Pasta Salad Cranberry Vinaigrette (Printable View)

A colorful dish blending rotini, tender chicken, fresh veggies, and a zesty cranberry vinaigrette.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Protein

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

→ 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
09 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (optional)
12 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
13 - ½ tsp salt
14 - ¼ tsp black pepper

→ Garnishes

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

# How To Make It:

01 - Boil rotini pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
02 - In a large bowl, mix the cooled pasta with chicken, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and spinach.
03 - Whisk cranberry sauce, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey (if using), Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl until smooth and emulsified.
04 - Pour the vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Sprinkle toasted nuts and parsley on top before serving, if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It rescues leftover cranberry sauce and turns it into something people actually crave instead of letting it sit in the back of your fridge.
  • The whole salad comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for when you need something substantial that doesn't require babysitting.
  • It's dairy-free without feeling like you're missing anything, and it tastes even better the next day as the flavors settle.
02 -
  • If you don't rinse the hot pasta under cold water, it will keep cooking and get mushy, which will make the whole salad feel soft instead of having that satisfying texture contrast you're aiming for.
  • The vinaigrette will separate if you don't whisk it enough, so commit to about 60 seconds of actual whisking rather than just stirring halfheartedly.
  • Make this salad a few hours ahead if you can, but keep the dressing separate from the pasta and vegetables until the last moment before serving, or everything gets soggy and the lettuce loses its crispness.
03 -
  • Toast your own nuts in a dry skillet for three minutes instead of buying pre-toasted ones, because the fresher they are, the more flavor they bring and the longer they stay crisp in the salad.
  • If your cranberry sauce has whole berries in it, break them up slightly with a fork before whisking so the dressing is smoother and more evenly distributed, but don't puree it because texture is part of the appeal.
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