An update to the classic pasta salad of my childhood with added texture, fresh herbs, and poached chicken.
I don’t know about the temperature wherever it is that you live, but it’s been hot as Hades in New York City. In the warm summer months I am reminded of the macaroni pasta salads my mom would make for us growing up—mayo, mustard, relish, and hard-boiled eggs were added to the boiled noodles to make a cool and creamy treat. I update this classic pasta salad—classic to me, at least—with some more textures, fresh herbs, and the addition of poached chicken.
Poaching chicken is a great way to infuse flavor and keep the meat moist at the same time. (Plus it’s easy a.f.) Just cook it in a flavored liquid at a gentle simmer and voila! You’re good to go.
I add some sliced celery to give a nice little crunch to the salad and go light on the mayo to give all of the other flavors room to shine (and to go easy on the calories). I made this on Sunday and it’s great for a work lunch or a quick dinner you can literally just pull out of the fridge and start eating.
Pasta salads tend to be best served after sitting in the refrigerator for an hour or two before eating. If you prefer a creamier pasta salad, feel free to increase the amount of mayonnaise.
Dill Chicken Pasta Salad
An update to the classic pasta salad of my childhood with added texture, fresh herbs, and poached chicken.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts*
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- one 12-ounce box tri-color rotini pasta
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 4 celery stalks, sliced on the bias
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
Instructions
- Put the chicken breasts, bay leaves, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a medium pot and add enough water to cover. Place over medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Let the chicken breasts cool in the poaching liquid until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bone and shred/dice the chicken. (Pro Tip: You can reserve the poaching liquid to use as chicken broth.)
- Cook the rotini noodles in salted boiling water per the package instructions until al dente. Rinse and cool the pasta.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta, cooked chicken, mayonnaise, celery, dill, apple cider vinegar, and whole grain mustard. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Refrigerate before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
*I happened to buy skinless, bone-in chicken at the store that day, but it shouldn’t make much of a difference if the bone and/or skin are attached.
This looks beautiful!
Made this for lunches this week. It’s delicious! Thank you for sharing recently on Instagram.