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Farro Salad with Sizzled Dressing

Nagi — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Farro – so much more interesting and better for you than pasta or rice! This farro salad is a stellar combination: nutty farro, bursty tomatoes, spinach bits and smeary goats cheese or feta, doused in a garlic Sizzled Dressing with pops of coriander and cumin.

A Farro Salad worth making!

This is a farro salad that was already great before the Sizzly Dressing. The farro is cooked with vinegar instead of plain water (thanks for the tip New York Times Cooking! *See UPDATE*), making it delicious even before the add-ins. The roasted tomatoes are on the edge of bursting. And there’s smeary goats cheese, that tangy, creamy cheese that can make everything seem a little gourmet.

I could’ve just drizzled with a basic lemon dressing, and it would still be scoff-worthy.

But! That sizzling garlic-cumin-coriander dressing! Pops of toasted cumin and coriander with golden bits of garlic tossed through the farro just make for a stellar flavour and textural combination. 100% addictive. Simple but unique. Very Ottolenghi vibes.

I’m completely besotted. (With the salad. OK fine, maybe a bit with Ottolenghi too.)

*UPDATE: A reader pointed out that the NYT recipe uses apple cider (the drink) not apple cider vinegar! Even NYT readers have made that mistake like me – ha ha ha! Well, apple cider vinegar is what I use here and it works brilliantly to be the acid that is normally used in salad dressings. I’m actually glad you don’t have to go out to buy drinking cider to make this. :)*

Here’s a little look at the players in today’s recipe – a pot of vinegar cooked farro (it’s so good!) and bursty tomatoes….

…..and that sizzly dressing and smeary goats cheese…… (or Danish feta)

It’s a magical combination!

What you need for this Farro Salad

Here’s what you need to make this farro salad. First up, the secret ingredient: farro! (I know, I’m hilarious 😂).

Farro

Think of farro as a more nutritious, tastier alternative to white rice and pasta. Or – like quinoa, except it doesn’t get stuck in your teeth. It’s a whole grain that’s got a lovely nutty flavour, and a great meaty chew that makes it so satisfying to eat. Plus, it’s nutrient and fibre rich.

*Update: We’ve made this recipe using pearl barley too! Great alternative.*

Find it in whole food stores, fresh produce stores and delis. The packet pictured above is from Harris Farms (I’m in Sydney, Australia), $7 for 500g / 1 lb (we use 210g / 7oz).

Farro type – I use whole farro, the standard sold in Australia. Farro also comes pearled (outer layer removed) and semi-pearled (some removed), but these are not so common in Australia (to my knowledge). Whole farro has nothing removed, and is the chewiest, most flavourful and nutritious.

Substitute with pearl barley. Similar nutty flavour although it is slightly softer. Directions in recipe notes!

How to cook it – Boil in liquid like pasta! Whole farro takes 40 minutes. Pearled takes ~15 minutes, and semi-pearled ~30 minutes. Because pearling isn’t standardised, the exact times will differ. Just taste to check.

vinegar to cook the farro

As mentioned at the top of the post, the farro in this recipe is cooked in a combination of water and vinegar. A great cooking method I tried and love in this Farro Salad recipe from New York Times Cooking*. Using vinegar infuses with tangy flavour, making the farro tasty in its own right. Have a nibble and you’ll see!

*See UPDATE under photo at top of post about mistaken identify – drinking cider vs vinegar!*

The add-ins

Not that many! The magic in this recipe is all about the cooking method for the farro and the sizzling garlic-cumin-coriander dressing.

Grape or cherry tomatoes – Roasted for just 8 minutes at a relatively high temperature at the same time as the farro (handy!) so they become a little bit wrinkly but still holding together. Some burstage will happen when you toss them through the salad and this is encouraged as the juice forms part of the dressing.
Goats cheese or Danish feta – Smeary, tangy, creamy goodness, the perfect finishing touch.
Eschalot – Called “shallots” in the US, also known as French onions. They look like baby onions, but are finer and sweeter than regular onions so they kind of meld into the salad better. Substitute with finely sliced red onion.
Baby spinach – I like a bit of green leafage tossed through here and baby spinach is my choice. Rocket/arugula would also work nicely. Crispy greens like iceberg, cos/romaine probably won’t hold up as well as they tend to wilt more easily. But if that’s all I had, it wouldn’t stop me from making this!

The sizzling garlic-coriander-cumin dressing

Channeling my Ottolenghi within, inspired by this green bean salad of his, coriander and cumin seeds are sizzled with a good amount of garlic in olive oil and poured hot over the eschallots on top of the farro which makes them cook slightly.

