Asian Pasta Salad
Asian Pasta Salad features tender pasta, fresh baby spinach, crisp red peppers, toasted almonds, juicy mandarin oranges, crunchy carrots, and fresh herbs, all tossed in a delicious sesame-soy dressing.
Servings: 8 servings
Cost: $6.23
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package rotini pasta
- 4-1/2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
- 1-1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can mandarin oranges
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/3 cup chopped green onions
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds optional
Dressing
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, pepper, and sesame seeds in a mason jar. Place the lid on and shake until combined.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water until cool. Transfer to a large bowl and immediately toss with 3–4 tablespoons of the dressing.
- Add the coarsely chopped spinach, shredded rotisserie chicken, chopped red pepper, drained mandarin oranges, shredded carrots, chopped green onions, and fresh cilantro to the large bowl with the cooled pasta.
- Toss all the ingredients together gently, then coat with the remaining dressing as desired. If desired, top with sliced toasted almonds (see note 1). Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Note 1: If desired, toast the almonds: Spread the sliced almonds into an even layer in a small, dry (no need to add oil) pan over medium heat and stir them around a bit until fragrant and toasted to your liking. Watch carefully; they can go from perfectly toasted to burnt in an instant! I like to remove them as soon as they begin to smell fragrant.
Storage: This salad doesn’t store well with the dressing, so only dress what will be eaten right away.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.2g | Protein: 26.4g | Fat: 29.3g | Sodium: 500.8mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 9.4g