This light and refreshing chicken pasta salad with grapes is the perfect recipe to serve for a luncheon or shower. The zippy dressing, juicy grapes and crispy vegetables give the chicken salad extra crunch.
PREP TIME 20 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME 20 minutesminutes
YIELD 12servings
Ingredients
1(16 oz) bag of corkscrew pastaboiled and drained
1tablespoonolive oil
1rotisserie chicken or 4 cups cooked chickenshredded
2cupsred grapeshalved
2cupsfresh baby spinach
6stalks of celerychopped
1cupsnow peashalved
1/2seedless English cucumberpeeled and chopped
1(6 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
3green onionsminced
Salt and pepper to taste
1batch homemade poppy seed dressing or 1/2 cup prepared poppy seed dressing
Instructions
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. Add the cooked pasta to the largest mixing bowl you have and toss gently with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
Skin the rotisserie chicken and shred or cube the white meat. Add the cooked chicken to the pasta bowl.
Cut the grapes in half and add them to the mixing bowl. Roughly chop the baby spinach to make it easier to bite and add it to the bowl.
Cut the celery stalks in half lengthwise and then chop them. Cut the snow peas and half. Add the celery and snow peas to the bowl.
Peel the cucumber, cut it into quarters lengthwise, and then chop. Add it to the bowl.
Drain the artichokes and chop them in quarters. Add them to the bowl.
Mince the green onions and add them to the bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over the top. Drizzle in the salad dressing and use a pair of large cooking spoons or your clean hands to gently toss all the ingredients together.
Chill until ready to serve. The salad tastes best once it has sat and marinated for a couple of hours.