Mandarin Orange Salad – Rachel Cooks®

Most canned fruit is type of a disappointment—I imply, would anybody select canned peaches over recent? Or mealy canned pears over the true deal? Mandarin oranges are one of many few exceptions. They’re juicy and shiny and so they virtually pop in your mouth while you chew into them. Which implies they’re an absolute delight on this mandarin orange salad!

Should you’re searching for a kid-friendly salad, that is it. Along with the mandarin oranges, it has cranberries and a honey-sweetened dressing, after which there’s all the colourful colours that make it interesting, too. However this salad can be successful with adults, making it nice for potlucks or as a aspect dish for yard get-togethers.

Causes to Love Mandarin Orange Salad

It’s a breeze to make. This mandarin orange salad comes collectively in minutes and there’s not a complete lot of prep work concerned in comparison with different salads. Win!

The right aspect salad. Some aspect salads are nothing greater than a handful of greens and a few dry shredded carrots with maaaaybe a single olive or cucumber slice in the event you’re fortunate. Womp womp. This mandarin orange salad is mild sufficient to be a aspect salad, however scrumptious sufficient that it’s not simply an afterthought.

A salad for salad haters. That is the type of salad that individuals who usually object to salads will fortunately eat. It’s received the mandarin oranges and cranberries for sweetness, delicate child spinach, and a lightweight, zippy dressing. Nothing objectionable right here! 

Ingredient Notes

I’ll run by way of the fundamentals of creating this salad right here and provide you with a couple of useful ideas. Remember to check with the recipe card under for measurements, directions, and diet info.

For the Salad:

• Child Spinach or Combined Greens: Ensure that they’re totally dried. A salad spinner is sweet to have for making salads!
• Mandarin Oranges: Drain the oranges nicely so that they don’t make your salad soggy. By the way in which, in the event you like the thought of mandarin oranges in a salad, be sure you attempt my cabbage salad with honey lime dressing, too!
• Dried Cranberries: Chewy dried cranberries add texture, sweetness and a bit of little bit of tartness too.
• Purple Onions: For salads, be sure you slice the onions thinly in order that the dressing will mellow their pungent taste. Should you’re fearful that the onions shall be too strongly flavored, soak the minimize onions in ice water for ten minutes or so. Drain nicely and pat dry earlier than including them to the salad.
• One thing Crunchy: Select your favourite: sliced almonds, chopped toasted walnuts, or toasted sunflower seeds for a nut-free choice.
• Feta Cheese: If a salad isn’t a salad to you with out cheese, feta cheese is an elective addition to this mandarin orange salad. It brings a bit of briny taste to the desk.

For the Dressing:  

• Olive Oil: A fruity, high-quality EVOO is implausible right here.
• Purple Wine Vinegar: The candy/tart vinegar is the right complement to the mandarine oranges.
• Orange: You’ll want the juice and the zest; zest the orange first as a result of it’s a lot simpler to take away the zest from a complete orange than a minimize and juiced orange.
• Honey: Any sweetener will work. Should you’re searching for a vegan choice, use maple syrup.
• Dijon Mustard: Mustard provides refined taste but additionally helps emulsify the dressing.
• Kosher Salt and Floor Black Pepper: These easy seasonings are at all times a should for any salad dressing!

How To Make Mandarin Orange Salad

Mix salad substances. Gently toss collectively the greens, dried cranberries, purple onions, and crumbled feta in a big bowl. Should you’d like to do that step forward, you may cowl and refrigerate the salad (with out the dressing, oranges, and nuts) for a couple of hours.

Make dressing. Whisk all the dressing substances in a small bowl. The dressing may be prepped forward and refrigerated, too.

Add oranges and nuts. Add the mandarin oranges and toasted nuts to the salad simply earlier than serving. 

Costume the salad. If you’re able to serve the salad, drizzle the dressing over the salad, then gently toss to coat.

Ideas and Variations

• Alter the dressing to your style. Should you style the dressing and it appears too tart, you may add extra honey; if it’s sweeter than you want, add a splash of additional vinegar. Have in mind, although, that the mandarin oranges and cranberries additionally add sweetness to the salad.
• Make it a meal. Add grilled rooster, grilled shrimp, or tofu for protein.
• Toast the nuts. It brings out the very best of their taste! Right here’s how one can toast walnuts and how one can toast almonds.
• Extra additions and substitutions. Avocado provides creaminess to this mandarin orange salad, whereas celery provides crunch. Swap in inexperienced onions for purple onions in the event you’d like a milder taste, or go for goat cheese as a substitute of feta.

What to Serve With Mandarin Orange Salad

Should you’re not planning on serving this mandarin orange salad instantly, retailer the dressing, mandarin oranges, and nuts individually and add them simply earlier than serving.

Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container. As soon as dressed, the salad will solely final a few day within the fridge, because the greens will wilt.

Prepare dinner ModeForestall your display from going darkish

• In a big salad bowl, mix salad greens, dried cranberries, purple onions, and crumbled feta cheese (if utilizing).

  6 cups (5 oz. container) child spinach or blended greens, ½ cup dried cranberries, ½ cup thinly sliced purple onions, ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, elective

• In a small bowl, whisk collectively the olive oil, purple wine vinegar, orange juice, honey, Dijon mustard, orange zest, salt, and pepper. Style, and modify to your desire (see observe).

  ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons purple wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon orange juice, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon orange zest, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse floor black pepper

• Instantly earlier than serving, add the mandarin oranges and toasted nuts to the salad. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to coat the substances evenly with the dressing. Should you’re not planning on serving the salad instantly, refrigerate the dressing, mandarin oranges, and nuts individually from the salad and add them proper earlier than serving.

  1 can (15 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained nicely, ½ cup sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, or ¼ cup sunflower seeds, toasted and cooled

• Dressing notes: If the dressing appears too tart, add extra honey; if it appears too candy, add a bit extra vinegar. Keep in mind that the mandarin oranges add sweetness to the salad, too,
• Add protein. For a principal course salad, add grilled rooster, grilled shrimp, or tofu.
• Variations: Add avocado slices for a creamy texture. Add sliced celery for extra crunch. Sliced inexperienced onions may be substituted for purple onions. Substitute goat cheese for the feta for a tangy twist.
• Learn how to toast nuts/seeds: almonds, walnuts.

Serving: 1serving, Energy: 375kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 7g, Fats: 24g, Saturated Fats: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g, Monounsaturated Fats: 15g, Trans Fats: 0.003g, Ldl cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 406mg, Potassium: 525mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 4.138IU, Vitamin C: 42mg, Calcium: 207mg, Iron: 2mg

Diet info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

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