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.
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Mandarin Orange Salad
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Description
Spinach salad with sweet mandarin oranges, crunchy almonds and a tangy bite from a quick homemade vinaigrette that comes together in minutes.
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- 1/4 cup oil (avocado or extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 Tbs honey
- 2 Tbs white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- dash ground black pepper
- dash hot sauce
Salad Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds
- 1 15 oz can mandarin oranges, canned in juice, drained
- 16 oz fresh spinach
Instructions
- In a jar or salad dressing container, combine the 1/4 cup oil, 2 Tbs sugar, 2 Tbs vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, a dash of pepper and a dash of hot sauce. Whisk to combine and stir up / shake right before serving as the oil and vinegar will separate.
- If you want to toast the almonds, heat a dry pan over medium-high heat on your stovetop. Add 1/4 cup sliced almonds to the pan and move pan in circular motions so the nuts move around and get toasted evenly. Keep an eye on the almonds so they don’t burn! Once toasted and fragrant, transfer the toasted nuts to a cup or plate until you’re ready to assemble your salad.
- Combine 16 oz fresh spinach with 1 15oz can drained mandarin oranges in a large salad bowl. Add the toasted almonds to the salad. Add as much dressing as desired to the salad and toss to evenly coat the spinach leaves.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 177
- Sugar: 10.2 g
- Sodium: 270.8 mg
- Fat: 12.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.2 g
- Fiber: 3.4 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I love the groupings of pictures when doing food blogs like this. I haven’t done it yet with a recipe but it’s really effective. I needed a recipe from Hubby’s Gram (who long since passed), and Tim (hubby), his mom texted me. It’s so great to see the stains and the use.
Back before I meet Tim, I never wanted my cookery books to get messy and since meeting him, my entire outlook changed. Now, a worn book, is a happy book. A few stains and splashes, just adds to it’s charm.
Happy Cooking and Happy Shooting!
Absolutely! I agree <3 Thanks for stopping by and saying 'hi'!
Many thanks. This is the recipe I remember. Simple ingredients.