A simple Mediterranean-inspired cold tortellini pasta salad with chicken, veggies, feta, and olives in a red wine vinaigrette is the recipe of the season! This crowd-pleasing dish is a great make-ahead dinner, an easy contribution to your next potluck, and a packable solution for picnics or travel.
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If you’re looking for even more easy salad recipes, be sure to try this English pea salad, a cucumber tomato onion salad, this marinated vegetable salad, and a broccoli grape salad, too!
You can’t beat a cold tortellini salad for an easy summer meal! Cheese tortellini comes together with chicken, fresh vegetables, olives, and feta cheese in a simple vinaigrette for a satisfying and nutritious make-ahead lunch or dinner.
When my family of 5 devours a meal without complaint, I consider it the ultimate culinary stamp of approval! There’s nothing particularly fancy, difficult, or unusual about this recipe. Instead, it’s just a lovely combination of really delicious, fresh ingredients that work perfectly together. You can even start with a store-bought rotisserie chicken for minimal prep!
Ingredients for a Cold Tortellini Salad
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a simple tortellini salad recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar: come together to create a classic vinaigrette that highlights the rest of the ingredients.
- Garlic: for savory flavor.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the other flavors in the dish.
- Chicken: use raw chicken breast tenderloins (which cook quickly in a skillet), or start with a store-bought rotisserie chicken for an easy shortcut.
- Tortellini pasta: I use a refrigerated three cheese tortellini, but another variety of cooked tortellini will work well, too. Try a sausage-filled tortellini, frozen tortellini, dried tortellini, or tri-colored tortellini.
- Baby spinach, red onion, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, and cucumber: fresh veggies that bulk up the dish, and also contribute great flavor, color, and texture.
- Sliced black olives: for a salty, briny touch.
- Feta cheese: a classic cheese that adds salty, creamy, Mediterranean flavor to the dish.
- Basil: use fresh herbs for the best flavor.
Should you rinse pasta for pasta salad?
Yes, I recommend rinsing the tortellini for this cold pasta salad. The rinsing accomplishes two things:
- Stops the cooking process and cools down the pasta right away so that you can toss it with the veggies, chicken, and dressing; and
- Removes some of the starches so that the tortellini doesn’t stick together in a big clump as it cools.
How to Make Tortellini Salad
The total prep time for this Greek pasta salad, from start to finish, is about 30 minutes. To make the process most efficient, prep the vegetables while you’re waiting for the pasta and the chicken to cook! I’ve included the detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Boil the tortellini in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and let cool.
- Cook the chicken in a skillet, or use pre-cooked chicken (such as a rotisserie chicken) for a shortcut.
- Shake together the red wine vinaigrette.
- Toss everything together in a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Add the basil just before serving.
What to Serve with Tortellini Salad
This hearty dish is filling enough to serve as an entrée, but it also works as a side dish with a piece of fish or grilled meat. Here are a few options that go well with the cold tortellini salad:
- Garlic Bread or Breadsticks
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
- Crusty French Baguette, No-Knead Cast Iron Focaccia, Focaccia Bread, No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread, Soft Dinner Rolls, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins, Pumpkin Muffins, or Pumpkin Bread
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Wedge Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Fennel Salad with Apples and Creamy Cider Dressing
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower or Garlic Roasted Broccoli
- Sauteed Zucchini or 3-Ingredient Parmesan Roasted Yellow Squash
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: For convenience, you can make this chicken tortellini salad the night before you plan to enjoy it. You might need to add a little bit more dressing to the salad the next day if you find that the pasta has absorbed too much of the vinaigrette. If the dressing solidifies when it’s chilled, just let it sit on the counter and come to room temperature before using.
- Storage: The pasta salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- I do not recommend freezing the tortellini salad. The pasta and vegetables will be mushy when thawed.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of making your own dressing, sub with your favorite store-bought vinaigrette. Any Italian dressing, vinaigrette, pesto, or Greek dressing will work!
- Make it vegetarian by substituting a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas for the chicken.
- Use just about any tortellini that you like. Frozen or dried tortellini is fine as a sub for the fresh tortellini — just cook according to package directions. You can also use a meat or spinach-filled tortellini instead of the cheese tortellini.
- Try adding more fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, or chives. Italian seasoning would also give the dish even more Mediterranean flavor.
- Give it a little bit of a spicy kick with some crushed red pepper flakes.
- Use other veggies, such as frozen peas (thawed), diced carrots, marinated artichoke hearts, or diced sweet red bell pepper. Capers or kalamata olives would also be great!