There’s no vinegar in this dressing because the farro gets cooked in vinegar which is all the tang we need.

Coriander and cumin seeds – toasted whole in olive oil, they add the most incredible pops of flavour in this Farro Salad! They keep things interesting.
Garlic – Finely minced, sautéed until golden.
Olive oil – Use extra virgin for better flavour.

How to make Farro Salad with Sizzled Dressing

There’s a few components to this salad but they are low effort and low maintenance steps. And I wouldn’t ask you to do them if it wasn’t worth it!

Toasting / roasting

Toast farro & roast tomatoes at the same time. Spread the farro on a tray, toss the tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper then put them in the oven. They will both take 8 minutes in a 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Yes, I know 8 minutes is an oddly precise time. But honestly, at 10 minutes, the farro is very well toasted and the tomatoes are very wrinkly. 8 minutes is perfect!
PS Toasting the farro gives it extra nutty flavour and gives it a lovely warm brown colour. I do this for quinoa too. Effortless, and so worth it!
Bursty tomatoes – Leave the tomatoes on the tray and let them cool while you get on with the recipe.

Pour the toasted farro into a medium saucepan.
Rapidly simer the toasted farro in water, vinegar and salt for 40 minutes. No need to stir.
Cooked farro – The exact cooking time of farro can vary depending on how old the farro is. Older = tougher = longer cooking time and more water. So just taste to check. Uncooked farro is rock hard. Cooked farro should have a good chew to it but not have a hard centre. Overcooked farro will be mushy and unpleasant. Let’s not go there.
If your farro is still too hard for your taste once the liquid is absorbed, just add more water and keep cooking. It’s very forgiving to cook. You could never do that with rice!
Drain off any excess liquid. For the farro I use, 3 cups liquid and 1 cup farro = nearly no liquid left.
Put the farro in a large bowl then pile the eschalots on top. Leave it to cool for 10 minutes or so, or you can let it fully cool. This salad is great served slightly warm or at room temp.

Sizzling dressing

Sizzling dressing – Heat the oil in a small pan then toast the cumin and coriander for around 30 seconds or until it smells amazing. Then add the garlic and sauté that for another 30 seconds or so until light golden and – you guessed it – smells amazing!

Immediately pour the sizzling oil over the eschallots on the farro. The hot oil will partially cook the eschallots and make them wilt a bit.
PS You won’t need to worry about oil spitting and splattering. I really wanted a dramatic sizzle during this step but it’s not dramatic at all.

Toss the faro well to mix the dressing through.
Add spinach then toss briefly to mix through.
Gently transfer the tomatoes in. Handle with care – they are delicate and bursty, hence the name!
Then gently mix the tomatoes through. Some tomato burstage is encouraged – it forms part of the “dressing” – but we don’t want them all to turn into complete mush.
Now, it’s time to plate up!

Assembling

For any salad with goats cheese or feta that goes smeary when tossed through salads, I prefer to assemble the salad by layering it. But that’s just me! You could just mix the goats cheese through if you prefer.

I’ve done three layers here. So – put one-third of the farro salad in a shallow bowl, top with one-third goats cheese. Repeat twice more. Finish with a swish of extra virgin olive oil if desired!

YUM. How good does that look!

If that photo doesn’t get you excited about trying this Farro Salad, do it for the Sizzled Dressing. Because if you haven’t tried a salad made with whole toasted coriander and/or cumin seeds before (like this one or this one), you are missing out! – Nagi x

PS This is an excellent salad for taking places, not only because it’s something different that will impress but also because it’s got excellent shelf life. No worries about wilting fragile leafy greens here! Make ahead and transportability notes are in the recipe card below.

Watch how to make it

Farro Salad with Sizzled Garlic Dressing

Recipe video above. Farro is so much more interesting than pasta or rice! This salad has stellar flavour and texture: nutty farro, juicy burst cherry tomatoes, spinach bits and smeary goats cheese or feta, doused in an addictive hot garlic olive oil dressing with pops of coriander and cumin.

You'll love how we cook the farro – it's delicious even more you add everything else. Serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a side. Excellent shelf life and brilliant for taking to gatherings – see notes.

