Mandarin Orange Salad is a bright and fresh side salad that is bursting with flavor! Made with tender spring mix, sweet mandarin oranges, almonds, cranberries and a fresh Citrus Salad Dressing, this Mandarin Orange Salad is DELICIOUS!
My kids adore mandarin oranges. To the point that you would think I said I packed them a full chocolate bar when I say they have a pack of mandarin oranges in their lunch boxes.
This simple salad is made with a delicate spring mix, juicy mandarin oranges, tart dried cranberries and a fresh citrus dressing.
This salad is EVERYTHING I crave when I want something light and fresh, yet full of flavor. Plus it is incredibly easy to make–bonus for busy nights!
This orange salad dressing is incredibly easy to make but is so packed with flavor! I used my salad dressing from my Caribbean Chicken Salad, and this bright fresh vinaigrette pairs beautifully with the mandarin oranges and tender greens.
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 sugar!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 head red leaf lettuce – rinsed, dried and torn
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin orange segments, drained
Directions
- In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover and shake well. Refrigerate until use.
- In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, cook and stir the almonds and sugar until the sugar is melted and the almonds are coated. Remove from heat, cool, and break apart. Store at room temperature until ready to serve salad.
- In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, celery, oranges, almonds and dressing until evenly coated.
Source: Allrecipes.com