Mandarin Orange Salad

Made with tender spring mix, sweet mandarin oranges, almonds, cranberries, and a fresh citrus dressing, this Mandarin Orange Salad is a bright and fresh side salad that is bursting with flavor!

This Mandarin Orange Salad is EVERYTHING I crave when I want something light and fresh, yet full of flavor. Plus it is incredibly easy to make--a bonus for busy nights!

It is made with a delicate spring mix, juicy mandarin oranges, tart dried cranberries, and a fresh citrus dressing. It is refreshing, bright, and a nice change-up from a classic tossed salad.

This salad also happens to be a huge hit with picky eaters! Those sweet oranges and cranberries typically entice them to try the greens as well.

Notes on Ingredients

• Greens: Either spring lettuce or baby spinach are good options for pairing with mandarin oranges.
• Mandarin Oranges: This is one instance where I feel like the canned product is better than fresh. Canned mandarin oranges are sweet, seedless, and already prepped! But most importantly they are tender and bite-size--making them really easy to eat in a salad.
• Cranberries: Dried cranberries add a nice texture and tart bite to the salad.
• Nuts: The nuts are optional but, add a nice crunch to the salad. Use toasted almonds, pecan, or walnuts.
• Citrus Salad Dressing: The dressing is made with orange juice concentrate, honey, rice vinegar, olive oil, and salt. The key to this salad dressing is the orange juice concentrate--not orange juice. That concentrated flavor really adds the most bang for your buck in this dressing, plus is naturally sweet, meaning you can use less added honey, yet still have a perfectly sweet result.

How to Build a Salad with Mandarin Oranges

This salad takes less than five minutes to make. It is ALMOST as easy as tossing a bagged salad kit together, but so much better tasting!

• For the dressing, whisk together the thawed orange juice concentrate, salt, pepper, honey, and rice wine vinegar in a small mixing bowl or glass jar. Drizzle in olive oil and whisk until well combined.
• In a large serving bowl, toss the greens with mandarin oranges, cranberries, and nuts, if using.
• Toss the salad with 2 tablespoons of the salad dressing and serve with the remaining salad dressing on the side.
• Serve immediately for best results.

Prep Ahead

This salad is best assembled right before serving. However, you can prepare the dressing up to 7 days in advance and then simply toss the components together right before serving.

Serving Suggestions

As I mentioned earlier, this Mandarin Orange Salad is a huge hit with the kids, as the flavors are simple and on the sweeter side. But it is also loved by adults and makes a tasty addition to a spring brunch and complements entrees like Stir Fry Chicken and Bok Choy and Orange Chicken.

More Tasty Salad Recipes

• Spinach Avocado Salad
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
• Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
• Tossed Greek Salad

If you tried this Mandarin Orange Salad, I would love for you to leave a comment and review.