Course Salad meal, Side Dish, Side Salad, Sides

Cuisine Western

Keyword farro recipe, farro salad

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Farro cooling 10

Servings – 8

Calories 367cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Farro:

1 cup farro , dried, whole (Note 1)
1 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 2)
2 cups water
1 tsp cooking/kosher salt

Burst tomatoes:

400g/ 14oz (4 cups) grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Add-ins:

1 eschallot , halved then finely sliced (sub 1/4 red onion) (Note 3)
2 tightly packed cups baby spinach , roughly chopped (sub arugula/baby rocket)
80g/ 3oz goats cheese or 120g/4 oz Danish feta (Note 4)

Sizzling garlic cumin dressing:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp garlic , finely minced (~4 cloves)
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan).
Roast tomatoes and toast farro – Toss tomatoes on a tray with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread farro on a separate tray. Put both in the oven, farro on the top shelf, tomatoes underneath. Bake for 8 minutes, shaking the trays halfway. The farro should be browned with a nutty flavour, the tomatoes should be a bit wrinkly but still holding their shape.
Cool tomatoes on the tray while you prep everything else.
Cook farro (Note 1) – Put the toasted farro in a saucepan with the vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to medium so it is simmering. Cover with lid then simmer for 40 – 45 minutes or until all/most of the liquid is absorbed and the farro is ready. It should still have a bite to it (not soft like pasta) but not a hard centre. Add more water if needed, and keep cooking – don't be afraid to cook it softer if you want. Drain off excess liquid, if there is any, then transfer to a large bowl. (Taste: a bit tangy, the "vinegar" component used in salad dressings!)
Pile eschallots on top. Let farro cool to room temp.
Sizzling garlic cumin dressing – Heat oil in a small pan over medium low heat. Add coriander and cumin, cook for 30 seconds until light golden and you can smell it. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until light golden.
Assembling – Immediately pour hot oil over eschallots so it semi-cooks it. Toss. Add spinach, toss. Add tomatoes, gently stir through (some tomato collapsing is encouraged). Pour 1/3 into a serving bowl, crumble over 1/3 goats cheese. Repeat twice more, finishing with goats cheese. Eat!

Notes

1. Farro – Sold dried, find it in whole food stores, fresh produce stores and delis. I got mine from Harris Farms (I’m in Sydney, Australia), $7 for 500g / 1 lb (we use 210g / 7oz).

Whole farro is what I use, chewiest and has the best nutty flavour. Standard in Australia. Farro also comes pearled (outer layer completely removed) and semi-pearled (partially removed) which are softer and cook faster. Pearled ~15 min, semi-pearled 30 min. Taste to check, drain excess water.

Cooking tips – Simmer energetically else it will take ages to cook. Exact cook time and liquid absorption will depend on the age. Older = takes longer. Start checking at 35 minutes. Cooked farro is still quite firm, much firmer than pasta, but you don’t want a hard centre. Just cook to your taste – add water and keep cooking until you like it – and when done drain excess liquid.

Substitute with pearl barley, similar nutty flavour but is slightly softer. Takes 35 minutes, will have a little excess water to drain off. Best to spread out on tray to cool (gets a little softer than ideal if cooled in a bowl).

2. Vinegar – Can use other types but make sure it’s not as harsh as regular white vinegar. White wine, red wine, champagne and sherry vinegar will all work great. Balsamic will stain the farro.

3. Eschalot (US: shallots) – The small onions, finer and sweeter than regular onions so they meld into the salad better. Substitute with 1/4 red onion very finely sliced.

4. Goats Cheese – The creamiest of this type so it sort of smears through the salad and becomes part of the dressing. Danish feta is a close second. Greek feta can also be used, just crumble it all through.

5. Storage / making ahead – Assembled salad great for 3 days in the fridge. Excellent one for taking places because farro doesn’t wilt and fade like leafy greens. Make the hot dressing, cool, then put in a jar and keep in the fridge. If you promise to toss carefully, you can put the farro in a container with the eschallots, tomato and spinach on top. Then, douse with cooled dressing, toss gently (you promised to be extra careful!). Finish with goats cheese.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings.

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

Tea towel licking (ie smears of tasty food). Cute. But annoying. (She says, as she throws the tea towel into the dirty laundry and gets yet another clean one, and tries to scold him but everybody knows she thinks it’s adorable.)

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The mighty Cobb Salad

Nagi — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 06:00:00 +0000

The mighty Cobb Salad has arrived! All the essential players present – juicy bites of chicken, crispy lettuce, chunks of tomato, creamy avocado, salty bacon and creamy blue cheese, arranged in the signature rows. Served with a homemade Cobb Salad dressing. Salad was never so delicious!

Cobb Salad

I feel like I’ve done endless iterations of chicken salad, from Chinese to Vietnamese, Mexican to Thai, not to mention all the various non-Asian ones from the Avocado Ranch pasta one to Lemon Chicken to that one I copied from a trendy San Francisco bistro (<- This was is super good!).