- If you don’t care for feta cheese, try cubed mozzarella, shaved Parmesan cheese, or the little fresh mozzarella pearl balls.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half.
Tips for the Best Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
- Cook the tortellini just until al dente, so that it’s not too mushy in the salad.
- Liberally salt the pasta cooking water, since this is your chance to season the tortellini.
- Rinse the tortellini under cold water to stop the cooking process. This also removes some of the starches from the pasta so that it doesn’t stick together.
- This recipe yields about 1 cup of dressing, but you will not need all of it initially. Save the extra dressing for later, since you might want to add a bit more vinaigrette to your tortellini salad if the salad has been sitting in the refrigerator for a day or two.
More Cold Pasta Salad Recipes to Try
Tuna Pasta Salad
50 minutes mins
Antipasto Pasta Salad
32 minutes mins
Easy Pasta Salad with Mayo, Lemon and Basil
2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Tortellini Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
FOR THE DRESSING
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced, grated, or pressed fresh garlic (about 2 large cloves)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
FOR THE SALAD
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins (or 2 cups of chopped or pulled rotisserie chicken)
- 1 (9 or 10 ounce) package fresh three cheese tortellini pasta
- 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup diced seedless cucumber
- 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
Prepare the Vinaigrette
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large jar or measuring cup. Shake (or whisk) until completely combined. Set aside.
Prepare the Chicken
- If you're using cooked rotisserie chicken, you can skip this step!
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper on all sides, to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and allow the chicken to cook on one side, undisturbed, for at least 6-7 minutes. Flip, and cook the chicken for about 6-8 more minutes, or until it is nicely browned on both sides and cooked through.
- The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, or when the juices run clear.
- When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the skillet and place it on a cutting board to rest.
Prepare the Tortellini
- Cook the tortellini in a large pot of well salted boiling water, according to package instructions. Drain; rinse under cold water.
- While the tortellini cooks, dice the chicken into bite-size pieces or shred with two forks.
Assemble the Salad
- In a large bowl, gently combine the diced chicken, cooked tortellini, spinach, onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and feta cheese. Pour about ¼ cup vinaigrette over the salad (or more, to taste). Reserve the remaining vinaigrette.
- Serve the salad immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Stir in the chopped fresh basil just before serving. Add extra reserved vinaigrette to moisten the salad as needed, and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. If the dressing solidifies when chilled, just let the salad/dressing sit on the counter and come to room temperature before enjoying.
Notes
- Instead of making your own dressing, sub with your favorite store-bought vinaigrette. Any Italian dressing, vinaigrette, pesto, or Greek dressing will work!
- Make it vegetarian by substituting a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas for the chicken.
- Use just about any tortellini that you like. Frozen or dried tortellini is fine as a sub for the fresh tortellini — just cook according to package directions. You can also use a meat or spinach-filled tortellini instead of the cheese tortellini.
- Try adding more fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, or chives. Italian seasoning would also give the dish even more Mediterranean flavor.
- Give it a little bit of a spicy kick with some crushed red pepper flakes.
- Use other veggies, such as frozen peas (thawed), diced carrots, marinated artichoke hearts, or diced sweet red bell pepper. Capers or kalamata olives would also be great!
- If you don’t care for feta cheese, try cubed mozzarella, shaved Parmesan cheese, or the little fresh mozzarella pearl balls.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in April, 2018. The photos were updated in June, 2023.
I love hearty salads like this for summertime (we’ve already hit 90 degrees, so as far as I’m concerned it’s summer already!!!)
Just found your site! Can’t wait to find all kinds of goodies to make. Yum. Thanks.
This looks simply amazing.I can’t wait to try it.The stackable pans look amazing too.When you have a small kitchen,these would be a bonus! Thankyou!
Good afternoon, Blair
I want to let you know that I look forward to you “Week In Meals” every Sunday. I have made a lot of your dishes, especially the Dump & Bake. By the time we get home from work, I don’t feel like cooking. Your dishes make a delicious supper and there is always enough for lunch the next day, even for my son and daughter-in-law. I don’t change the recipe for only 2 just for this reason.
Thanks for the great meals
Patti
Hi, Patti! Thank you so much for your kind note! I’m thrilled to know that your family enjoys the recipes. I think leftovers are great the next day, too! 🙂
Blair I have followed your receipts and your beautiful family for several years. Always look forward to watching your children grow. And the great tasty recipes are a huge time savor and family loves them thanks for being there I hope you continue on for many years!
