Dairy-Free Creamy Sesame Soy Chicken Pasta Salad
This Creamy Sesame Soy Chicken Pasta Salad is the perfect dairy-free dinner party salad. Super creamy vegan sesame dressing drizzled all over juicy chicken, bouncy pasta, and fresh veggies is an easy potluck dish for all group gatherings. Don’t miss out on my ultimate party prepping tip for this salad recipe that made hosting 22 people so easy. Whether it’s for your next holiday party, or just for a meal prep lunch, this salad has everything you need.
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Easy Party Prepping with Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad
This month, I hosted a café experience for 22 amazing people in my life. If you couldn’t tell, my love language is definitely food. There’s just something about recipe testing, preparing, and hosting the event and showing my friends and family my appreciation that really brings me joy. With treats such as chicken salad croissants, matcha lemon tonic, matcha shortbread cookies, and more.
I made this Asian Chicken Pasta Salad because one of my friends has a dairy-free diet. To make this pasta salad creamy with no dairy, I used Tahini as the base for a rich texture. This salad is actually my party prep secret. I mix the salad with 3/4 of the dressing and marinade the chicken the day before. The next day, I crisp up the chicken and mix it in with cucumbers and the rest of the dressing to keep the salad flavorful, but not stale.
Vegan and Dairy-Free Tahini Dressing: A Healthier Option
This pasta salad has the most delicious nutty and tangy sesame dressing that goes great with pasta salads, fresh green salads, or even on a sandwich! The star of this dairy-free sesame dressing is tahini, a ground paste of toasted sesame seeds. It’s rich in heart-heathy fats and is a great source of fiber, vitamins, and calcium. To finish off this tasty salad dressing, I added in some soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and freshly grated ginger. It’s so simple – but gives you a rich creamy flavor without making the salad feel heavy. Replace the chicken with tofu or mushrooms in this salad recipe, and it’s a completely vegan, dairy-free meal!
Top Your Salad with Crispy Soy Glazed Chicken
To bulk up this salad with some protein, I topped off this rich and creamy pasta salad with a Soy Glazed Asian Chicken. It’s a satisfyingly juicy and savory addition to the salad. For my event, I served this marinated chicken chopped up and warm on top of the cold salad, but it will be tasty warm or chilled.
This soy-based marinade is fool-proof and the chicken always comes out full of amazing flavor. For parties, I like to marinade this chicken overnight for extra flavor. But, if you’re making this for a quick lunch or dinner, at least 30 minutes of marinating should be ok.
Chicken Pasta Salad Ingredient
- 1 Pound Chicken Thighs
- 1 box Pasta of Choice
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper
- 1 Cup Cooked Edamame
- ¼ cup Green Onion
- 1 Cup Cucumber
- Cilantro Garnish
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons Tahini
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Freshly Grated Ginger
- A Pinch of Sugar
Marinade
- ½ Cup Soy sauce
- ½ Cup Oyster Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Five Spice Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 1.5 tablespoon minced garlic
How To Make Creamy Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad
- In a container, mix together tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grated ginger, and a pinch of sugar. Set aside the sesame dressing.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in soy sauce, oyster sauce, five spice powder, garlic powder, sugar, and garlic.
- Place chicken thighs into a mixing bowl and mix well with a large wooden spoon or by hand. Make sure all pieces of chicken are evenly coated
- Cover with plastic wrap and marinade in fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
- Cook pasta according to directions on package, drain, and set aside.
- Add chopped red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, edamame, and green onion to a mixing bowl.
- Pour sesame dressing over top and mix well.
- Pan-fry the chicken for 4 minutes on each side or until crispy and golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Chop chicken and cucumber into bite sized piece, and mix into your salad before serving.
For more Easy Dinner Party Hosting Recipes and Tips:
Dairy-Free Creamy Sesame Soy Chicken Pasta Salad
By Tiffy Cooks
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Chicken Thighs
- 1 box Pasta of Choice
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper
- 1 Cup Cooked Edamame
- ¼ cup Green Onion
- 1 Cup Cucumber
- Cilantro Garnish
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons Tahini
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Freshly Grated Ginger
- A Pinch of Sugar
Marinade
- ½ Cup Soy sauce
- ½ Cup Oyster Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Five Spice Powder
- 1- Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1- Tablespoon Sugar
- 1.5 tablespoon minced garlic
Instructions
- In a container, mix together tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grated ginger, and a pinch of sugar. Set aside the sesame dressing.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in soy sauce, oyster sauce, five spice powder, garlic powder, sugar, and garlic.
- Place chicken thighs into a mixing bowl and mix well. Make sure all pieces of chicken are evenly coated
- Cover with plastic wrap and marinade in fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
- Cook pasta according to directions on package, drain, and set aside.
- Add chopped red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, edamame, and green onion to a mixing bowl.
- Pour sesame dressing over top and mix well.
- Pan-fry the chicken for 4 minutes on each side or until crispy and golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Chop chicken and cucumber into bite sized piece, and mix into your salad before serving.