So I was a little surprised that I hadn’t done what is probably the most classic of all chicken salads – the great Cobb Salad! Though actually, it was traditionally made with turkey rather than chicken. But these days chicken is more common, especially for homemade versions.

Though there are various tales about the origins of Cobb Salad, one thing everybody agrees on is that the ingredients should be presented in neat rows on a large bed of lettuce. The presence of blue cheese is also essential – otherwise, it’s just another chicken salad!

Cobb Salad Dressing – sharper than most

Another thing worth mentioning is that Cobb Salad Dressing is a little sharper than standard dressings, with a 50/50 oil to vinegar ratio compared to the usual 1 part vinegar to 3 or 4 parts oil. The slightly tangier dressing works really well here because it offsets the richness of the blue cheese, with the added benefit of lower calories!

Ingredients in Cobb Salad

Feel free to cut the vegetables as you wish. Some like them more chunky, to give the salad a sense of heft. Others prefer them chopped into smaller pieces. It’s entirely up to you!

Cobb Salad Vegetables

Here are the vegetables in a classic Cobb Salad.

Cos / romaine lettuce – Either 1 large or 2 small ones (“hearts”), chopped into large bite size pieces. You want around 12 cups, lightly packed, slightly heaped. I know, it’s hard to measure! It’s flexible. The recipe has plenty of dressing!
Tomatoes – Either 2 large ones cut into chunks (I prefer this) or 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes, halved.
Avocados – Two medium avocados or one really large on.
Chives – This is an optional garnish. Finely chop then sprinkled on at the end.

Cobb Salad Proteins & Blue Cheese

Not a fan of blue cheese? You’re missing out! 😂

Chicken – You can either poach your own (you will love my foolproof entirely hands-off method) or use store bought roast chicken. Though not standard, I like to toss my cooked chicken in a little salt, pepper and dressing. Just – more flavour.
Bacon – These days I tend to cook the strips whole then chop afterwards because it’s less effort. So much easier to cut crispy bacon than raw, and less effort to cook strips than a pan full of lots of tiny pieces that keep popping in my face!
Blue cheese – There might not be full consensus on exactly what type of blue cheese is the classic to use in a Cobb Salad. But for me, there’s no question: creamy is better than crumbly/drier. Creamy blue cheese smears and gets on “everything”, and everything it touches is tastier!!
My favourite blue cheese for salads is gorgonzola. Gorgonzola Dolce is my preference for a creamier, rounder blue cheese flavour – this is the more common type of Gorgonzola. Though if you like your blue cheese really sharp, then go for Gorgonzola Picante!
New to blue cheese? Try Blue Castello. It’s probably the most mild out of all the blue cheese, plus it’s better value.
Boiled eggs – I like mine soft boiled so the yolks are slightly jammy but not runny. 9 minutes in boiling water – boil the water first, lower eggs in then set the timer! (Boiled egg directions here).

Cobb Salad Dressing ingredients

As noted above, Cobb Salad Dressing is tangier than typical vinaigrettes. To help with thickening (because less oil = thinner dressing), a touch of Dijon mustard is used.

Extra virgin olive oil – Use the best you can afford! The better the olive oil, the tastier your dressings.
Apple cider vinegar – Good all rounder vinegar for dressings that’s not as sharp as white vinegar. Substitute with white wine or red wine vinegar.
Dijon mustard – Adds flavour as well as thickening the dressing which is particularly important here because this dressing uses less oil. So the dressing would be very watery without the dijon.
Eschallot (US: shallot) – The small onions which are finer than ordinary onions so the minced pieces blend into the dressing better, rather than having lots of big chunks. Also, the flavour is not as sharp as ordinary onions. This adds good value into the dressing so don’t skip it! Substitute with 1 tablespoon finely grated red onion.
Sugar – Just 1/2 a teaspoon takes a bit of the tangy edge off this dressing.

I’m using a classic Cobb Salad dressing today so there’s no garlic in it. But a finely grated garlic clove certainly wouldn’t go astray here!

How to make Cobb Salad

The presentation of Cobb Salad is one of its defining features. Traditionally, it’s served on a large platter with the ingredients artfully arranged in neat rows. I see no reason to stray from tradition when it looks so good!

Dressing – Shake everything up in a jar. It really is a quick and easy way to properly mix dressings so they become thick and creamy as they should be.
Cook bacon strips until crisp then chop. (See comment in the ingredients section about my preference to cook first then chop later these days).

Poach chicken breast using my foolproof poached chicken recipe. (plonk in boiling water, turn stove off, leave 20 minutes. Works every-single-time, and the chicken is juicy!).
Chop & toss – Cool chicken, dice into 2cm / 0.8″ cubes. Toss with salt, pepper and a slosh of Dressing.

