Spinach Chicken Salad

Name: Spinach Chicken Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 5 cups cooked chicken; 2 cups green grapes; 1 cup snow peas; 2 cups fresh spinach; 2 ½ cups celery; 7 oz dry rotini pasta or elbow macaroni; 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts; ½ cucumber; 3 scallions with tops; ½ cup neutral-flavored vegetable oil; ¼ cup sugar; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon dried minced onion; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 2 tablespoons fresh parsley; large spinach leaves; orange; sliced almonds; sunflower seeds

Sweet grape halves and tender chicken make this spinach-and-pasta salad more surprising than it looks. Keep the lightly sweet vinaigrette aside until serving so the greens retain their lift.

By Betty Lou Gardner1 hr 25 minUpdated 2026-08-25

This Spinach Chicken Salad is a fresh, satisfying combination of tender chicken, sweet grapes, crisp vegetables, pasta, and marinated artichokes tossed in a lightly sweet vinaigrette! Colorful and full of texture, it’s the kind of make-ahead salad that works equally well for luncheons, warm-weather dinners, potlucks, or casual entertaining.

Betty Lou Gardner in a family archival photograph

Granny’s Kitchen Notes

From Betty Lou Gardner

I cut the grapes in half no matter how small they look. I slice the celery thin enough that it blends into the salad instead of taking over. I keep the dressing in a jar in the refrigerator until serving time. A handful of toasted almonds on top is usually worth the extra step.

How to Make Spinach Chicken Salad

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Rotini pasta boiling in a saucepan beside a colander of cooked pasta in a vintage-style kitchen.

Cook and Cool the Pasta

Cook the pasta until tender but still firm, then rinse, drain well, and cool completely.

Cubed chicken, green grapes, snow peas, spinach, thinly sliced celery, cucumber, scallions, artichoke hearts, and cooled rotini arranged for spinach chicken salad.

Prepare and Chill the Salad

Prepare the chicken, grapes, spinach, celery, snow peas, artichokes, cucumber, and scallions; combine them with the cooled pasta and chill until cold.