Hi, Terry! I know — you have been such a loyal reader over the years. Thank you!!!! 🙂
I really enjoy, and look forward to, getting your recipes. Sharing your busy schedule with all of your boys’ activities brings back fond memories for me with both of my boys – baseball and fishing in the summer and hockey in the winter. I must say that I would not have that kind of energy today. Like everyone else I would absolutely love to win these pots and pans. Have a great week and I look forward to getting more delicious recipes next week.
Thanks, Diane! I’m glad that our crazy schedule brings back fond memories! 🙂 There are many days when I think that I don’t have the energy to keep up with them now. Hah! It’s definitely fun, though. I’m looking forward to many more busy years as they grow!
Looks yummy — can’t wait to try it. Love the photos of your outing; lucky you living so close to a National Park!
But I can still make and pack this up for lunch at work.
And I love the container that you mixed the salad dressing in; can you please tell me where you found it?
And, lastly, thanks for the giveaway! 🙂
Hi, Kris! I love that bottle, too! I got it on Amazon. 🙂 It’s made by OXO Good Grips and it’s called a “salad dressing shaker.” Hope that helps!
I stumbled upon your website the other day as I was searching for healthy, easy recipes for my young family. Absolutely hooked now and love receiving the regular emails too! Your dump and bake chicken fajita quinoa casserole was a huge hit and my picky 5 year old even loved. I was absolutely amazed! And it was so easy to make….sooo easy! Thank you for these options that take the pressure off us moms and give us the ability to still serve healthy meals to our families and spend our time with them rather than always in the kitchen. What a blessing! Thank you for this!
Oh Farberware!! I bought a set when I bought my house…..1978!! I’m still using them, 40 years later. And they still shine, fry and braise like new!
My Uncle was a sheet metal worker and I had asked him what kind of oookware to get. He very emphatically said “Farberware, get the best!”
I’ll be trying this great looking recipe….and making it in my old Farberware. M-m-m-m
This recipe looks yummy & I sure would love to win this Faberware set!
What great timing! I am hosting a group of gals from my church as we meet to brainstorm ideas for the packing of our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. I had decided to serve a few different kinds of salads including a green salad, a fruit salad and one more which was yet to be determined. This Chicken Tortellini salad will round out the menu beautifully!
(And for anyone who is not familiar with Operation Christmas Child Shoebox program, check out the great information on the Samaritan’s Purse website.) Once you pack a shoebox for a child who has never received a gift or has NOTHING to call his own, I guarantee, you will be hooked!
That’s wonderful, Linda! We participate in the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox program each year through the church, and it’s really a great service! 🙂
Pick me!
Not only are your recipes easy to follow and delicious, the photographs
are some of the nicest I have seen. They are colorful and appetizing every time.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Phyllis!
My grandson is making the tortellini salad for dinner on his nite to cook. He loves the simple salad idea.tThanks for giving us a new recipie.to enjoy together..
I also live in Virginia. It’s a beautiful state. I am crazy about pasta salad. I can’t wait to try your recipe! It’s on the menu for this week. Love the Faberware pots and pans too! High quality and the stackable feature is ingenious!
I am loving the dump and bake meals! They’re really helping me get meals together at a time when I am struggling to do just that.
Was looking for another way to cook pasta with chicken — this is a really good one. I substituted angel hair for the tortellini (grandchild likes that best). Followed the rest of the recipe faithfully. FANTASTIC. Thanks so much for sharing.
That’s great, Paula! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, and I’m glad to know that the angel hair pasta works well too!
I too have been using a set of Faberware for many years. It does hold up and I do like the way these pans stack so neatly together. Thanks for the giveaway.
This salad looks so yummy! Can’t wait to try it! The new pots and pans would be wonderful to have!
Thanks for the giveaway! I love reading your week in meals! With 3 kids playing ball (in 2 different leagues!) as well, I love seeing the quick dinners. When the season first started, I couldn’t keep up with practices, games, & supper! I have much respect for you cause you seem so put together!!! Thanks again!!!
Hi, Kristi! I can assure you — I am NOT so put together! I often feel like I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I try to prioritize getting a meal in the kids’ bodies each night, but sometimes that looks like fish sticks, a sandwich, frozen pizza, or a bowl of cereal when I don’t have the time or energy for anything else. I think the key is to just give yourself some grace. I do my best, but I also don’t set expectations that overwhelm me or make me feel guilty when I can’t fulfill them. My kids are healthy and happy — even when they eat cereal for dinner on occasion — and that’s all that really matters.
I’m glad that you find the meal ideas helpful (that’s definitely my goal), but I also hope that you cut yourself some slack and just do the best that you can! 🙂 Thanks for reading the blog!