Make summer meal prep easier with my protein pasta salad. It's got crunchy veggies, tons of protein, and a creamy ranch dressing to guarantee a satisfying salad you'll love.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: high protein, Make Ahead, meal prep, Pasta, salads
Servings: 5
Ingredients
For the salad:
8ozdry chickpea pastaor higher protein pasta of choice
1cupraw broccolichopped
1cupred bell pepperdiced
½cupcucumberdiced
¼cupnutritional yeastor parmesan cheese
1.5cupscoleslaw mix
For the chicken:
2chicken breasts425g
1tablespoonolive oil
¼teaspoongarlic powder
¼teaspoonpaprika
¼teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonblack pepper
For the dressing:
¾cupplain Greek yogurt
3tablespoonmayonnaiseoptional see note below
1tablespoondijon mustard
2tablespoonlemon juice
2tablespoonfresh dill
4tablespoonwater
1teaspoongarlic powder
1teaspoononion powder
½teaspoonsalt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Cook pasta according to the package instructions, until pasta is cooked to al-dente. Once cooked, drain pasta and set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
Coat the chicken in oil and rub with spices. Place chicken in a large glass dish and bake for 18-22 minutes until it is completely cooked through but not dry. Allow to cool slightly then shred with a stand mixer on high, with two forks, or by hand.
In a large salad bowl, add the cooked pasta, chicken, broccoli, red peppers, cucumber, nutritional yeast and coleslaw mix. Pour the dressing over top, toss well to coat. Garnish with more spices or parmesan cheese to taste and enjoy!
Notes
Mayonnaise:as with all of my salads mayonnaise can 100% be substituted with additional yogurt. I typically like to include a bit of mayonnaise for a less bitter, creamier consistency and taste, however feel free to experiment and use any ratio of yogurt: mayonnaise you like!*I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
Did you know....rating and sharing recipes is one of the best ways you can support your favourite food bloggers? If you make this recipe, I would love if you clicked the stars below to leave a rating and/or sharing a photo on social media by tagging @nourishedbynic or using the hashtag #nourishedbynic!