Healthy Chicken Pasta Salad with Pesto, Avocado, and Tomato

Healthy Chicken Pasta Salad with Pesto – Whip up a 10-minute meal packed with flavor, protein, and veggies! This chicken pasta salad with pesto is loaded with tomatoes, avocado, and red onion. Every bite is like a circus of flavors! If you’re looking for a nutritious salad for your lunches or potlucks, this chunky chicken pasta salad recipe will be one of the best options in your arsenal. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS LIST FOR THE CHICKEN PASTA SALAD WITH PESTO, AVOCADO, AND TOMATO3 cs of using your blog to sell

2 medium cooked chicken breasts, shredded or chopped (we used rotisserie chicken)
2 ripe avocado pitted and diced
1 pound cooked rotini pasta or similar
1 1/2 tablespoon basil pesto
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon basil pesto
1 teaspoon mayonnaise, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. To make this chicken pasta salad recipe: In a large bowl, add the salad ingredients, the shredded chicken, avocado, onion, cherry tomatoes, and pesto.

2. In a jar, combine the ingredients for the dressing: vinegar, Italian seasoning, Olive oil, pesto, mayonnaise (if using), salt and pepper.

3. Drizzle your pesto chicken pasta salad with the dressing. Toss gently until all the ingredients are combined. Serve the pesto chicken pasta salad immediately, or chill in the refrigerator for later. Enjoy!

RECIPE TIPS FOR THE CHICKEN SALAD:

We recommend serving the chicken salad as soon as it’s assembled. The dressing can be made in advance and kept in your refrigerator. We found the chicken salad is even more flavorful after it sits in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Bring the chicken pasta salad back to room temperature before serving so the cold doesn’t dull the flavors.

Is rotisserie chicken really okay to use? Yes, absolutely. While shredded or diced chicken that you just roasted or grilled on the stove brings a delicious smokey flavor for the chicken pasta salad, a good-quality rotisserie chicken breast will work, too. Avoid steamed chicken breasts because they won’t yield much flavor. Here’s a good recipe for grilled chicken breasts that will fit perfectly in this pasta salad.