Assemble – Pile the lettuce onto a large platter or bowl. Arrange the following across the surface in neat rows: chicken, avocado, tomato, bacon, egg. Crumble blue cheese across the surface, then scatter with chives. Serve with dressing on the side.
To eat – Let everybody help themselves to the salad, and drizzle on Dressing. Then dive in!

A note on serving Cobb Salad

I serve Cobb Salad by laying out the un-dressed salad on a big platter, then pouring the dressing into a jug. Then I leave everyone to help themselves to the salad and pour over as much or as little Dressing as they wish.

I prefer doing it this way because otherwise you have to toss each vegetable separately in Dressing before laying them out in the signature rows. Which means you end up using quite a lot of dressing, plus the lettuce dressed first ends up a little wilted from the dressing if you spend a little too long fussing with the neat rows (YES I DO!🙈).

Not sure if this is the traditional way to serve Cobb Salad, but it works for me! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Cobb Salad

Recipe video above. The mighty Cobb Salad! Don't skip the blue cheese. It's what makes this a Cobb Salad, and not just another chicken salad. Love the presentation on a big platter with the ingredients in neat rows. Serve Dressing on the side for everyone to help themselves (better than tossing each item individually).

Course Main, Salad meal

Cuisine American, Western

Keyword Chicken Salad, cobb salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Chicken cooling 20

Servings

Calories 706cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Chicken:

400g/14 oz chicken breast (2 pieces)
1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cobb Salad:

200g/7oz streaky bacon strips
4 x 9 minute boiled eggs , quartered
12 cups cos / romaine lettuce (1 large head, 2 small), chopped (or other crispy lettuce)
2 large tomatoes , cut into 8 wedges then halved (or 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes halved)
2 avocados , cut into large pieces
200g/7oz gorgonzola dolce (my favourite) or roquefort (traditional), crumbled (or other blue cheese – Note 1)
2 tbsp chives , finely chopped

Dressing:

1 tbsp dijon mustard
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 tbsp apple cider vinegar (sub white wine or red wine vinegar)
3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp eschallot (US: shallot), very finely minced
1/2 tsp white sugar

Instructions

Dressing: Shake ingredients in a jar.
Flavour chicken: Poach chicken using this method (20 minute foolproof-guaranteed-juicy). Cool to room temperature then cut into 2cm / 0.75” cubes. Toss with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of Dressing. Set aside.
Crisp bacon: Place bacon strips in a non-stick pan (not heated, no oil). Turn heat onto medium high – as the pan heats up, the fat will begin to melt. Cook for 2 minutes until golden, turn and cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels. Once cool and crisp, chop into 1.5cm / 0.6" pieces.
Assemble: Spread lettuce on a large platter. Arrange the ingredients on top in the Cobb Salad signature neat rows: egg, bacon, avocado, tomato and chicken. Crumble blue cheese across the top, sprinkle with chives. Pour dressing into a jug.
Serving: Let everybody help themselves to the salad and Dressing!

Notes

1. Blue cheese – It ain’t Cobb Salad if it ain’t got blue cheese on it! I love using creamy gorgonzola because it smears on everything so it sort of becomes part of the dressing. Hence why the dressing is a little tangier than traditional vinaigrettes – you need it, to cut through the richness of blue cheese.

Blue cheese newbies – Suggest using a milder blue cheese like Blue Castello. Adamantly against blue cheese? Feta or goats cheese would be my picks, and suggest adding an extra tablespoon of oil into the dressing to make it a little less tangy.

Nutrition per serving. Shave off 60 calories by using turkey or lean bacon. And the blue cheese accounts for 130 calories. Totally makes it!!

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

With all the good stuff in this salad, he can’t believe what he was offered.

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Devour – Maple Sweet Potato Salad With Tamarind Dressing

Nagi — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 04:00:43 +0000

Lovely caramelised edges on the sweet potato and marinating the kale to tenderise them are two tricks that make this salad tick. Tamarind and maple syrup teamed in the dressing is another – an unusual combo that works amazingly well here.

Find the recipe on page 192 of Dinner.

This is a cookbook exclusive recipe!

This recipe is exclusive to my debut cookbook Dinner which includes a how-to video for every recipe. Just scan the QR code!

Just to explain….

I know, it’s confusing! You’re so used to getting recipes on my website – there’s over 1,200 of them, after all. And here you are looking at a tasty recipe video and I haven’t provided the recipe. 🙀

I’m not just doing this to torture you, I promise.

