Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad
Need an easy-to-make nutritious meal? This Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad is perfect – filled with asian flavors and protein-packed chicken to keep you full.
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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.
Need an easy-to-make nutritious meal? This Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad is perfect – filled with asian flavors and protein-packed chicken to keep you full.
What makes this chicken pasta salad healthy
This delicious chicken pasta salad packs a punch of nutritional goodness! Let’s break down why it’s a healthy choice:
- Whole Grains: The bow tie pasta adds a serving of whole grains, providing sustained energy and fiber, for more fiber use a whole wheat pasta.
- Vegetables: The cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, tomatoes, and shredded carrots contribute an array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They’re also high in fiber, promoting digestion and overall health.
- Leafy Greens: Baby spinach is a nutrient powerhouse, offering iron, calcium, and various vitamins. It’s a great base for your salad.
- Protein: The inclusion of chicken adds lean protein, essential for muscle repair and overall satiety.
- Healthy Fats: Sliced almonds and sesame oil provide healthy fats, promoting heart health and aiding in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
- Fruit: Mandarin oranges not only add a burst of sweetness but also bring vitamin C and additional antioxidants to the mix.
- Dressing: The dressing with rice vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, sesame oil, ginger, sugar, and garlic is a flavorful blend. It’s relatively light, and the use of olive oil provides heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
Remember, the key to a balanced diet is variety, and this salad covers a wide range of nutrients.
Why you’ll love this chicken pasta salad recipe
This mouth-watering chicken pasta salad is packed with nourishing ingredients that will satisfy your appetite and leave you feeling great. The mix of bow tie pasta, fresh vegetables, juicy chicken, and the sweet burst from mandarin oranges creates a delightful flavor profile. The toasted almonds add a satisfying crunch, making each bite interesting and enjoyable. Plus, it’s so simple to make—the perfect meal for busy weeknights.
RELATED: Mexican Inspired Grilled Chicken Salad with Creamy Honey Lime Dressing – juicy grilled chicken blends well with the creamy honey lime dressing and the greens and veggies make a great salad for lunch, dinner, or a snack.
Ingredients for chicken pasta salad:
- 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
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Salad making essentials
ALLIGATOR CHOPPER
Cheese grater
SALAD SPINNER
LEMON SQUEEZER
ELEGANT SALAD BOWL
MASON JARS
How to make this chicken pasta salad recipe:
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.
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.
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!
Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
Equipment You'll Need
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 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
For the dressing:
- 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)
Instructions
- Place the salad ingredients into a large bowl and toss to combine
- For the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
- Just prior to serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
Video
Nutrition
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