This fun and delicious pasta salad recipe combines fresh veggies, crunchy seeds, tangy fruit, and tender pasta with a savory teriyaki dressing.
Spinach Pasta Salad

Ingredients
DRESSING
2 Tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 Tablespoons vinegar (white, rice or cider)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon each salt and black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
SALAD
2 cups cooked pasta (try whole wheat shells, bow ties, macaroni or other small shapes)
4 cups fresh spinach
¼ cup dried cranberries
2 Tablespoons sunflower seed kernels
1 can (15 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Rinse fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients.
- Add the salad ingredients. Mix well. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Try using ⅓ cup prepared sesame or ginger salad dressing from the store to replace the dressing ingredients.
You might also like...
Kiwi Popsicles

Kiwi Popsicles
Everyone will love these beautiful and naturally sweet and citrus-flavored treats. Perfect use for fresh or frozen kiwi and refreshing any time of year.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Makes:
8 pops
Salsa Macha

Salsa Macha
You will love this pepper-infused oil made with hot peppers, garlic and peanuts. It is delicious drizzled on just about anything and stores well in your refrigerator or freezer.
Prepare:
20 minutes
Cook:
20 minutes
Makes:
1 ½ cups
Spring Fling Vegetable Chowder

Spring Fling Vegetable Chowder
A delicious chowder packed with spring vegetables, hearty potatoes and topped with tangy cheddar cheese.
Prepare:
15 minutes
Cook:
30 minutes
Makes:
8 cups
Sautéed Onions

Sautéed Onions
Sweet and tender onions are great for adding to other recipes including dips, pizzas, pastas and topping meats.
Prepare:
5 minutes
Cook:
15 minutes
Makes:
1 cup
Broccoli and Everything Salad

Broccoli and Everything Salad
Fresh vegetables and your choice of protein combined with a creamy dressing that is great as a side or on its own!
Prepare:
15 minutes
Makes:
5 Cups
Vegetable and Beef Skillet Meal

Vegetable and Beef Skillet Meal
Warm and comforting meal with beef and veggies over warm rice and topped with cheese.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
45 minutes
Makes:
8 cups
Comments
We make this with our 5th grade classes and they love it. One suggestion they always have, though, is less vinegar. I do usually use a lot less than what the recipe calls for since the first time I made it, the majority of the class said it had too much and didn't like. Once we cut the vinegar back to 1 TBSP, they all give me the thumbs up.
Kamut works very nicely as a substitute for the pasta in this recipe. It's hearty and chewy texture holds up well and takes care of the "squishy" problem noted in the previous review.
Made this recipe for our office staff for lunch. Got really good feedback and everyone seemed to really like the dressing. However, I think if I made it again I would not do substitute quinoa for the pasta. I just felt like the texture of the cooked macaroni combined with the texture of the spinach made the salad a bit "squishy."
A coworker also suggested adding some chopped chicken as well, but I think it was fine without it.