This page exists to display the how-to video for this recipe which I exclusively created for my debut cookbook, Dinner. Every recipe in the cookbook has a tutorial video. To watch it, you simply scan the QR code with your phone or tablet and it will take you straight to the recipe video like the one shown above!

Curious about my cookbook?

Read the cookbook overview
Browse all cookbook exclusive recipes here
Read the Cookbook Tales. Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of dirty dishes!! And quite a lot of Dozer. 😂

Stay tuned for more on this page! Some cookbook exclusive recipes will have extra information added as well as extra tips. I am also looking at enabling comments for selected recipes so I can answer reader questions about cookbook recipes. I’m just a little snowed under during this launch period – book tours, getting 131 recipe videos out, launching the book overseas. Please bear with me! – Nagi x (10 October 2022)

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The most amazing avocado pasta salad

Nagi — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 06:00:00 +0000

This is a pasta salad no one can stop eating! Big juicy chunks of chicken, crispy bacon and a ranch dressing made with avocado rather than mayonnaise, this has fabulous avocado flavour in Every. Single. Bite. Officially my (current) favourite avocado recipe!!! Bonus: stays green for days!

That Creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing…..

This recipe is all about the creamy avocado ranch dressing. It is Great – with a capital “G”. Regular readers know when I capitalise, I mean it! 😂

It’s not just about making a dressing that’s traditionally made with loads of mayonnaise healthier. This is about making an avocado-forward salad into a big, juicy pasta salad.

Sure, we could just throw chunks of avocado in and call it a day.

But if we make a dressing instead, we can get avocado into every single bite, smothering everything, making this pasta salad creamy and gorgeous… with the added bonus that it’s HEALTHIER.

Win, win, win!

Oh wait. A caveat. I do use a bit of mayonnaise. 😇 But just 1/3 cup compared to 2 1/2 cups of other “stuff” in the dressing. It gives the dressing a smidge of luxuriousness in the mouthfeel, but can easily be substituted with yogurt or sour cream!

And an up close proof of creaminess:

Proof of creamy!

This avocado pasta salad is fully loaded…. but doesn’t have to be

This recipe I’m sharing today comes fully loaded with seasoned chicken, egg, tomato, crispy bacon and cherry tomatoes, which makes it a big satisfying meal.

However, you could strip back on all of these, or dial it down to just vegetables to make it either a vegetarian main or a side dish for dinners on hot summer days. Customise it as you wish!!

Ingredients for Avocado Pasta Salad

Here’s what goes in this avocado pasta salad. Firstly – the creamy avocado dressing!

1. Avocado Ranch Dressing

Here’s what you need for the avocado ranch dressing.

For those unfamiliar with Ranch Dressing, it’s a creamy buttermilk and mayonnaise based dressing flavoured with onion, garlic and herbs that is wildly popular in the US. Sometimes it’s made with dried herbs but fresh is so much better. You see versions made with different types of herbs – dill, coriander/cilantro, mint, chives and parsley. For me, there’s no question – dill is the best with avocado. So that’s what I’ve gone for!

Avocados – You will need 2 ripe ones though you may not quite use both of them as for this recipe, I specifically ask you to measure out 1 1/3 cups of avocado flesh. Why? Because, irritatingly, avocados don’t all grow exactly the same size. Ridiculous, right?? 😂

Buttermilk – An ingredient traditionally used to make Ranch Dressing, it has a consistency like pouring cream but is slightly tangy. Substitute: yogurt and milk (equal parts). It’s a near perfect substitute, I tested it especially because buttermilk is not a common ingredient used here in Australia. So there’s no need to get it especially for this recipe!
Mayonnaise (just a bit!) – Another ingredient traditionally used in ranch though usually it’s a primary ingredient whereas it’s a minor ingredient in this avocado ranch dressing. Why bother? Because it adds a more luxurious mouthfeel to the dressing which really makes it so, so good! Feel free to skip it – just substitute with sour cream or yogurt.
Fresh dill – While I can offer substitutions for the buttermilk and mayonnaise, I really urge you to use fresh dill! The bright freshness really adds a special touch to this dressing. However, if you don’t have (or don’t like??) dill, coriander/cilantro or chives make excellent alternatives. It’s a different flavour of course, but these herbs are also used in various version of ranch dressing so they are on point. Dill is just my personal preference.
Lemon juice – For a much needed balance of tang plus also it keeps the avocado dressing green!
Garlic – Traditional ranch dressing typically uses dried garlic powder which adds a sort of earthy garlic flavour. For this avocado version, I preferred fresh garlic.
Onion powder – While I opted for fresh garlic, I stuck with the traditional onion powder as I really love the smooth onion flavour it adds into the dressing and very much makes this taste like ranch dressing. Try not to skip it!

