A Crowd Pleaser - Spinach and Chicken Pasta Salad

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, by Leigh Anne

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“Feeding the people we love”

Today’s recipe is a definite crowd pleaser - I know that because I have fixed this salad for a total of about 600 people!! Most recently, I fixed this salad for a luncheon I did for the American Mother’s State Convention this past Saturday. I have also served it to a church group of 450 woman! Yes - that is 450 people all at one time. Each time I fix it I have numerous requests for the recipe.

Last week a sweet friend emailed me about a salad someone had brought to her daughter’s book club that was delicious - she sent me the recipe and it was this recipe! The gal that brought it had been at the church dinner I served it at. So this one is a definite keeper!

I originally got the recipe from my husband’s cousin when she brought it to my in-law’s 80th birthday party (their birthdays are 5 days apart!) Thank you Kelly!

I love this salad because it is a complete meal - it has spinach, chicken and pasta. It is also fairly inexpensive so you can feed a crowd on a budget! It is an easy one to stretch if you need to - just add more spinach. it also looks pretty on the plate because of the different colors - the oranges, craisinets. It also has great texture - the crunch of the water chestnuts, peanuts and sesame seeds and the addition of pasta and chicken just make it the perfect full meal salad.

So if you ever have to fix dinner for 450 women you now have the perfect recipe - it’s great for just your family dinner too!

16 oz. bow tie pasta, cooked al dente

Dressing:1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup Yoshida’s gourmet sauce

2/3 cup white wine vinegar

6 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Salad consists of:

20 oz. bag of spinach

1 6 oz. bag craisins

3 cans mandarin oranges, drained

2 cans sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup parsley chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

6 oz. peanuts

2 cups chicken, cut into pieces.

Blend dressing in blender. Mix dressing and pasta and marinade for 2 hours (in a ziploc bag). Combine rest and add pasta and dressing and toss

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Categories: Nourish, Recipes

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5 Responses to “A Crowd Pleaser - Spinach and Chicken Pasta Salad”

Leigh Anne this looks so yummy! How many servings would you say for this size of recipe?

Hi-Where do you find Yoshida’s gourmet sauce?? And if I can’t find it in my area-what could I substitute? Love your recipes!!!

Linda,
If you are serving as a meal and not a side, one recipe, 20 oz. of spinach will feed 10 but when feeding a crowd I buy the 40 oz. bags of spinach from Costco and that will feed 20. I use the same amounts of everything else - this recipe really stretches! I just make up some extra dressing and add in more as I go to make sure it’s not too dry. Sorry this isn’t more exact. It’s one of those recipes that I just throw things in by the handful and make it stretch to feed how many people I have - add a little more spinach, add a little more dressing etc.

Paula »

I buy it at Costco. Mr Yoshida lives here in Portland so it is easy to find! If you can’t find it you could just use teriyaki sauce. I think the gourme sauce is a little sweeter so just taste and see if the dressing might need a bit more sugar. Enjoy!

I made this salad yesterday too, the ladies at my mid week luncheon loved it and took most of the leftover home. I love this salad!!

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