Low Sodium Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe
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Jump to Recipe Watch VideoThis tasty low sodium chicken Caesar pasta salad recipe is a bright, hearty, and refreshing salad that is great to enjoy all year long! Cooked chicken is sliced and served on top of fresh crunchy romaine lettuce and cooked pasta, covered in a creamy low sodium Caesar salad dressing.
This easy pasta salad makes a great BBQ side dish, appetizer, or just a nice lunch or light dinner in the summer months. I love serving this with a little low sodium garlic bread for a tasty meal!
Pasta salads are a staple in our house – especially ones loaded with fresh vegetables and a tangy, flavorful dressing. I made this simple pasta salad with some of our leftover low sodium grilled chicken, and it was absolutely delicious!
This makes a great meal prep lunch idea, or just a nice light dinner in the summers. Or bring it as a side dish to a party or gathering!
This Low Sodium Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe Is
- Bright
- Hearty
- Savory
- Cool
- Easy to Make
- A Great Recipe for Leftover Chicken
- A Fantastic Low Sodium Lunch or Dinner
Low Sodium Salad Ideas
I love this low sodium chicken pasta salad recipe, which is a bright & fresh addition to the table. This salad can make a great starter, or an entire meal by itself!
Salads can be easy to make low sodium by using homemade dressings – which only take minutes to make! This Caesar dressing uses Greek yogurt as the base, for a creamy and tangy flavor.
Browse all our low sodium salad recipes here for your next family favorite.
Ingredients In This Low Sodium Chicken Pasta Salad
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
Low Sodium Chicken
I used cooked chicken for this recipe, specifically my low sodium grilled chicken recipe. You can also use a low sodium oven baked chicken, or a whole chicken that’s been cooked in the oven or pressure cooker.
Tips on Buying Low Sodium Chicken
I love finding new (& delicious!) ways to cook chicken. Chicken is an inexpensive protein, is great for easy lunches and dinners, and is so versatile – you can cook it many different ways! According to the USDA plain chicken has ~50mg sodium per 4 ounce serving.
When buying chicken, make sure to find a low salt or sodium variety, as some chicken brands add a salt solution to texture the meat.
I recommend buying chicken that has a nutrition label on it, so you know the exact amount of sodium in the meat. Or check out your local butcher and ask them for low sodium options. And skip the rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken in the deli section – it can have added salt and sodium.
Pasta
I used rotini because it’s classic in pasta salads, and I like the fun shape (also easy to pick up with your fork)! You can use any medium sized pasta shape you like: penne, bowties, or medium shells would be great options as well.
I used a normal wheat pasta for this recipe (which has 0 mg sodium) but you can use a whole wheat pasta, vegetable pasta like tricolored rotini, or gluten free variety if desired. Just be sure there is 0 mg sodium in your noodles.
Lettuce
Romaine hearts are classic in Caesar salads, so I used big, fresh, heads I chopped into bite-sized pieces. You could also use any variety of lettuce you like – baby spinach or a spring mix would be great alternatives.
Low Sodium Caesar Dressing
I used my low sodium Caesar dressing recipe as the base for this pasta salad, but I did make some modifications like adding more lemon juice. Adding extra lemon gives the lettuce, chicken, and pasta a bit of additional flavor.
I didn’t include parmesan cheese in this recipe, but there are some great low sodium options in grocery stores for shredded parm (I buy one that is 45mg per 2 tablespoons), if it fits in with your sodium intake.
How To Make Chicken Pasta Salad Low Sodium
- Take your cooked chicken, and cut it into thin slices or strips. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook rotini according to package instructions – you want it a little al dente for texture. Drain, rinse under cold water, and place in a large bowl.
- Add the chopped romaine and chicken to the bowl with the pasta.
- In a medium bowl, add all the dressing ingredients. Mix well to combine.
- Pour dressing over the pasta salad, toss, and enjoy. I like to dress my salad with additional fresh lemon juice and black pepper before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 day.
More Low Sodium Salads You May Enjoy
- Low Sodium Thai Noodle Salad
- Low Sodium Sesame Cucumber Salad
- Creamy Low Sodium Egg Salad
- Low Sodium Thai Mango Salad
- Low Sodium Tabbouleh Salad
Share This Low Salt Salad Recipe
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Low Sodium Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Equipment
- large pot
- Large Bowl
- Medium Bowl
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad
- 12 ounces cooked chicken see note below for cooking methods
- 8 ounces rotini
- 1 large head Romaine lettuce chopped
For the Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons low sodium mayonnaise
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce
- 2 lemons juiced about 2 tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional but recommended
Instructions
- Take your cooked chicken, and cut it into thin slices or strips. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook rotini according to package instructions – you want it a little al dente for texture. Drain, rinse under cold water, and place in a large bowl.
- Add the chopped romaine and chicken to the bowl with the pasta.
- In a medium bowl, add all the dressing ingredients. Mix well to combine.
- Pour dressing over the pasta salad, toss, and enjoy. I like to dress my salad with additional fresh lemon juice and black pepper before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 day.
Video
Notes
A Note on Cooked Chicken
I used cooked chicken for this recipe, specifically my low sodium grilled chicken recipe. You can also use a low sodium oven baked chicken, or a whole chicken that’s been cooked in the oven or pressure cooker.Serving Size
This recipe makes about 4 servings – of ~2 cups each. The nutritional information estimated above is for one 2-cup serving. Nutritional content will vary based on ingredients that you use in your kitchen, so be sure to calculate sodium with your ingredients.Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify sodium amounts.
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