2. The add-ins

Remember what I mentioned above: you can dial it back or substitute. This recipe is all about the dressing!

Seasoned chicken – I wanted to go all-out with this pasta salad so I cook a chicken breast seasoned with paprika, salt and pepper. Substitute with plain poached chicken breast, any other cooked chicken or proteins (tuna, shrimp/prawns!), or chop/shred leftovers from a store bought or homemade roast chicken.
Eggs – Hard-boiled (9 minutes). Extra protein as well as lovely pops of colour!
Celery – For a touch of fresh crunch, reminiscent of classic creamy Macaroni Salad. Highly recommended for a touch of texture.
Bacon – Do I need to do any convincing here to include this in your pasta salad??😂
Dill – Yes! More fresh dill! It really does give this pasta salad that special touch that makes it memorable.
Cherry tomatoes – Lovely pops of juiciness and colour.
Red onion – Just 1/4 of a red onion, finely sliced, for a touch of much-needed freshness in this big jumble of goodness.
Pasta – Oh yes! Don’t forget pasta, like I almost did!! I’ve gone for spirals here but feel free to use your shape of choice. Penne, ziti, macaroni/elbow pasta, bow ties, rigatoni. Just avoid the smaller pastas like risoni/orzo, orecchiette (make this instead), alphabet, dinosaur, and other novelty shape pastas (in case you’re channelling the child within 😂).

How to make Creamy Ranch Avocado Pasta Salad

Fundamentally, you just blitz up the avocado dressing ingredients, cook the pasta, then toss everything together. Easy!

1. Avocado Ranch Dressing

Scoop out flesh – Scoop out the flesh of the avocado using a spoon.
Measure – Then smush it into cups to measure out 1 1/3 cups. Because you got lovely ripe avocados, this should be effortless! 😇 We’re measuring the avocado flesh to ensure we use the right amount. Because avocados are not all the same size – sooo annoying!
Blitz – Place the avocado flesh and all the other dressing ingredients in a tall container that fits the head of your stick blender (ironically, I use my Nutribullet jug!) then blitz until smooth. It’s quick – maybe 10 seconds? Feel free to use a food processor instead, just scrape down the sides as needed.
Creamy dressing – Stick your finger in and have a taste of your lovely creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing! Also use this as a chance to tweak the flavour if you want. Add a bit more lemon if you want more tang, more salt if your palette errs on the salty side. Etc!

2. Baked seasoned chicken

As I mention above, you can keep it simple and use store-bought roast chicken or just poach a chicken breast. But if you want to go all-in for a really great pasta salad, here’s how to make the seasoned chicken breast I use!

I opted to cook the chicken in the oven because I can cook the bacon at the same time. And – no stove splatter!

Pound the chicken using a meat mallet or rolling pin to 1.5cm / 2 cm even thickness.
Season – Drizzle with oil then sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper on both sides.
Bake for 12 minutes at 220°C/430°F (200°C fan-forced) or until the internal temperature reaches 67°C / 153°F.
Cut – Rest for 5 minutes then slice.

3. Crispy baked bacon

For convenience, I cooked the bacon in the oven because I can cook the chicken and bacon at the same time. Bonus: no stove splatter to deal with. Handy!

Rack on tray – Lay the bacon on a rack set over a tray. The rack prevents the bacon from swimming in its own fat on the tray, and makes the bacon crisper.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden and pretty crispy. The bacon will get crispier as it cools.

4. Boiled eggs

For pasta salads, I like to use eggs which have yolks that are soft set ie. Cooked enough so you can cut through the yolk cleanly but it’s not “powdery” like it is when it’s fully hard boiled.

Here’s how I do it:

Fridge-cold eggs in boiling water – Bring the water to a full boil. Then carefully lower fridge-cold eggs into the water using a slotted spoon. Lower the stove slightly so the water is still rippling and the eggs are just moving around gently in the water. If you rapid boil, the shells will crack!
9 minutes – Start the timer and cook for 9 minutes.
Peel in cold water – Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon into a large bowl or sink full of cold water (ice water is best, but I never waste ice on eggs!). Leave for 5 minutes or so until cool enough to handle then peel IN the water. It’s easier. 😊

5. Toss!

OK! Everything prepared, now the best part: tossing it all together. (Wait – that’s totally wrong, the best part is EATING it!).

BIG bowl – Put all the pasta salad ingredients except the eggs in a very big bowl then toss until it’s all coated in that gorgeous avocado ranch dressing. (PS. I emphasise BIG bowl for good reason).
Add eggs at the end then gently toss just to disperse.

