Name: Bowtie and Spinach Chicken Salad with Teriyaki Vinaigrette
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 8 people
Ingredients: 16 oz Bowtie pasta, cooked al dente, drained and cooled (Cooked al Dente, Drained and Cooled); 10 oz Spinach; 2 Cups Cooked Chicken (Rotisserie); 1/2 Cup Craisins; 2 Cans Mandarin Oranges (11 oz) (Drained); 4 Green Onions (thinly sliced (white and green parts)); 1/3 Cup Sesame Seeds; 1/2 Cup Honey Roasted Peanuts; 8 oz Water Chestnuts (Canned, Drained and Slivered (optional)); 1 Cup Canola Oil; 1/2 Cup Teriyaki Sauce (Bottled); 1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar; 1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar; 1/4 Cup Sugar; 1/2 Tsp Salt; 1/2 Tsp Pepper

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This delicious Bowtie and Spinach Chicken Salad is made with a base of spinach, bowtie noodles and chicken, topped with mandarin oranges, honey nut peanuts, Craisins and Green onions and served with a delicious Teriyaki Vinaigrette! Perfect for a main dish or side dish!

BOWTIE AND SPINACH SALAD

This salad is perfect to serve as a side dish or even as a dinner! My entire extended family now makes this all the time too! Once you’ve tried it, it will for sure stay in regular rotation. In fact my sister and mom usually request it over my Chicken Bowtie Pasta Salad (which I LOVE LOVE), along with my BLT Pasta Salad.

I also love this recipe, because I can mostly prep it in the morning while the noodles are boiling and then just assemble it right before serving!

Because of the addition of the spinach to this salad, it can easily become a whole meal. I especially love to take this to potluck dinners. Because, when serving just side portions, it can serve a lot of people!

HOW TO MAKE A CHICKEN BOWTIE PASTA SALAD

Cook your Bowtie Noodles until al dente.
While your noodles are cooking, combine all the dressing ingredients and combine until smooth (I like to use my blender).
Mix about 1 cup of the dressing with the cooked pasta in a large bowl and marinate for at least one hour. I often times cook them in the morning and marinate them all day until I need to assemble the salad.
Combine the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Just before serving, add the pasta to the rest of the salad ingredients and toss everything together.
Add additional dressing to taste and toss.
Serve immediately.

CAN YOU MAKE THIS SALAD AHEAD OF TIME?

Not 100%, but mostly! If you don’t plan on serving the salad right away, then I suggest waiting to assemble it all. It’s best to not coat everything in the Teriyaki dressing too far ahead of time. As mentioned in the recipe below, you will coat your noodles in the dressing, but not everything else.

While the noodles are boiling, go ahead and prep all the other ingredients. But, instead of combining them together, just store everything in individual ziplock bags.

Then when you’re ready to assemble the salad, you can just dump the ziplock bags of ingredients in with the noodles, mix and dress the salad!

HOW LONG DOES THE SALAD STAY GOOD?

Because the entire salad is coated in the Teriyaki dressing, it doesn’t stay good for more than 24-36 hours. However, you could pick the spinach out and add some new spinach to make the salad last an extra day or so!

Looking for some other yummy side salads? Check these out!

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Bowtie and Spinach Chicken Salad with Teriyaki Vinaigrette

This delicious Bowtie and Spinach Chicken Salad is made with a base of spinach, bowtie noodles and chicken, topped with mandarin oranges, honey nut peanuts, Craisins and Green onions and served with a delicious Teriyaki Vinaigrette! Perfect for a main dish or side dish!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Marinating Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 602kcal

Author: Over The Big Moon

Equipment

2 Large Mixing Bowls
Large Pot
Blender (optional)

Ingredients

16 oz Bowtie pasta, cooked al dente, drained and cooled Cooked al Dente, Drained and Cooled
10 oz Spinach
2 Cups Cooked Chicken Rotisserie
1/2 Cup Craisins
2 Cans Mandarin Oranges (11 oz) Drained
4 Green Onions thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/3 Cup Sesame Seeds
1/2 Cup Honey Roasted Peanuts
8 oz Water Chestnuts Canned, Drained and Slivered (optional)

Teriyaki Dressing

1 Cup Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Teriyaki Sauce Bottled
1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar
1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Pepper

Instructions

Cook your Bowtie Noodles until al dente.
While your noodles are cooking, combine all the dressing ingredients and combine until smooth (I like to use my blender).
Mix about 1 cup of the dressing with the cooked pasta in a large bowl and marinate for at least one hour. I often times cook the noodles in the morning and marinate them in the dressing all day until I need to assemble the salad.
Combine the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Just before serving, add the pasta to the rest of the salad ingredients and toss everything together.
Add additional dressing to taste and toss. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

If you don't plan on assembling the salad together right away, that's okay. While the noodles are boiling, go ahead and prep all the other ingredients and store them in individual ziplocks. Then when you're ready to assemble the salad, you can just dump the ziplock bags of ingredients in with the noodles and dress the salad!