A fresh salad perfect for spring and summer! Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad has a mix of fresh basil, seasoned chicken, and tangy goat cheese.
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Maybe it's Spring. Maybe it's summer! Or even if you're in the middle of a snowstorm—Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad with Basil, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese is a way to bring some sunshine to the table.
The salad takes advantage of fresh lemon and basil flavors to really give your taste buds a warm-weather vibe. Tender chicken breast and fresh veggies make this salad a lovely side dish or even a light meal.
Why you'll love this recipe
There are loads of fresh, bright flavors in this salad, from the lemon vinaigrette to the fresh basil to the steamed asparagus. It's pretty to look at too, with vibrant yellow and green veggies, and it's so tasty to dig into.
With diced chicken and a sprinkle of goat cheese, you can make the salad for a light meal, a side, or as your main dish. Bring this chicken pasta salad out for your next potluck, picnic, or barbecue.
🔪 How to make Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad with Basil, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese
Ingredients:
- Pasta: I use spiral, cavatappi pasta, and rotini or elbows can also be used
- Chicken Breast: The recipe has steps to cook the chicken, or you can use leftover, cooked chicken instead
- Lemon Juice: It gives loads of flavor to the chicken and dressing
- Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil to cook the chicken and for the dressing
- Bell Peppers: Any type will do, but yellow bell peppers look pretty with the green asparagus
- Asparagus: Pick up the freshest-looking asparagus spears for this salad
- Basil: Use fresh basil leaves with no brown spots
- Sour Cream: It's part of the dressing
- Vinegar: Use white vinegar in the dressing
- Dijon Mustard: It adds a little kick to the dressing
- Goat Cheese: My go-to brand is Vermont Creamery
- Salt and Pepper: Just a pinch
Step 1: Make the pasta
Cook the pasta and rinse it in cold water.
Step 2: Cook the chicken
Slice the chicken breasts into thinner halves. Season the chicken, then brown the chicken on one side in a skillet. Flip the pieces, add lemon juice, and cover. Let the chicken finish cooking over low heat.
Step 3: Prepare the veggies
Slice the peppers. Steam and slice the asparagus. Place these veggies in a bowl with the basil and the cooked, diced chicken.
Step 4: Make the dressing
Put the dressing ingredients in a lidded jar and shake well to combine them.
Step 5: Finish the salad
Pour the dressing in the bowl and toss everything together. Spoon the salad into serving dishes and top each with crumbled goat cheese.
Tips:
- I use yellow bell peppers in this salad because they look sooo pretty with the green asparagus. If you wish, you can use another color of bell pepper instead.
- Leftover, cooked chicken breast can also be used in this salad.
The recipe for Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad with Basil, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese is below. Here are more tasty salads, too!
💬 How did this pasta salad turn out for you? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad with Basil, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 12 ounces dry corkscrew or elbow pasta
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large yellow bell peppers
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup crumbled goat cheese
For the Dressing:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the pasta and chicken:
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Rinse the pasta under cold water until it is completely cool. Pour the pasta into a large bowl and hold it aside.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally. Season both sides with 1½ teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot place the chicken pieces in the pan. Cook the chicken for about 3-4 minutes until there is some browning on that first side. Flip the chicken pieces over and reduce the heat to very low.
- Add in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the chicken and cover the pan. Let the chicken sit in the pan over low heat for 20 minutes. The pieces should be cooked through by this time. Remove the pan from the heat and let the chicken cool.
- When cool enough to handle, slice the chicken into cubes and add them to the bowl with the pasta.
While the chicken cooks, prepare the veggies:
- Slice the tops and bottoms off the bell peppers and discard the tops and the seeds and membranes from inside. Slice the peppers into small pieces. Add these to the bowl with the pasta.
- Wash the asparagus and snap off the ends. If the stalks are very thick, use a vegetable peeler to peel the bottoms of the stalks.
- In a medium skillet add enough water for a depth of ¼-inch. Heat the water to a simmer and add in the asparagus. Cover the pan and steam the asparagus for 3-5 minutes until it is just tender.
- Remove the asparagus from the water and run the stalks under cold water until they are cool. Slice the asparagus into small pieces and add them to the bowl.
- Rinse and dry the basil leaves, then tear them into small pieces and add them to the bowl.
Make the dressing:
- Place the following into a jar that has a tight-fitting lid: the ½ cup of olive oil, the ½ cup of lemon juice, the sour cream, vinegar, mustard, the ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Close the jar and shake the dressing vigorously to blend it.
Assemble the salad:
- Pour the dressing over everything in the bowl and stir the salad together with a large spoon. All ingredients should be well mixed and coated with the dressing.
- Spoon the salad into serving bowls and top each bowl with some of the crumbled goat cheese. Serve the salad immediately.
- Makes about 8 cups.
For leftover salad:
- Leftover salad can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Store the goat cheese separately and add it to the salads when they are served, along with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and a few fresh leaves of basil.
Notes
- I use yellow bell peppers in this salad because they look sooo pretty with the green asparagus. If you wish, you can use another color of bell pepper instead.
- Leftover, cooked chicken breast can also be used in this salad.
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