Tortellini Salad with Chicken

Name: Tortellini Salad with Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 cups
Ingredients: ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil; ¼ cup red wine vinegar; 2 teaspoons minced, grated, or pressed fresh garlic; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins; 1 (9 or 10 ounce) package fresh three cheese tortellini pasta; 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach; 1 cup diced red onion; 1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes; 1 cup diced seedless cucumber; 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives; ¼ cup crumbled Feta cheese; ¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

User Reviews

4.9

132 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
30 mins
Servings
8 cups
Calories
2606 kcal
Course
Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine
Italian

Tortellini Salad with Chicken

Maisie Hall

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A simple Mediterranean-inspired cold tortellini salad with chicken is a fresh, healthy, and satisfying lunch or dinner!

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Ingredients

Servings

FOR THE DRESSING

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons minced, grated, or pressed fresh garlic (about 2 large cloves)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

FOR THE SALAD

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins (or 2 cups of chopped or pulled rotisserie chicken)
1 (9 or 10 ounce) package fresh three cheese tortellini pasta
2 cups loosely packed baby spinach
1 cup diced red onion
1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup diced seedless cucumber
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
¼ cup crumbled Feta cheese
¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

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Instructions

Prepare the Vinaigrette

Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large jar or measuring cup. Shake (or whisk) until completely combined. Set aside.

Prepare the Chicken

If you're using cooked rotisserie chicken, you can skip this step!
Season the chicken with salt and pepper on all sides, to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and allow the chicken to cook on one side, undisturbed, for at least 6-7 minutes. Flip, and cook the chicken for about 6-8 more minutes, or until it is nicely browned on both sides and cooked through.
The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, or when the juices run clear.
When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the skillet and place it on a cutting board to rest.

Prepare the Tortellini

Cook the tortellini in a large pot of well salted boiling water, according to package instructions. Drain; rinse under cold water.
While the tortellini cooks, dice the chicken into bite-size pieces or shred with two forks.

Assemble the Salad

In a large bowl, gently combine the diced chicken, cooked tortellini, spinach, onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and feta cheese. Pour about ¼ cup vinaigrette over the salad (or more, to taste). Reserve the remaining vinaigrette.
Serve the salad immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Stir in the chopped fresh basil just before serving. Add extra reserved vinaigrette to moisten the salad as needed, and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. If the dressing solidifies when chilled, just let the salad/dressing sit on the counter and come to room temperature before enjoying.

Notes

Instead of making your own dressing, sub with your favorite store-bought vinaigrette. Any Italian dressing, vinaigrette, pesto, or Greek dressing will work!
Make it vegetarian by substituting a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas for the chicken.
Use just about any tortellini that you like. Frozen or dried tortellini is fine as a sub for the fresh tortellini -- just cook according to package directions. You can also use a meat or spinach-filled tortellini instead of the cheese tortellini.
Try adding more fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, or chives. Italian seasoning would also give the dish even more Mediterranean flavor.
Give it a little bit of a spicy kick with some crushed red pepper flakes.
Use other veggies, such as frozen peas (thawed), diced carrots, marinated artichoke hearts, or diced sweet red bell pepper. Capers or kalamata olives would also be great!
If you don't care for feta cheese, try cubed mozzarella, shaved Parmesan cheese, or the little fresh mozzarella pearl balls.
Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Serving 1cup Calories 260.6kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 18.3g (6%) Protein 19.6g (39%) Fat 12.3g (19%) Saturated Fat 2.4g (12%) Cholesterol 46.8mg (16%) Sodium 331.2mg (14%) Fiber 2.4g (10%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 2606 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	1cup
Calories	260.6kcal	13%
Carbohydrates	18.3g	6%
Protein	19.6g	39%
Fat	12.3g	19%
Saturated Fat	2.4g	12%
Cholesterol	46.8mg	16%
Sodium	331.2mg	14%
Fiber	2.4g	10%
Sugar	1g	2%