Asian Style Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad
This Asian Style Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad, tossed in a sesame oil and soy sauce-based dressing, is a refreshing, Asian-inspired side dish perfect for picnics. This is great for lunch, a light main meal, or even a supper-time side dish. Serve it for the family, or make it ahead for your next barbecue.
Do you ever roast a whole chicken, and then wonder what you’re going to do with all the leftover meat after dinner is over?
This is perfect for a chicken dinner day after. Pick those bones clean! Don’t let anything go to waste.
As my mom always said, ‘A penny saved is a penny earned.’
That, and some juicy, leftover pieces from your roast chicken would be the perfect reason to whip up this dish.
Vegetarian or looking for a meatless meal idea? Omit the chicken. All the original tangy flavors will still infiltrate every bite.
Summer will be here before we know it, and this quick, colorful, and oh-so tasty cold, oriental noodle salad will pair perfectly with the season!
If you’ve tried this ASIAN STYLE CHICKEN SPINACH PASTA SALAD, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotini pasta
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp sugar
- salt & pepper to taste
- 3 cups diced or shredded, cooked chicken
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper strips optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water to stop it cooking, stirring occasionally. Set aide once the pasta's cool to the touch.
- Let a medium sized skillet heat up over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds, and cook stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside.
- Add the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, sesame seeds, salt & pepper to a large mixing bowl, and whisk together until the vinaigrette is evenly incorporated and smooth.
- Add the pasta to the mixing bowl, and toss together until the pasta's evenly coated.
- Stir in the chicken, cilantro, spinach, carrots, and peppers, if using. Toss and serve.
This pasta salad looks delicious! I pinned it so I can make it at our next BBQ. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! Be sure to let me know what you think. I love the full-bodied flavor and light feel of it.
That looks great, and yes am often looking for ideas to use up chicken after a roast!
Hi Meaghan,
We would just love your Asian Pasta Salad, I can almost taste it! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great day!
Miz Helen
I love it when a recipe grabs me like that and I can already ‘taste’ the finished product! Thanks for hosting and I’m so glad you liked it.
I don’t seem to have that problem with chicken, but I certainly have a tricky time using up baby spinach and cilantro! This looks delicious, and perfect for hot summer days!
Usually if I’m uninspired with my chicken leftover, I’ll make chicken salad or freeze it. Baby spinach I don’t ever have a problem going through. Cilantro, on the other hand, is always a trouble spot for me. Which is sad because after I’ve let some go to waste, I’m inundated with ideas for how it COULD have been used.
Im writing ur website down, so i can look at it, more when i have time, I would love to make ur pasta salads for a potluck, any sugestions, taking it to a potluck, will be sitting out for about a hr in a cool place, should i put dressing in macaroni or wait till i get there and do it, right before serving {that is put in dressing before serving} plz help, any addons im feeding 18 to 25 yrs olds and i want to make them happy with my meal. thnx
Cecilia, since this is an oil based dressing heat shouldn’t be an issue, but if it were me I would go ahead and add the dressing that way the pasta really absorbs the flavor. I would hold the spinach though and stir that in closer to serving so it doesn’t wilt. Thanks for the compliment, and I do hope you’ll be back 🙂 We have many yummy pasta salads and I can’t wait to hear what you think.
This is a really delicious healthy lunch idea, love the flavours you’ve used! Thank you for bringing it to FF:)
This sounds so perfect when you’d want to enjoy a light meal! Looks so good, too!😍 Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party and I hope you’ll have a chance to visit other party goers!
Yes, it’s perfect for a light meal that will still fill you up without weighing you down.
So refreshing