Chicken and Tortellini Salad

We spent last Saturday moving the boxes from our garage into the rooms that they belonged to. ALL. DAY. LONG. Moving is so fun... Knowing that this colossal task lay ahead of us, I started this tortellini salad on Friday night so that we could have a quick, self-serve lunch in between trips up and down the stairs on Saturday.

This colorful, tasty salad made for a delicious and filling lunch. It would also be a great recipe to take to a summertime pitch-in. You know, when summer finally gets here...

Here's what I did:

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet, then add two large boneless, skinless chicken breast that have been cut into strips. Stir in a couple cloves of minced garlic and season with salt and pepper too. I stir-fried the chicken just until it was no longer pink.

While the chicken cooked, I combined vinegar, honey, basil, parsley, dry mustard, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl to make the dressing.

Add the cooked chicken to the dressing and stir to combine. Then cover and put it into the fridge to marinate for several hours.

First thing on Saturday morning, I gathered some veggies and...

sliced them into a big salad bowl.

While I sliced the veggies, I also boiled a 9 oz. package of tortellini according to the package directions. When the tortellini was ready, I rinsed it with cold water to stop the cooking process and the let it drain.

Add the chicken and dressing to the veggies.

Stir in the tortellini too. Add salt and pepper to taste. I ended up adding grated Parmesan cheese at the end as well. Definitely a good call! Served up with some breadsticks, this meal fueled a whole afternoon of box-lugging.

Here's the recipe:

Chicken and Tortellini Salad adapted by me from the CHS Favorite PTO Luncheon Recipes

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1-1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
9-10 oz. fresh tortellini
1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and garlic. Stir-fry until the chicken is no longer pink.

Combine the vinegar, oil, honey, basil, parsley, garlic powder, and mustards in a small bowl. Whisk until the dressing is creamy.

Add the chicken to the dressing and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Cook tortellini according the the package directions and rinse with cold water. Drain. Slice and chop veggies. Toss the tortellini, vegetables, chicken, dressing, and Parmesan cheese together in a salad bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.