Chicken pesto pasta salad

This recipe is simple to make and delivers a tasty, high protein and fibre meal the whole family will enjoy.

Serves: 4

Time to make: 30 mins

Ingredients

More weights & measures

250g wholemeal pasta
350g lean cooked chicken
3 tablespoons sundried tomato pesto
4-5 tablespoons low-fat plain yoghurt
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
2 to 3 spring onions, sliced
¹/³ cup fresh basil
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

Instructions

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1 In a pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente.

2 Meanwhile, slice chicken and set aside. In a small bowl, combine pesto, yoghurt, half of the lemon zest and, reserving 2 tablespoons for the avocado, the lemon juice. Season with pepper.

3 Toss avocado in reserved lemon juice.

4 Drain pasta and place in a large salad bowl. Add olive oil and toss to coat.

5 Add pesto dressing to pasta and toss again to evenly coat. Add chicken, avocado, cucumber and spring onions and combine. Adjust seasoning and serve sprinkled with basil, freshly ground black pepper, remaining zest and a sprinkling of toasted almonds, if desired, for extra texture.

Variations

Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free pasta and check pesto is gluten free.

Make it vegan: Use Sunfed Chicken free chicken and vegan yogurt. Check the pesto is vegan.

HFG tip

You can vary this recipe by replacing the sundried tomato pesto with green pesto, sprinkling over pine nuts instead of almonds or swapping lemon for lime juice.

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 549 cal

Kilojoules 2300 kJ

Protein 34 g

Total fat 26 g

Saturated fat 5 g

Carbohydrates 40 g

Sugar 5 g

Dietary fibre 11 g

Sodium 180 mg

Calcium 140 mg

Iron 5 mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.