Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes
This refreshing chicken pasta salad with grapes is loaded with crispy veggies like celery, cucumbers, snow peas, artichokes, and fresh baby spinach. A zippy poppy seed dressing and perfect al dente pasta taste amazing served cold.
This amazing chicken pasta salad with grapes is the perfect party recipe because it tastes even better when you make it the day before and let it marinate in the fridge overnight.
It makes a large batch that is perfect for serving to a baby shower or bridal shower or ladies luncheon, but I've been known to make it myself for easy lunches all week long.
Loaded with crispy fresh veggies and just the right amount of chicken and pasta, this is a lighter and more refreshing recipe than most pasta salads out there. It is heavier on the "salad" than the pasta.
Serve this chicken pasta salad cold alongside platters of croissants, muffins, or scones for an easy brunch menu.
Don't miss more great tips on how to host a brunch here.
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Tastes Better When Made Ahead: Prep this ahead of time and it tastes better and better for up to 4 days.
- Fresh and Juicy: The combination of crisp veggies and juicy grapes pair perfectly with tender chicken and pasta.
- Refreshing and Light: This is the perfect make-ahead summer lunch on a hot day.
Timeline Overview
If you're planning to make this pasta salad for a party, here's an overview of the time it will take for prepping everything ahead for easy serving:
- Prep the dressing: 5 minutes (or just use store-bought dressing for 0 minutes)
- Prep the vegetables, grapes, and chicken: about 20 minutes
- Cook the pasta: 20 minutes (includes time for the water to boil)
- Assemble the salad: about 5 minutes
- Chill ahead: Plan for 2 hours but this whole recipe can be made a couple days in advance and it will taste even better
Ingredient Notes
You will love the wholesome ingredients in this delicious chicken pasta salad.
If you haven't used some of these items before, here's what to look for:
- Cooked Chicken: I use a rotisserie chicken to keep it easy. You could also use my cubed chicken for salads.
- Pasta: The recipe calls for corkscrew pasta which is super easy to fork in a pasta salad like this. You could substitute penne or bowties if you prefer.
- Grapes: Seedless red grapes taste the best but if you had to, green grapes would work.
- Baby Spinach: I usually just grab a bag of baby spinach in the salad section of my grocery store. If you can't find spinach, arugula would be a delicious substitute.
- Celery: You can buy a regular bunch of celery or a package of celery hearts.
- Snow Peas: These are the somewhat flat pea pods in the produce section, the kind you might see in a stir fry recipe, not the bag of frozen peas in the freezer section. If you can't find snow peas, sugar snap pea pods would be a good substitution.
- Cucumber: An English cucumber (or hot house cucumber) does not have seeds and is perfect for this recipe. I still recommend peeling it before chopping it. You can learn how to store cucumbers here.
- Marinated Artichokes: You can usually find a jar of marinated artichokes in the pickled peppers and condiments section of your grocery store.
- Green Onions: Use both the green and white parts of the onion stalk in this recipe.
- Poppy Seed Dressing: I've got my homemade recipe coming soon, but you could also use prepared poppy seed dressing from the grocery store.
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Cook the Pasta
The most important part of making a pasta salad is cooking the pasta so that it holds up well to the dressing and chill time.
Once the pasta absorbs the dressing, it will become even softer than when it was first cooked. I can't stand mushy noodles so I avoid this at all costs!
I always choose the shortest amount of time listed on the package directions when I boil my pasta for pasta salad.
If I am prepping the pasta salad the day before, sometimes I even cook it for one minute less than the package suggests since there is so much liquid from the grapes, fresh vegetables, chicken, and dressing for the pasta to absorb.
Once you drain the pasta, be sure to rinse it in cold water to stop the cooking.
Place it in a large mixing bow to cool while you prep all the veggies.
Prep the Veggies
Set out your largest mixing bowl, this recipe makes a big batch. Add the prepped veggies to the bowl as you work.
I like to chop the baby spinach into smaller chunks so it is easier to eat than the whole leaf.
Small dice the celery by trimming long, skinny pieces and then chopping them into small bits.
Slice the snow peas in half to make them easier to bite.
