Easy Strawberry Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad
A bright and hearty pasta salad tossed with juicy strawberries, tender chicken, baby spinach, feta, and a balsamic–poppy seed dressing. Perfect for picnics, lunches, or quick weeknight dinners.
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Servings:
Calories: 120kcal
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 12 oz rotini pasta, dry
- 10 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped grilled or rotisserie
- 2 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
- 4 cup baby spinach
- 0.75 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 0.5 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 0.5 cup sliced almonds toasted, optional
- 0.25 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for dressing
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar for dressing
- 1.5 tbsp honey for dressing
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard for dressing
- 1 tsp poppy seeds for dressing
- 0.5 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini until al dente according to package directions. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water, and shake dry.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- Add the cooled pasta to a large bowl. Add chicken, strawberries, spinach, feta, red onion, almonds, and basil.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- For best flavor, chill for 20 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra basil and almonds if desired.
Notes
Make it ahead up to 1 day. Toss with half the dressing, then add the rest just before serving. Swap feta with goat cheese, and almonds with pecans if you like.