Another day, another salad, as I like to say. My happy place is a bunch of good food all mixed together in a bowl with a yummy dressing or sauce. The BEST meal, if you asked me. This Creamy Chicken and Peas Pasta Salad is a dream child, born a little from what was available in the house and a little from visions in my mind. I put all the important elements in this one: creaminess, crunchy, fresh, vinegary…I’m a bit obsessed with vinegary flavors right now.
I like to think a lot about potluck salads. Not that I’m going to potlucks anytime soon or even have been in a while, but I still like to think of them. Here’s why. If a salad can sit around in the fridge, until you bring it out for a potluck, then it’s a good make-ahead salad. This is a good potluck salad, aka, make-ahead and forget about it.
I’m not only obsessed with vinegar, I’m also on a plant-protein kick and even though there’s chicken in this salad, peas are rockin it as a healthy plant-based protein. They have 8 grams of protein per cup and also 8 grams of fiber per cup, which is so good!
All About the Sauce
As always, it’s all about the sauce, or dressing, in this salad. It’s a creamy vinaigrette and it’s delish. It’s super creamy if you eat it immediately, but if you make this ahead, the dressing soaks into the pasta. Flavor on flavor—love it!
The Accompaniments
The other ingredients in this salad are not just to give a pop of color, but they are also to add just a bit more nutrition to every bite. I love the nutrition in carrots, although I don’t love eating plain carrots. So, I try to find a way to mix them in when I can. They give great crunch, so shredding them in this salad was perfect. Then it’s the roasted red peppers (not a ton of nutrition there, sorry, they are just yummy), and pine nuts for more protein.
How to Switch It Up
As in most recipes, they can be modified to fit what you have in your kitchen. Here are some ways to switch it up:
- Add feta…because it’s really good.
- Switch out the peas for edamame—great protein swap.
- Used roasted potatoes or tortellini instead of the pasta.
- Remove the sour cream and keep it dairy free, or use Greek yogurt.
Make it exactly as the recipe says, or change it up. Just make it and let me know how you like it.
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Creamy Chicken and Peas Pasta Salad
Ingredients
2 cups penne pasta (or any similar pasta)
2 cups roasted chicken, shredded (could use rotisserie chicken)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1 large carrot shredded
1/4 cup pine nuts
Dressing
1/3 cup sour cream (can you low fat or regular)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt (start with this and add more if you need it; if you use rotisserie chicken, it has salt in it)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
Boil pasta according to package directions.
Add cooked pasta and all salad ingredients to a large bowl.
Add all dressing ingredients to a jar with a lid and shake until it’s combined. Pour over salad.
Serve room temp or make a day in advance and serve cold.
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