you're making mealtime meaningful.
Spring is here and summer is just around the corner! Along with the warmer weather and longer days, this time of year brings grill outs, picnics in the park, and BBQs. What’s a summertime get-together without pasta salad? If you’re looking for a sweet, salty, crunchy pasta salad that’s bursting with flavor, this Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad is the recipe for you! Go ahead and see how easily it comes together in the video below.
Not only does this salad come together in a snap, it’s colorful and oh so tasty. With refreshing cucumbers, crunchy almonds, sweet mandarin oranges, and a tangy homemade dressing, what’s not to love about this pasta salad? The perfect side dish for burgers, brats, and kebobs, this is one dish you won’t want to miss.
Start by making the pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water to cool down and set aside.
To make the dressing, drain the mandarin oranges, reserving 1/4 cup of juice. Pour the juice in a small mixing bowl. Set oranges aside. Add ginger, vinegar, oil, onion soup mix, minced garlic, and sugar to the orange juice bowl. Mix well and let sit for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, it’s time to assemble the salad! Add the rest of the salad ingredients – cucumber, bell pepper, onion, carrots, chicken, and drained oranges to a large bowl, tossing to combine. Stir in precooked and cooled bow tie pasta, mixing well. Pour orange dressing over pasta and toss to evenly coat. Top with sliced almonds and cheese! Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Try this recipe the next time you’re in the mood for something a little different. Check out the full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions below!
Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad
Yield(s): Serves 8-10
10m prep time
30m inactive
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced and quartered
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup matchstick carrots
- 2 cups chopped or shredded chicken breast, cooked
- 1 can (29 oz) mandarin oranges (reserve 1/4th cup juice)
- 1 teaspoon dry ginger
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 package dry onion soup mix
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 8 ounces bowtie/farfalle pasta, cooked, drained and rinsed in cold water
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preparation
- Make pasta according to package directions, rinsing with cold water to cool down. Set aside.
- To make the dressing, drain the mandarin oranges, reserving 1/4 cup of juice. Pour the juice in a small mixing bowl. Set oranges aside. Add ginger, vinegar, oil, onion soup mix, minced garlic, and sugar to the orange juice bowl. Mix well and let sit for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, it’s time to assemble the salad! Add the rest of the salad ingredients - cucumber, bell pepper, onion, carrots, chicken, and drained oranges to a large bowl, tossing to combine. Stir in precooked and cooled bow tie pasta, mixing well.
- Pour orange dressing over pasta and toss to evenly coat. Top with sliced almonds and cheese! Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Recipe adapted from <a href="https://www.saltysidedish.com/mandarin-salad-with-chicken-pasta/"Salty Side Dish.
