Description
A creamy and protein-packed ranch pasta salad made with chickpea pasta, tender shredded chicken, fresh vegetables, and a flavorful homemade Greek yogurt ranch dressing. Perfect as a healthy lunch or light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salad
- 8 oz dry chickpea pasta or higher protein pasta of choice
- 1 cup raw broccoli, chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup cucumber, diced
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
- 1.5 cups coleslaw mix
For the Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts (425 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Dressing
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoon mayonnaise (optional)
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill
- 4 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 450°F to prepare for baking the chicken.
- Cook Pasta: Cook the chickpea pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise (if using), dijon mustard, lemon juice, fresh dill, water, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt until smooth and well combined.
- Prepare Chicken: Coat the chicken breasts in olive oil and rub with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Place in a large glass dish and bake for 20 minutes until fully cooked but still juicy. Allow the chicken to cool slightly.
- Shred Chicken: Once cooled, shred the chicken using a stand mixer on high, two forks, or by hand until finely shredded.
- Assemble Salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked pasta, shredded chicken, chopped broccoli, diced red bell pepper, diced cucumber, nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese), and coleslaw mix.
- Toss Salad: Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss well to evenly coat everything with the creamy ranch dressing.
- Serve: Garnish with additional parmesan cheese or spices as desired and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Mayonnaise can be substituted entirely with additional Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangier dressing.
- Use a stand mixer to shred chicken quickly, or shred by hand with two forks if a mixer is not available.
- Adjust seasoning in dressing to taste, adding more lemon juice or dill for extra brightness.
- This salad can be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for convenient meal prep.
- Choose high-protein pasta such as chickpea or lentil pasta to boost protein content.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
