Cilantro Avocado Pasta & Chicken Salad
Customizable and higher protein pasta salad.
Ethan ChlebowskiIngredients
Pasta salad components
- Dried macaroni noodles227 g1/2 lb
- chicken, cooked227 g1/2 lb
- Corn100 g
- Cherry tomatoes, quartered75 g
- Cilantro, minced30 g
- Hatch chiles, minced30 g
- Red Onions, diced1/2
- Avocados, diced1/2
Yogurt lime dressing
- Yogurt, non-fat, plain100 g
- Kewpie mayo20 g
- Lime juice1
- Salta spoonful
- Cayenne Peppera spoonful
- Garlic Powdera sprinkle
- MSGa sprinkle
Method
Step 1: Prep the pasta & the chicken
Add your pasta to a pot of , salted water. Overcook the pasta by 3 or 4 minutes more than the package instructions indicate. This way, the pasta will have the perfect chewiness in the salad, instead of hardening when it cools down.
After the pasta is cooked, drain it and spread it out on a baking sheet to cool.
Take your cooked chicken (whether poached, baked, or grilled) and dice it into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2: Prepare the vegetables & the dressing
or grill your corn, then slice the kernels off. Slice your onion, quarter the cherry tomatoes, cube the avocado, and mince the cilantro and hatch chilies.
For the dressing, add the yogurt, mayo, lime juice, cayenne, garlic powder, and MSG to a container and mix until combined. Give it a taste and adjust as needed.
Step 3: Assemble & serve
In a large bowl or container, combine the cooked pasta, chicken, vegetables, and dressing until everything is well coated. Add the dressing to your preference. For best results, let the salad rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. It's even better if left overnight. Enjoy.
“This pasta salad adds in chicken and replaces the classic mayo dressing with a yogurt base for a higher-protein, lower-fat recipe. Experiment with the dressing, vegetables, and aromatics for different flavor profiles.”
Ethan ChlebowskiWatch & Cook
Nutritional Information
Show macros split into…
Recommended: 3 servings
FAQ
Are there other variations of this I could make?
Experiment with beans, tofu, sausage, or other proteins instead of chicken. You can alter the flavor profile by changing the dressing! For a salad, add more chilies, or use a curry powder dressing for an Indian-inspired twist. Almost any vegetable will work! Feel free to try anything else you have on hand!