Mandarin Pasta Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Dressing

This Mandarin Pasta Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Dressing is easy, quick, healthy, and tossed in the most addictive teriyaki vinaigrette dressing! 

Happy Salad Monday!!! I’ve been looking forward to this moment because this salad is my new obsession. I mean… it’s not like I’ve already made it three times in the past five days or anything…

Oh wait. yes I have.

Once for my husband and myself, then for a neighbor (and myself), and then for a huge family gathering on Sunday (where I was present). Every single time it completely disappeared and everyone raved about it.

And I’m just going to be totally honest – this dressing is positively addictive. It completely makes the salad. And that’s saying something because the combination of craisins + spinach + mandarin oranges + pine nuts + cilantro borders on magical. But the dressing. THE DRESSING.

It makes me want to cry.

Tears of blissful heavenly joy.

I’ve actually doubled the dressing recipe and saved half to keep in the fridge. All day long I find myself looking for anything and everything to dip in this stuff. Pasta, chicken, pretzels, cucumbers. And yes, once or twice I may have opted to go straight for the spoon.

One taste and you will understand what I’m talking about. I am begging you. Make this salad.

Pretty pretty pretty please. Something this incredible has to be shared.

What people are saying about this Mandarin Pasta Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Dressing

“SO delicious! Love this salad and have made it three times this week. There’s more than enough dressing for this recipe – which is fine, because I can use it all week long. Double the entire recipe, and then in a sealable bowl, layer the cooked pasta, then the oranges, then spinach, then cranberries, then cilantro. No dressing. Then when I want it, I just add the nuts and dressing (already in a jar in the fridge), shake the bowl and done!” – Kristen 

“All things heavenly! I do food prep every Sunday for my work week in my Mason Jars and so I put this salad in the jars (dressing separate). Just had my first today after 3 days of sitting in fridge. It was still fresh, crisp and my all time favorite salad now! I just put the dressing in a small container, poured a little in jar and shook up real good, then poured out on plate. Used a spiral whole wheat noodle and regular raisins but those were the only 2 changes I made, (because they were all I had) and YUMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! My new favorite! Thank you so much for posting!” – Lori 

“This salad dressing is AWESOME!!! The BEST Asian I have ever had!! All others fall short. The salad is delicious, I used sugar snap peas, red onion, carrots honey roasted almonds and the spinach and mandarin oranges of course. A very versatile salad!” – Gina 

“This is my family’s new favorite salad! Everyone that has the opportunity to taste it loves it. I recently retired from the Fire Dept and this would have been a huge hit in the Firehouse. Thanks for posting it, it is very rare to have something this easy and wonderful come along. (we also often add grilled chicken or steak to it and it becomes our summer night main dish)” – Mike

4.89 from 9 votes

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Mandarin Pasta Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Dressing

This salad is easy, quick, healthy, and tossed in the most addictive teriyaki vinaigrette dressing!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Asian

Keyword mandarin, spinach, teriyaki

Prep Time 15 minutes

Servings 4

Author Tiffany

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bowtie pasta noodles
• 4 cups spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 1/3 cup Diamond of California Pine Nuts or cashews
• 1 4-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Dressing

• 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (the thicker, the better!)
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar (may sub apple cider vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (if you have it)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup oil (such as vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil)

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2. While pasta is boiling, prepare the dressing. In a jar combine all dressing ingredients. Cover and shake to combine. Chill until ready to use.

3. In a large bowl toss together pasta, spinach, raisins, nuts, mandarin oranges, and cilantro. Just before serving pour dressing over salad, toss, and serve.

Recipe Notes

If possible, opt for a thicker teriyaki sauce. My favorite brand is Kikkoman.

Recipe inspired by The Style Sisters.

A huge thank you to Diamond of California Nuts for sponsored this awesome salad recipe!