So how was your Fourth of July? Ours was a bit fast and furious, but we hade a great time with family and friends. We first headed up north a bit to Brook, Indiana where I spent many a 4th of July celebrations with my family. Sadly, I don't know as many people as I used to, but there were still some familiar faces to hug and kiss while we were there.
After the fun of family time, we scooted back here to host a small gathering of friends. This time Steve, aka Tall Guy, was able to join us. Poor guy, he has been working in between rains, like most farmers have been doing, to get the beans sprayed and, in some places, corn. He was my head grill master! Hamburgers, pork burgers, and hot dogs were on the menu along with the usual pitch-in fare, and this salad was my contribution to the fun!
Everyone said it was a keeper!
I love this salad because it's super easy to make, and it really is a healthy side dish to add to a big table at a gathering of family or friends. If you can boil water, you can make this easy salad that will look like you slaved for hours.
The recipe below has affiliate links in it so you can make this salad like I did.

Spinach Pasta Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 Bunch Spinach from the produce aisle
- 2 11 oz. cans Mandarin Oranges, drained
- 1 pint Strawberries, thinly sliced
- 2 pkg. Fresh Gourmet Cranberries and Glazed Walnuts
- 8 oz. Farfalle (Bowtie) Pasta
- 1 16 oz. bottle Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
- Boil water and cook pasta as directed on its box, drain, and cool.
- While the pasta is cooking, clean and prepare spinach, drain the oranges, and slice the strawberries.
- Add all these ingredients into a large serving bowl.
- Add the 2 packages of cranberries and glazed walnuts
- Pour salad dressing over all the ingredients, tossed until all are well mixed together.
The inspiration for this salad came from a Pinterest post I found from Jenn at MotherThyme.