The best of both worlds–a spinach salad and a pasta salad, all drenched in an easy, Asian dressing. Sunflower seeds give a fabulous crunch, instead of nuts, as well as water chestnuts. A cool summer must-have, this Gluten & Dairy-free Asian Pasta & Spinach Salad is also free of: wheat, eggs, soy, peanuts and tree nuts, making this top-8-free and a very allergy-friendly recipe!
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Do you ever have a recipe that you used to love, and then you forget about it? This is what happened with this Asian Pasta Salad! I first had it at work almost ten years ago when we had a potluck. It was sooo good, that I begged my co-worker to give me the recipe (thanks Cori Lynn!). This was back when I was newly married and had no children. I would make this often–even making it when I had company over.
After my son was diagnosed with his food allergies, I kind of hid all of my recipes away figuring I couldn’t have them again. I was going through memory lane and suddenly realized that this could TOTALLY be adapted to be allergy friendly and I was THRILLED to say the least. It’s like being reunited with an old family friend.
My husband, who is not a cold pasta salad lover (how are we even married!!??), actually says this is one of his favorite–although he is quirky, and has to warm his bowl up–says it’s better warm, which I say defeats the whole “cold pasta salad” thing going on. I don’t get it, but I let it slide. He has many other redeeming qualities.
If your kids are like mine, they’re not huge on spinach salads, so the fact that I tear the spinach, so it’s smaller and easier to get in their mouths, and that it’s usually wrapped around pasta, makes them a lot more willing to eat it.
If you cannot have a soy allergy (it’s one of the few top 8 we can) then you can sub out coconut aminos for the same amount, no biggie!
Frequently Asked Questions About My Gluten and Dairy-free Asian Pasta & Spinach Salad:
- Can I use another green other than spinach? Yes! My son couldn’t do spinach for years and we’ve been trialing it. Feel free to use any green you like.
- What type of gluten-free pasta do you use? I prefer Barilla as I feel it is sturdier, since it has both rice and corn in it.
- Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts? Absolutely.
- We’re allergic to sunflower seeds, what can we do? You could use pumpkin seeds!
- Can I make this a few hours in advance? Yes! In fact, I recommend it, so it can soak in the dressing well. But, I wouldn’t go over a few hours so the spinach doesn’t wilt.
- Is this good as a lunch or dinner? Heck yes to both.
- I’m allergic to sesame, what can I do? You can just omit this. It just adds an extra layer of flavor, but doesn’t make or break the recipe.
- Can I adjust the salad ingredient amounts? Definitely. If you like more spinach, or more pasta, more chicken, less sunflower seeds, it’s all very flexible. If you end up adding a lot more, I’d recommend you double the dressing.
I hope that this Gluten & Dairy-free Asian Pasta & Spinach Salad helps you have a cool, refreshing meal this summer with lots of flavor and lots of crunch! Enjoy this easy dinner!
Do I have any other gluten and dairy free pasta salad recipes?
I told you I loved pasta salads! All of my pasta salads are: gluten, dairy and egg free. (With options to add those back in if you don’t need to avoid them.) Here’s to a summer full of delicious pasta salads!
- Gluten and dairy free Tuscan Pasta Salad
- Gluten and dairy free Taco Pasta Salad
- Gluten and dairy free Avocado BLT Pasta Salad
- Gluten and dairy free Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Salad
- Gluten and dairy free Basil, Lemon and Avocado Creamy Pasta Salad
- Gluten and dairy free Ham, Asparagus and Lemon Pasta Salad
Do you have a video showing how to make this Asian Pasta & Spinach Salad?
Yes, I do! I like to use TikTok because their videos are short and succinct. This general overview should give you a good idea of how to make this sensational Asian pasta salad. I also have the video saved to my Instagram Highlight Bubbles. Enjoy!
@allergyawesomenessAsian spinach pasta salad ##glutenfreerecipes ##foodallergy ##learnontiktok ##tiktokpartner ##greenscreen♬ original sound – Megan Lavin
Gluten & Dairy-free Asian Pasta & Spinach Salad
The best of both worlds--a spinach salad and a pasta salad, all drenched in an easy, Asian dressing. Sunflower seeds give a fabulous crunch, instead of nuts, as well as water chestnuts. A cool summer must-have, this Gluten & Dairy-free Asian Pasta & Spinach Salad is also free of: wheat, eggs, soy, peanuts and tree nuts, making this top-8-free and a very allergy-friendly recipe!
Ingredients
- SALAD:
- 5 oz spinach, roughly chopped or town (half of a 10 oz bag--save the rest for smoothies!)
- 8 oz. gluten-free pasta
- 1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds
- 2 small cans of sliced water chestnuts
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (This is also great for leftover rotisserie!)
- DRESSING:
- 1/3 cup oil (I use canola)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 Tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon jarred minced garlic
- 1 and 1/2 tsp. sesame seed oil
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl place the torn spinach, cooked and cooled pasta, sunflower seeds, drained water chestnuts and shredded chicken.
- In a jar with a fitted lid (I use a mason jar) pour all of the ingredients for the dressing: cooking oil, sugar, salt, gluten-free soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar and sesame seed oil. Place the lid on and shake vigorously. Immediately pour over the salad.
- Toss well to coat. Serve immediately, or place in the fridge for several hours to chill before serving. Toss again before serving.
DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT, SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT! BE SURE TO ALSO CHECK OUT MY OTHER ALLERGY-FRIENDLY PINTEREST BOARDS!
Looking for more allergy-friendly pasta salads? Try these!
Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Salad
Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with you, to help you eat like you did before food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!
Related Recipes:
Allergy-Friendly Red Pepper Pasta (GF, DF, Egg, Soy, Peanut/Tree nut, Free, Top 8 Free, Vegan)
Gluten Free Vegan Pasta: Creamy Lemon Basil & Avocado
Gluten & Dairy Free Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Salad
Gluten & Dairy-free Spinach & Sausage Pasta
Leftover Ham, Asparagus & Lemon Pasta (Gluten & Dairy Free!)
Dairy Free Taco Pasta Salad
Melissa
I’ve tried many of your recipes and all have been delicious. Question though, how is this soy free when you’re using soy sauce in this dish?
Megan Lavin
Hey Melissa, I am so glad you like some of my recipes. It says in the post above: “If you cannot have a soy allergy (it’s one of the few top 8 we can) then you can sub out coconut aminos for the same amount, no biggie!”
But, I will also add it to the notes section, in case others missed it as well. 🙂