Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad

I love a good Chinese chicken salad so when my friend Rhonda (hi, Rhonda!) posted on facebook that she had made this salad for dinner and it was delicious I knew I had to try it!  Now, this is not a "traditional" Chinese chicken salad but it definitely has all the flavor profiles I am looking for when eating one (salty, sweet, crunchy.)  I loved the addition of the onion soup mix to the dressing too, so clever!  This is a great thing to make ahead and then toss with the dressing just before serving.  I hope you enjoy!

Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad (adapted from allrecipes.com)

For the dressing:

1/2 t. dried ginger
1/3 c. rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 c. olive oil (not extra virgin)
1 t. sesame oil
1 (1 oz.) package dry onion soup mix
1 clove garlic, finely minced

For the salad:

8 oz. bow tie pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained and rinsed in cold water
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/4 c. green onion, sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 carrot, shredded
1 (6 oz.) bag fresh spinach
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin orange segments, drained
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, roasted and diced (I roast mine with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper at 375 for 40 minutes.  Let cool then dice.)
1/2 c. sliced almonds, toasted

For the dressing:

Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid and shake to combine.  Set aside.

For the salad:

Combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl and pour the dressing over the top.  Toss to combine.

6 servings (413 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com