepper and corn add crunch and color, creating a complete meal in one bowl. Thanks to the yogurt, it’s lighter than classic pasta salads made with only mayonnaise.
Why this version works
- Yogurt with a bit of mayonnaise gives a creamy but lighter dressing than all‑mayonnaise versions.
- Blanched broccoli and al dente pasta hold their shape, so the salad doesn’t turn into a mush.
- Pan‑fried rather than boiled chicken has more flavor and doesn’t water down the dressing.
- Dill and lemon cut through the richness of the dressing and brighten the whole dish.
Chef's tips
Cook the pasta only to a light al dente – if it’s too soft, it will quickly fall apart once mixed with the dressing and the salad will lose its texture. Don’t overcook the broccoli: after a short blanching, rinse it immediately with cold water so it keeps its bright color and pleasant bite. Always taste the salad after chilling, because the flavors mellow and you often need to boost the salt, pepper or lemon juice a little at that stage.
How to serve
This is a great option for a picnic in the park, a garden barbecue or a family lunch when you don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen – just add a slice of fresh bread and a simple tomato salad. It pairs well with lemon-and-mint lemonade or a lightly dry, chilled white wine if you’re serving it at a summer dinner on the balcony. It also works perfectly as a work lunch in a lunchbox – it’s filling but not heavy.
Watch out for
- Don’t mix hot pasta with the dressing – it will thin it out and the pasta will soak up too much, making the salad dry after chilling.
- Don’t overcook the broccoli; once it loses its bright green color and turns as soft as purée, it will start to fall apart in the salad.
Substitutions
- You can replace part of the yogurt with kefir if you like a tangier dressing.
- You can swap canned corn for frozen corn that has been briefly blanched and cooled.
- Chicken can easily be replaced with leftover roast turkey or diced cooked ham.
Ingredients
- pasta short, e.g. fusilli or farfalle - 250 g
- chicken breast cut into cubes - 250 g
- broccoli cut into small florets - 1 piece
- red bell pepper diced - 1 piece
- canned sweetcorn drained - 150 g
- plain yogurt thick - 200 g
- mayonnaise - 2 tablespoons
- lemon juice freshly squeezed - 1 tablespoon
- garlic pressed - 1 clove
- vegetable oil for frying the chicken - 1 tablespoon
- salt or to taste - 1 teaspoon
- black pepper freshly ground - 0.5 teaspoons
- dill chopped, optional - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Cook the pasta in heavily salted water for 1–2 minutes less than the package says, so it stays al dente and springy. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain very well and spread out in a thin layer on a large plate so it cools quickly and doesn’t stick together.
- Cut the broccoli into small, bite‑size florets. Drop into boiling, lightly salted water for 2–3 minutes, until it’s intensely green and slightly firm when pierced with a knife, not as soft as purée. Drain and immediately rinse with very cold water or transfer to a bowl of ice water.
- Dice the pepper finely, drain the corn very well and set aside so it doesn’t release more liquid. Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels, cut into small cubes, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper just before frying so it doesn’t release too much juice.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat until it just starts to shimmer. Add the chicken and fry for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the pieces are lightly browned and no longer pink inside; the juices running from the meat should be clear.
- Transfer the fried chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess fat and leave it to cool completely. The meat should be at room temperature before mixing with the yogurt so the dressing doesn’t split.
- In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, finely grated or pressed garlic, salt and pepper. The dressing should be smooth, slightly runny, distinctly tangy and a bit saltier than you like – the pasta will later mellow the flavor.
- Add the cooled pasta, chicken, broccoli, pepper and corn to the bowl with the dressing. Gently but thoroughly fold with a spatula from the bottom up until everything is evenly coated in a thin layer of dressing, with no dry pieces of pasta.
- Add the finely chopped dill and mix again. Taste the salad – at this stage it should be slightly lemony, well salted and garlicky, because the flavors will calm down after chilling; adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 20–30 minutes so the dressing thickens and the flavors meld. Before serving, stir again, check the consistency and, if needed, add a spoonful of yogurt or a little lemon juice and season with more salt.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I most often make this salad the day before a full-day trip out of town – I pack it in a large container, throw in some plastic forks and we have a ready-made meal to eat on a picnic blanket. I also like to use leftover grilled chicken from the weekend for it, so nothing goes to waste.
