Pasta Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette (Printable)

A fresh mix of pasta, chicken, and vegetables dressed with tangy cranberry vinaigrette.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Protein

01 - 10 oz rotini pasta
02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded (approximately 8.8 oz)

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
05 - ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
06 - ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
07 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Cranberry Vinaigrette

08 - ⅓ cup leftover cranberry sauce, smooth or chunky
09 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional, if cranberry sauce is very tart)
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - ½ teaspoon salt
14 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnishes (optional)

15 - ¼ cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Boil rotini pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
02 - In a large bowl, mix cooled pasta, cooked chicken, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and baby spinach.
03 - Whisk together cranberry sauce, extra-virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey if using, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper in a separate bowl until emulsified.
04 - Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Adjust seasoning if necessary by tasting and adding salt or pepper as preferred.
06 - Optionally sprinkle toasted nuts and chopped parsley over the salad before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It rescues leftover cranberry sauce from the back of the fridge and turns it into a tangy, jewel-toned dressing that actually tastes exciting.
  • The whole thing comes together in half an hour, so you can have a satisfying main-dish salad on the table without much fuss.
  • It's endlessly flexible, you can swap the chicken for chickpeas, toss in whatever crunchy vegetables you have, or add nuts and cheese to make it your own.
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta under cold water after draining is essential, it stops the cooking and cools the noodles so they don't wilt the spinach or turn the salad warm and limp.
  • If your cranberry sauce is very thick, thin the vinaigrette with a tablespoon of water or extra vinegar so it coats the salad evenly instead of clumping.
03 -
  • Use rotini or another short, spiral pasta, the ridges and curves hold onto the dressing much better than smooth shapes like penne.
  • If you don't have leftover cranberry sauce, simmer fresh or frozen cranberries with a little sugar and water until they break down, then cool and use in the dressing.
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