Name: Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: ⅓ cup rice vinegar; ¼ cup orange juice; ¼ cup olive oil; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1 teaspoon minced ginger; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 (1 ounce) packet onion soup mix; 1 clove garlic, minced; ½ (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta, cooked according to the package directions; ½ English cucumber, halved and sliced; 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced; ½ red onion, diced; 2 roma tomatoes, diced; 1 cup shredded carrots; 1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach; 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained; 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded; ½ cup sliced and toasted almonds

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Make your lunch or dinner even more delicious with this Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad. Packed with protein-rich chicken, as well as flavorful mandarin oranges, vegetables and a tasty dressing, this salad is an easy way to nourish your body.

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Why you’ll love this recipe

Feeling the need for a healthy, easy-to-make dinner tonight? Look no further than our delicious Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad! This mouth-watering dish is packed with nourishing ingredients that will satisfy your appetite and leave you feeling great. Plus, it’s so simple to make—the perfect meal for busy weeknights.

To make this healthy Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Bow tie pasta
English cucumber
Red bell pepper
Red onion
Roma tomatoes,
Shredded carrots
Baby spinach
Canned mandarin oranges
Cooked chicken
Sliced and toasted almonds

To make the dressing for Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Rice vinegar
Orange juice
Olive oil
Sesame oil
Minced ginger
Sugar
Packet onion soup mix
Clove of garlic

For the full list of ingredients, and the printable recipe, be sure to check out the recipe card below.

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How to make this healthy dinner salad

Step 1: Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the chicken breasts. Let cook until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Flip once during cooking to ensure even browning. Once cooked through, transfer cooked chicken to a plate to keep warm until ready to assemble salad.

Step 2: Prepare pasta according to package directions. Cool cooked pasta in cold water before combining with vegetables.

Step 3: Place the salad ingredients into a large bowl and toss to combine

Step 4: For the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.

Step 5: Just prior to serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Make this Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad for dinner, then check out my Mexican Inspired Grilled Chicken Salad with Creamy Honey Lime Dressing, my Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad, and my Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad and more of my pasta salad recipes.

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Tips

You can use canned chicken OR freshly made oven baked (or air fried) chicken in this mandarin chicken salad.
If you are going to store this salad before serving, wait to add the slivered almonds until you’re ready to serve the salad as the slivers can soak up some of the moisture and lose the crunch.
If you choose to store this salad in the fridge before serving, make sure you mix again prior to serving as ingredients may have settled.

How to store leftover chicken pasta salad

Once your pasta salad is prepared, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

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Other Pasta Salad recipes to try:

Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad – This pasta salad is loaded with your favorite pasta noodles, fresh tomatoes and mozzarella and tossed in the best tasty pesto! It’s such an easy dish and perfect for anytime of the year!
Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad – packed with fresh summer vegetables like fresh seasonal corn, radishes, zucchini, heirloom tomatoes straight from the Farmer’s Market or even from your garden this salad is coated with a simple dressing, making a tasty side dish.
Vegetarian Mexican Inspired Pasta Salad – Tender pasta is combined with Mexican-inspired flavors that’s loaded with corn, black beans, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and a creamy lime dressing for a perfect summer time salad, great for barbecues, picnics, grilled meats or fish and more!

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