Drain the artichoke hearts from their marinade and then run your knife through them to make smaller bits.
Then also be sure to slice the grapes in half.
Prepare the Dressing
You could use store bought poppy seed dressing for this recipe but I prefer my easy homemade red onion vinaigrette.
With fresh red onion, lemon juice, fresh parsley, and white wine vinegar, this easy homemade dressing adds the perfect bit of tangy onion flavor to the sweet salad. You can blend it up quickly while the pasta is cooking or even make it ahead.
You can get my red onion vinaigrette dressing recipe here.
Assemble the Pasta Salad
Assembling this large pasta salad can be a challenge if you don't have a large enough mixing bowl to hold everything with room to spare for tossing.
Sometimes I use my largest stock pot for the final assembly. This works great for storing in the fridge before a party, too. Then just pour the prepared salad into your pretty serving dish just before setting out for the party.
Pour the dressing over the prepared veggies and toss to coat.
Then add the completely cooled pasta and chopped chicken and gently fold them in.
You want to stir the pasta and chicken as little as possible to coat in dressing so that they don't break apart as you stir.
Make Ahead Tips
This is the perfect make ahead recipe. You can assemble the entire thing the day before and it will taste even better once it has had time to marinate in the fridge.
Keep the pasta salad in an airtight container or cover the salad bowl with plastic wrap.
You will definitely want to reserve a little more salad dressing for drizzling over the top before serving. The pasta will absorb a lot of liquid as it sits overnight.
Give the salad a good toss and then drizzle just a bit more dressing as needed to rehydrate the salad so it looks fresh.
Serving Suggestions
Whether you make the chicken pasta salad with grapes the day before your party or assemble it the morning of, you'll definitely want it to chill for at least 2 hours to let the flavors mingle before serving.
It tastes amazing cold but can also be served at room temperature since the salad dressing doesn't have any dairy. Just watch how long it is out because you don't want the chicken to spoil.
For an easy brunch or lunch menu, this chicken salad has everything you need in one big bowl -- chicken, pasta, vegetables, and fruit.
The best sides to serve with it would be some simple baked breads or small rolls like my sweet peach scones, my easy herb butter biscuits, or a basket of crescent dinner rolls.
My almond poppy seed bread would pair really well with the poppy seed dressing on the salad, too.
More Easy Pasta Salads
Make-ahead pasta salads are a perfect potluck party dish to bring. Here are a few more of my favorite recipes:
📖 Recipe
Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz) package of corkscrew pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 rotisserie chicken or 4 cups cooked chicken shredded or diced
- 2 cups red grapes halved
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach chopped
- 6 stalks of celery diced
- 1 cup snow peas halved
- 1/2 seedless English cucumber peeled and chopped
- 1 (6 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts drained and quartered
- 3 green onions minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup prepared poppy seed dressing store bought or homemade, see notes
Instructions Start Cooking
Cook the Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta for the lowest time listed on the package. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.
- Add the cooked pasta to the largest mixing bowl you have and toss gently with 1 tablespoon olive oil so the noodles don't stick. Set aside.
Prep the Salad:
- Skin the rotisserie chicken and shred or cube the white meat. Add the cooked chicken to the pasta bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, add the remaining ingredients as you prep them. Add the halved grapes, chopped baby spinach, diced celery, halved snow peas, chopped cucumber, and quartered artichoke hearts. Sprinkle the minced green onions over the top. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Pour the salad dressing over the bowl of vegetables and gently toss to coat.
- Finally, combine the pasta, chicken, and vegetables. It may work best to stir them together in a very large stock pot if your mixing bowl doesn't have enough room. Fold the pasta and chicken into the dressed vegetables gently so you don't break up the pieces.
- Chill until ready to serve, at least 2 hours. The salad will continue to taste better as it chills for the first 24 hours but can be kept in a covered dish in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Recipe Notes
Dressing Alternative
Store bought dressing works just fine, but homemade red onion vinaigrette makes this dish taste even better. It only takes an extra 5 minutes and can be be prepared in advance to save you even more time.Save This Recipe to Your Recipe Box
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This is my most favorite pasta salad EVER.