Baby Spinach and Mandarin Orange Salad

No slicing, dicing or chopping required to make this Mandarin Orange Salad. It's the side salad that goes with everything and you only need a few simple ingredients. Sweet mandarin oranges, crunchy almonds, fresh baby spinach and a zingy bite from a quick homemade olive oil and vinegar dressing rounds out any meal in minutes.

Add chicken or salmon to make it a fuss-free main dish that can serve as a whole meal.

Mandarin Orange Salad with Spinach

I texted my Mom, "hey, what was that mandarin orange and spinach salad recipe you used to make all the time?" She texted this recipe card back:

Based on the stains, you know it's a keeper of a recipe.

What Goes in Mandarin Orange Salad

The basics of this easy summer salad include:

• Fresh spinach (or any leafy greens)
• Toasted sliced almonds (but if you don't toast 'em, I won't judge. It's summer after all.)
• Mandarin orange segments, canned in juice, drained

For the dressing, I followed Mom's recipe except for the sugar. I substituted it with honey which I like better because it's an emulsifier, meaning it helps bind together the other ingredients in the dressing. Honey also has a lower glycemic index compared to sugar so it causes a more subtle rise in blood sugar creating more sustained energy.

And for the vinegar, I went with a white balsamic. You could go with regular white vinegar, red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, pretty much any light colored vinegar will work here.

You can use any neutral flavored oil for the "salad oil" listed in the recipe. Great options include avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil.

I love using a quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) like Kosterina because it contains polyphenols that reduce inflammation and support heart health. EVOO and avocado oil also contain vitamin E which helps support skin and immune health.

Don't skip the hot sauce! I used a few dashes of Tabasco.

Substitutions for this Recipe

There are lots of variations on this recipe out there. Feel free to add any of the following if you like:

• Poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts or sesame seeds
• Crumbled feta cheese, blue cheese or creamy goat cheese
• Sliced red onion or green onion

How to Make Mandarin Orange Salad

Start with your salad ingredients. Combine spinach leaves, mandarin oranges, and almonds in a large salad bowl or arrange them on a large platter.

Then in a small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients: the oil, honey, vinegar, salt and black pepper and a dash of hot sauce.

Toss it all together and that's it!

What to Serve with Mandarin Orange Salad

This is a great side dish for entertaining because you can make it ahead and toss it as soon as you're ready to serve. It goes great with grilled meats, sandwiches, or can even be made into a main course by adding chicken or salmon.

• Grilled Pork Tenderloin
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Honey Garlic Salmon

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