If you're anything like me, then springtime is synonymous with pasta salad season. Which means that this Spring Veggie & Chicken Pasta Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing is the perfect recipe for you! This pasta salad is loaded with tender, juicy chicken breast, perfectly cooked veggies, and is topped off with a creamy lemon-tahini dressing that is so good, you could drink it. This recipe was developed in collaboration with my good friend, Caroline Chambers, and is one that the whole family is sure to love!
Ingredients
For the Lemon-Tahini Dressing:
- ⅓ Cup Olive Oil
- ¼ Cup Tahini
- ¼ Cup Water
- 1 Lemon juiced and zested
- 1 Small Shallot
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Teaspoons Maple Syrup
- 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- Sea Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
For the Pasta Salad:
- ¾ Pound Asparagus
- 1 Cup Green Peas fresh or frozen
- 1 Pound Pasta I like rotini, but any pasta works well
- 1 Can Chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 4 Green Onions finely sliced
- 6 Radishes finely sliced into half-moons
- ½ Cup Flat Leaf Parsley chopped
- ½ Cup Fresh Dill chopped
- ½ Cup Feta Cheese crumbled
- 1 Pound Chicken Breast cubed
Instructions
- To make this pasta salad, start by preparing the dressing. Add all of the dressing ingredients (the olive oil, tahini, water, lemon juice, lemon zest, shallot, garlic, maple syrup, dijon mustard, sea salt, and ground black pepper) to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. If the mixture ends up being a bit thick (which is common in tahini-based sauces), just add in water, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency .
- Next, prepare the chicken. Cube the chicken breasts into tiny bite sized pieces and add to a bowl alongside 1/4 of the Lemon-Tahini dressing.
- Heat a cast iron skillet, on the stove, Once the pan is hot, add the chicken to the pan and cook it until it's cooked through. Since chicken breast is on the drier side, once it is done cooking, let meat rest for a bit.
- Then, take a fork and break it down or mash it into smaller pieces, in order for the chicken to fully soak into the juices in the pan.
- Next, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, on the stove. Once the water is boiling, add in the pasta and cook until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, wash and chop the peas and asparagus.
- Then, during the last two minutes of cook time, add the peas and asparagus to the pot with the pasta.
- Let the pasta, peas, and asparagus cook for two minutes. Then, drain the water from the pot and add the pasta, peas, and asparagus to a large bowl.
- Next, chop the parsley and dill and add it to the bowl with the pasta.
- Finally, assemble the salad. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to the bowl with the pasta alongside the sliced green onions and radishes.
- Pour the remaining dressing on top, then add the crumbled feta cheese on top.
- Toss to fully combine, then serve and enjoy!
Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 570mg | Potassium: 469mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 891IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see what you made - tag @kalejunkie
in your posts and I’ll re-share!
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