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Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad tastes like spring and summer!  It's bursting with strawberries, feta cheese, and a sweet and tangy poppy seed dressing.  

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

It's finally starting to feel like spring (it's a high of 68 here today!!) which has me craving all of the spring flavors.

One of my favorite spring salads is a strawberry poppy seed salad.  It's fresh, sweet, a little salty, and just pretty to look at!  I decided to turn it into a more hearty dish with pasta salad and perfectly juicy grilled chicken.

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

This Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad was a hit with the fam!  Marc was raving about how good the grilled chicken was and the flavors from the pasta salad, and my boys were excited to have fruit in their dinner...ha!

While this pasta was delicious as a lighter spring/summer dinner, I think it'd be a wonderful potluck dish, also.  You could omit the grilled chicken (or not!) to make it for a potluck gathering - who can pass up a pasta salad?!

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

The dressing in this Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad is so bright and delicious.  The dressing is a combination of olive oil, plain Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, fresh orange juice, sugar, dijon mustard, and poppy seeds.  It's not overly sweet and has just the right amount of tang from the apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard.  I also loved the flavor from the orange juice!

To finish it off, I added crunchy almonds and tangy feta cheese - this pasta salad is delightful and delicious!

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

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Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Poppy Seed Pasta Salad tastes like spring and summer!  It's bursting with strawberries, feta cheese, and a sweet and tangy poppy seed dressing.  
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 main dish servings or 8 side dish servings
Calories: 541kcal

Ingredients

For the grilled chicken:

  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

For the dressing:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • juice from 1 orange
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the pasta salad:

  • ~8 ounces miniature farfalle pasta regular size will work, too
  • 2 cups strawberries sliced
  • ½ red onion sliced
  • 2 cups chopped baby spinach
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and salt.
  • Place chicken breasts and marinade in a tupperware container, and let chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
  • Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
  • Cook chicken breasts for 4-6 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. I always recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is fully cooked, as varying sizes/thickness of chicken will affect cooking time.
  • Make the poppy seed dressing by combining all ingredients in a bowl or mason jar and whisking well to combine.
  • Combine cooked pasta, strawberries, red onion, baby spinach, almonds, feta cheese, and dressing.
  • Toss well and serve topped with sliced grilled chicken.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

It is recommended to make the poppy seed dressing and cook the pasta prior to cooking the chicken, so it is ready for you to place the warm grilled chicken on top of once it is cooked. You could do this while the chicken is marinating!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 811mg | Potassium: 595mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1582IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @greensnchocolate to let me know!
Need more ideas?Find all of my recipe pins @greenschocolate

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