Mediterranean-inspired · Easy
Lemon chicken & crunchy vegetable pasta salad
Chilled whole-wheat pasta, gently cooked chicken, cucumber and tomato make a complete lunch with a finely chopped lemon-and-oregano dressing.
- Prep
- 15 minutes
- Total time
- 85 minutes
- Portions
- 4
Estimated nutrition
| Nutrient | Per portion | Whole batch |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 454 kcal | 1814 kcal |
| Protein | 37.8 g | 151.2 g |
| Carbs | 51.4 g | 205.6 g |
| Fiber | 7.4 g | 29.7 g |
| Sugars | 5.3 g | 21.1 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 12.3 g | 49.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 2 g | 8 g |
| Sodium | 259 mg | 1038 mg |
| Cholesterol | 91 mg | 365 mg |
How these estimates work
Per portion and for your whole batch. These are ingredient-based estimates, not laboratory-tested nutrition facts. Optional ingredients are excluded.
Estimated nutrition counts all measured ingredients and oil. Reference-food proxies and ranges remain; brands and cooking losses vary. Not laboratory analysis or a medical recommendation.
USDA FoodData Central references. Brands, food varieties, preparation and portion size change the result. Added sugars assume plain, unsweetened ingredients; for prepared breads and sauces, a range shows zero to the reference food’s total sugar because the added amount is unspecified.
Ingredients, sources & assumptions
All listed edible food and oil are counted as eaten. Cooking losses and final cooked weight are not measured. Some ingredients use a stated reference food or a proxy for a missing nutrient. No personalized dietary advice.
Chicken, broiler or fryers, breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, raw · 500 g in the original batch
USDA food referencePasta, whole-wheat, dry (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) · 240 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceCucumber, with peel, raw · 300 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceTomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average · 300 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceOil, olive, salad or cooking · 28 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceLemons, raw, without peel · 60 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceSpices, oregano, dried · 2 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceSalt, table · 2 g in the original batch
USDA food referenceCalculation version 2. Source records and method are documented in our nutrition guide.
Nutrition guidancePer portion and for your whole batch. These are ingredient-based estimates, not laboratory-tested nutrition facts. Optional ingredients are excluded.
Estimated nutrition counts all measured ingredients and oil. Reference-food proxies and ranges remain; brands and cooking losses vary. Not laboratory analysis or a medical recommendation.
USDA FoodData Central references. Brands, food varieties, preparation and portion size change the result. Added sugars assume plain, unsweetened ingredients; for prepared breads and sauces, a range shows zero to the reference food’s total sugar because the added amount is unspecified.
Let’s make it
Steps at a glance 4 steps
Amounts below match your selected batch. Follow each short step, and use timers as reminders to check the food.
Equipment
Kitchen scale · Knife · Separate raw-chicken board · Two saucepans · Colander · Shallow containers · Refrigerator · Food thermometer
- 1
Cook the pasta
Boil 240 g dry whole-wheat pasta in plenty of unsalted drinking water for the package time, usually 9–12 minutes, until tender with a little bite. Drain, rinse briefly under cold running water and drain well. Spread in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly while preparing the remaining ingredients.
- 2
Cook and cool the chicken
Put 500 g raw chicken breast in a saucepan and add drinking water to cover. Bring just to a simmer and cook gently for about 15–20 minutes, depending on thickness, until the center of every piece reaches 165°F / 74°C. Use separate utensils for raw and cooked chicken. Cut the cooked chicken into small pieces with clean utensils, spread in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly; do not leave it on the counter to cool. Allow about 30–45 minutes until cold.
- 3
Prepare the dressing and vegetables
Dice 300 g cucumber and 300 g tomatoes, retaining their edible juices. Stir 60 g very finely chopped lemon flesh and juice with 28 g oil, 2 g oregano and 2 g salt. Keep these ready-to-eat ingredients and their utensils separate from raw chicken.
- 4
Toss and portion
When the pasta and chicken are cold, combine them with the vegetables and dressing. Divide equally among the selected portions. Serve cold, or keep refrigerated until serving; use an insulated bag with ice packs for travel. Larger batches need several shallow containers for cooling.
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Make it work for you
For kids & different preferences
Adults handle knives, hot pans and the oven. Cut or mash to a soft texture appropriate for the child. Seat children upright and supervise eating. Check the listed allergens. This is not infant-feeding guidance or a promise of suitability for every age.
Storage & packed lunches
Refrigerate in shallow covered containers at 40°F / 4°C or colder within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F / 32°C. Use within 3 days.
Freezing & reheating
The pasta and cooked chicken can be frozen separately for up to 1 month for quality; add fresh cucumber, tomato and dressing after refrigerator thawing.
Serve this salad cold. If reheating the cooked chicken separately, heat it to 165°F / 74°C; keep fresh salad components separate.
If something looks different
Times are guides: use the stated texture and doneness checks. Larger batches need more pan space and time.
Something wrong with an ingredient or instruction? Tell us
Updated 2026-10-29
Bethany’s Kitchen · /recipes/lemon-chicken-pasta-salad · Original instructions and generated illustration, informed by public culinary sources. No third-party prose or photographs copied. Not physically kitchen-tested.