Chicken Poppy Seed Pasta Salad
Description
Grilled chicken, chopped romaine lettuce, vegetables, and cooked linguine pasta make a delightful warm salad for the homemade sweet and tangy poppy seed dressing.
Ingredients
•
1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta
•
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
•
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
•
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
•
1/2 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
•
1 cucumber, sliced - or amount to taste
•
2/3 cup safflower oil
•
1/3 cup cider vinegar
•
3/4 cup white sugar
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1 tablespoon poppy seeds
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1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
•
4 green onions, chopped
Directions
1
Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat; lightly oil the grill.
2
Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well.
3
While pasta is cooking, grill the chicken breast halves until the meat is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear, 5 to 8 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chicken breast should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Allow to rest for about 5 minutes, then slice into bite-size pieces; keep warm.
4
In a large salad bowl, lightly toss together the grilled chicken, hot cooked linguine, romaine, green pepper, red onion, and cucumber.
5
In a separate bowl, whisk together safflower oil, cider vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, dry mustard powder, and green onions until smooth and evenly blended. Pour the dressing over the salad to serve.