Chinese Pasta Salad

The origin of this recipe is one of the oldest and most well worn in my collection. I found it in a magazine in the early 90s. It was in an ad for Miracle Whip Salad Dressing and was called Chinese Chicken Salad. It was probably the recipe that introduced soy sauce to my household. I’ve made it many times usually without the chicken and have made other adaptions to it over the years. The soy and ginger combination gives the dressing a unique taste that blends well with the fresh veggies.

Speaking of ginger, do you know about this stuff?

You see fresh ginger often in Asian influenced recipes. I know it’s tempting to use ground dry ginger or even skip it but ginger in a tube makes it super simple to get that awesome fresh flavor without having to deal with peeling and grating ginger root.

On with the recipe…you need:

1 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing

2 tablespoons lite soy sauce

1 tsp fresh ginger paste (can substitute dry ground ginger)

1/4 tsp hot sauce

3 cups cooked rotini pasta

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

3/4 cup chopped carrots

1 cup red bell pepper

1/4 cup green onions

While you prep your other food, let your peas thaw. I poured mine out onto a shallow plate.

Cook your pasta according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, chop up your carrots, peppers, and green onions. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Sit aside while you mix your dressing.

Mix your Miracle Whip, soy sauce, ginger and hot sauce together until well blended. The soy will give the dressing a slightly dark color. Pour your pasta and  veggies into a large bowl and give them a gentle toss. Remember your peas are fragile!

Add your dressing in and again toss gently.

And there you have it, a creamy, dreamy pasta salad with some Asian kick! You can totally add in some cooked chicken to make it a meal. And you could use mayonnaise instead of Miracle Whip if you’re opposed to tangy zip.