And we are DONE! Time to eat! And just think – it keeps so well, you get to enjoy this for days and days!!

I’ve eaten so much of this in the past couple of weeks. It makes so much! And – true to its name – I CAN’T STOP EATING IT.

I really hope you try it. In the vast world of pasta salads, this is definitely a stand out! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

The most amazing avocado pasta salad

Recipe video above. This is a pasta salad no one can stop eating. Starring a ranch dressing made with avocado rather than mayonnaise, it's juicy and creamy with fabulous avocado flavour in Every. Single. Bite. Officially my (current) favourite avocado recipe!

Fully loaded with chicken, bacon and egg, it's an excellent work day lunch, a big-batch show-off salad for gatherings, and guess what? It stays green for days!

Course Mains, Pasta, Salad meal, Side Dish

Cuisine Western

Keyword avocado pasta, cold pasta salad

Servings – 12 people

Calories 522cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

500 g / 1 lb spiral pasta (or other of choice)
1 tbsp cooking / kosher salt (for cooking water)

Creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing:

1 1/3 cups avocado (smush in cup measures, ~ 1 1/2 avocados, Note 1)
1/2 cup buttermilk (sub yogurt + milk, Note 2)
1/3 cup whole egg mayonnaise (just a bit! Note 3)
3 tbsp lemon juice (sub cider vinegar)
1 1/2 garlic cloves , finely grated or minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/4 tsp cooking salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup dill , finely chopped (Note 4)

Seasoned Chicken (or use any cooked chicken):

2 x 250g/8oz chicken breasts , skinless boneless
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (sub ordinary)
1/2 tsp cooking salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Add-ins (or use your own!):

250 g / 8 oz streaky bacon
6 eggs
250 g / 8 oz cherry tomato , halved
1/4 red onion , very finely sliced
1 celery stem , finely sliced 0.5 cm / 1/5″
1/4 cup dill , finely chopped (Note 4)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Chicken & crispy bacon:

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan-forced).
Bacon: Place bacon slices on a rack set on an oven tray. Bake 20 minutes or until deep golden and crispy, then remove from the oven and let it cool – it will get crispier. Then chop into 1 cm / 1/3" pieces.
Pound chicken: Cover chicken with baking paper then pound to 1.5 cm / 3/5" even thickness using a meat mallet, rolling pin or cast iron pan.
Season: Mix the paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place chicken on a baking tray, drizzle then rub with half the oil. Sprinkle with seasoning, then repeat on the other side.
Bake the chicken for 12 minutes or until the internal temperature is 67°C/153°F. Remove from the tray and rest for 5 minutes then cut into 4 x 1cm / 2.5 x 1/2" pieces.

Cook pasta:

Bring a large pot of water to the boil then add the 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook the pasta per the packet time plus 2 minutes (Note 5).
Drain, rinse under water then leave to drain well and cool.

Boil eggs:

9 minutes: Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Lower eggs in using a slotted spoon then start the timer for 9 minutes. Reduce stove heat so eggs are not bouncing around so much that the shells crack.
Peel in cold water: Remove eggs using a slotted spoon into a large bowl or sink of cold water (iced water is best, but I never waste ice on eggs!). Leave for 5 minutes then peel while submerged under water, it's easier.
Pat dry then cut eggs into quarters.

Dressing:

Place all ingredients except the dill into a container just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz until the avocado is smooth.
Add dill and jus blitz to mix through. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.

Toss:

Place the pasta and dressing in a very large bowl along with everything else EXCEPT the eggs. Toss gently to combine.
Add eggs, then toss gently to disperse. Serve!

Notes

1. Avocado – I know it’s unusual to ask you to measure the flesh, but given that not all avocados are exactly the same size, I need you to do it! Scoop the flesh, smush into measuring cups.

2. Buttermilk – A near-perfect sub in this recipe is to use half yogurt + half milk. I doubt anyone could tell the difference – I can’t!

3. Mayonnaise – I like whole egg mayonnaise, it’s got a smoother flavour than normal mayo. Kewpie mayonnaise is almost as great here! Substitute with sour cream or yogurt for a lighter version.

4. Fresh dill – Coriander/cilantro and chives are also herbs use in ranch, but I like dill the best. Use the same quantity.

5. Cooking pasta – For pasta salads, I like to overcook the pasta until it’s extra-soft because pasta goes firm once cool. So if it’s overly soft when hot, it will be the perfect texture when cool!

6. Storing – Keeps for 4 days in the fridge, and stays green thanks to the lemon in the dressing!

7. Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

Director Dozer, waiting for his assistant (me) to show up to work (ie feed / pat / play with him).

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