California chicken cafe broccoli pasta salad recipe

8/2/2021

Copycat California Chicken Salad

When I lived in LA, California Chicken Cafe was one of my weekly spots to pick up a healthy dinner. It was like the healthy West LA cafeteria where I always run into someone we knew picking up their favorite salad, cabbage slaw, and a quart of broccoli soup (#IYKYK). Their salads are huge and loaded with so many delicious toppings, which always include a very generous portion of avocado and their juicy chicken straight off the rotisserie (no dried-out salad bar chicken allowed). I seriously miss my go-to California Chicken Salad so much. and rather than resist the craving until my next LA trip, I decided it was time to make my own version. I'm so excited to say that it turned out just as good as the original... dare I say, maybe even better than the CCC salad that inspired it! 

In true Weeknight Bite fashion, I obviously had to upgrade some of the salad ingredients to make it as healthy as possible. Rather than using a regular pasta, I used a lentil pasta that's much higher in protein and fiber, and then I swapped regular pita chips for Simple Mills grain-free pita chips which are made with vegetable flours and flax seeds. Aside from that, I loaded it up with everything you'd see in my favorite CCC salad — cherry tomatoes, raw broccoli, shredded carrots, feta cheese, rotisserie chicken, and avocado — and then tossed it in a delicious balsamic vinaigrette. SO GOOD! You could totally make your own balsamic vinaigrette for this salad, but to make things extra quick and easy (some may call it lazy, I say it's efficient!), I just used my favorite pre-made dressing. 

Ingredients

4 cups or large handfuls chopped romaine
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup shredded carrots
Handful of Simple Mills Veggie Pita Crackers (or other pita chips)
3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1-2 breasts of an organic rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 cup cooked lentil pasta (I used Tolerant lentil rotini)
1 avocado, sliced
3-4 tbsp your favorite balsamic vinaigrette (I used Primal Kitchen)
Salt & pepper to taste

Serves 4.

1. Place romaine in a large, shallow salad bowl. Using a shallow bowl means you won't lose all the yummy toppings at the bottom of the bowl!
2. Top with all other ingredients. Pour dressing over the top, then toss everything together. 
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Even if you've never tried the original California Chicken Cafe salad that inspired this one,  you'll still fall in love with this salad that totally has it all! Make sure to tag me at @weeknightbite when you try it!

Seasoned chicken, broccoli, golden raisins, celery, and a wonderful creamy dressing come together to make this awesome Chicken Broccoli Pasta Salad. A total crowd pleaser, perfect for brunch, luncheons, potlucks, summer gatherings, and all year long!

Chicken and broccoli are just the perfect pair! Other recipes we love that include them both are our Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry and this Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole.

I have a go-to pasta salad with ground beef and bacon, and one with summer sausage, so I thought I would play around with one that uses chicken. This one is also perfection and we’re a little obsessed with it.

This Chicken Broccoli Pasta Salad has the best combination of flavors and textures, with the perfect amount of creamy dressing. It’s like classic Broccoli Salad, Chicken Salad, and pasta salad all rolled into one!

Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients

Here are the ingredients needed:
*Scroll down for the complete printable recipe.

• Small pasta – we use Radiatore, which is a fun small shape with lots of grooves to catch the creamy dressing. If you can’t find it, use any other small pasta.
• Cooked chicken – if you’ve got leftovers from a roast chicken, great! If not, you can use a rotisserie chicken.
• Broccoli – cut into bite sized florets.
• Celery – for crunch.
• Raisins – the sweetness from raisins are a great contrast to the broccoli and celery. Use regular, golden, or a combination.
• Almonds – sliced almonds provide some crunch and a nice nutty flavor.
• Scallions – for a subtle onion, peppery flavor.
• Dressing – this dressing the bring it all together includes mayo, sour cream, honey, mustard, Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper. It’s so good!

Make Ahead and Storage

This can be made up to 24 hours in advance, but ideally not longer than that because the dressing will begin to loosen. If making it ahead of time, keep covered in the refrigerator. I recommend adding in the almonds right before serving, so they maintain their crunch. Give the salad a few good stirs to incorporate everything again.

Any leftovers should be kept in the refrigerator, covered. It will keep up to 3 days, but keep in mind the dressing will become watery over time.

Other Pasta Salad Recipes

• Cowboy Pasta Salad
• Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
• Italian Chopped Salad
• Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

Chicken Broccoli Pasta Salad

Seasoned chicken, broccoli, golden raisins, celery, and a wonderful creamy dressing come together to make this awesome Chicken Broccoli Pasta Salad. A total crowd pleaser, perfect for summer gatherings or all year long!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings: 12

• 1 pound (4 cups) dried Radiatore pasta
• 1 pound cooked seasoned chicken breast, diced into small cubes (about 2 cups)
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 4 scallions, diced

For The Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. 

• In an extra large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing until combined and smooth. Add in the cooked pasta, chicken, broccoli, raisins, celery, almonds, and scallions; toss to combine and coat. 

• Enjoy right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 477mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Vitamin C: 21.5mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1.6mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Other Notes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pasta salad recipe