Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad

I had this at a party and couldn't get it off my mind. It's a fruity Asian chicken salad that even my family's picky eaters enjoy. I bake my own chicken for more flavor, which adds to the prep time, but pre-cooked or canned chicken will also work just fine.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 8 mins
• Total Time: 53 mins
• Calories: 425 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 carrot, shredded
• ½ cup diced red bell pepper
• ⅓ cup rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange segments, drained
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger
• 1 (8 ounce) package bow tie (farfalle) pasta
• ½ cucumber - scored, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced
• ½ cup coarsely chopped red onion
• 2 diced Roma tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) bag fresh spinach

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

To make the dressing, whisk together the ginger root, rice vinegar, orange juice, vegetable oil, sesame oil, soup mix, sugar, and garlic until well blended. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.

Step 2

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the bowtie pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, and rinse under cold water. Place pasta in a large bowl.

Step 3

To make the salad, toss the cucumber, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, carrot, spinach, mandarin oranges, chicken, and almonds with the pasta. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture, and toss again to coat evenly. Serve immediately.