Mandarin Orange Salad

This Mandarin Orange Salad bursts with juicy oranges, crisp apples, sweetened dried cranberries, tangy feta cheese, and easy stovetop candied almonds. Add a simple citrus vinaigrette to finish this delicious salad on a sweet and tangy note.

This salad is a holiday classic that pairs perfectly with other side dishes such as Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Vegetables, Brussels Sprouts, and/or a Sweet Potato Casserole!

Mandarin Orange Salad

This salad is a complete hit whenever I serve it. It’s one of my go-to recipes for entertaining, especially during the holiday season when oranges and apples are in season. We love ripe clementines, but we also make it with canned mandarin oranges; in fact, that’s probably my kid’s favorite way to enjoy it! They inhale mandarin oranges!

The citrus vinaigrette is such a refreshing dressing with both fresh orange juice and fresh lemon juice. The zest of the orange and lemon further intensifies the ctirus-y flavors. It’s also a great all-purpose dressing that goes well on pretty much any fruit-filled salad. We’ll usually make a double batch to enjoy throughout the week.

Ingredients In Mandarin Orange Salad

• Sliced Almonds & Sugar: Adds a crunchy texture and nutty flavor. Candy them with sugar for extra sweetness.
• Lettuce or Spinach: Forms the base of the salad, providing a fresh and crisp foundation.
• Mandarin Oranges or Clementines: Canned mandarin oranges work great here but for extra flavor use fresh clementines.
• Large Apples: Add as close to assembling as possible. Toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.
• Dried Sweetened Cranberries: Adds a chewy texture and a sweet-tart flavor.
• Crumbled Feta: Feel free to use goat cheese or blue cheese if you’re not a fan.
• Dressing: Made from olive oil, orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, honey, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and poppy seeds. Blend the ingredients (except oil and poppy seeds) for a smooth consistency, then shake with the oil and poppy seeds for a well-combined dressing.

How To Make Mandarin Orange Salad

1. Candied Almonds: Cook sliced almonds and sugar in a skillet until the sugar melts and coats the almonds. Spread them out to cool and harden.
2. Salad Base: In a large bowl, add lettuce or spinach, orange segments (peeled or canned), thinly sliced apples (optionally tossed with lemon juice), dried cranberries, and crumbled feta cheese.
3. Dressing: Blend orange and lemon zest and juice, honey, Dijon mustard, and salt. Transfer to a jar, add olive oil and poppy seeds, and shake well.Serve: Just before eating, dress the salad to your taste and add candied almonds. Enjoy your mandarin orange salad immediately.

Pair This Salad With

• Crock Pot Roast
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Sloppy Joes
• Short Ribs
• Chicken Stroganoff

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4.98 from 38 votes

Mandarin Orange Salad

By Chelsea Lords

This Mandarin Orange Salad has juicy oranges, crisp apples, sweetened dried cranberries, tangy feta cheese, and easy stovetop candied almonds. A simple citrus vinaigrette that is sweet, tangy, and completely refreshing tops everything off.

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 - 6 as a side

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

Salad

• ▢ 1 cup sliced almonds
• ▢ 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• ▢ 8 cups (5 oz) mixed green lettuce or fresh spinach
• ▢ 1 can (15 ounces) mandarin oranges (or 3 clementines, peeled and segmented)
• ▢ 2 large apples, thinly sliced (we like Fuji best in this salad)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional
• ▢ 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
• ▢ 3/4 cup crumbled feta

Dressing (Note 1)

• ▢ 1/2 cup olive oil
• ▢ 1 large orange (2 teaspoons zest and 4 tablespoons juice)
• ▢ 1 large lemon (1/2 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
• ▢ 2 and 1/2 tablespoons honey
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Instructions 

• CANDIED ALMONDS: Place the sliced almonds and white sugar in a large skillet and heat to medium, stirring nearly constantly. The sugar will begin to melt and become a sticky liquid and then stick to the almonds. This takes about 3-4 minutes -- watch carefully and stir constantly to avoid burning the nuts. As soon as the sugar turns to liquid, remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring until the nuts are completely coated in the sugar. Spread the candied almonds onto a sheet of parchment paper and let harden. Break apart.
• SALAD: Add the lettuce to a large bowl or salad platter. Peel and segment oranges (or drain a can of mandarin oranges) and add to the salad. Thinly slice the apples and, if desired, toss with lemon juice to prevent browning. Add to the salad along with the dried cranberries and feta cheese.
• DRESSING: Combine all of the ingredients together in a blender except for the oil and poppy seeds. Blend until all ingredients are well incorporated and zest has broken down. Transfer dressing to a jar with a lid and add in the olive oil and poppy seeds. Place the cover on the jar and shake until well combined.
• ENJOY: Right before serving, add the dressing to the salad (add to taste -- you may not need it all) and candied almonds (add as many as you'd like; we typically add about 1/3 cup (See Note 2). Toss and enjoy immediately.
• STORAGE: This salad doesn't sit well with the dressing, so only dress what will be enjoyed the same day. Store any leftover salad and dressing separately. Almonds and cheese should also be stored separately. Apples will brown if cut in advance.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Dressing: This dressing makes more than you'll likely use for the salad. If you want to make a half recipe (I do this often so nothing goes bad) here it is: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 large orange (1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice), 1 large lemon (1/4 teaspoon zest and 1 tablespoons juice), 1 and 1/4 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, heaping 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Note 2:  Candied almonds: There will be more almonds than you'll need/want for the salad, but sugaring the almonds works best with this volume. Store leftover almonds in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months or in the pantry for 2-3 weeks. Use leftover almonds as a snack, yogurt bowl topping, acai bowl topping, or salad topping.

Nutrition

Serving: 6as a side | Calories: 1179kcal | Carbohydrates: 122g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 72g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 43g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 1204mg | Potassium: 3365mg | Fiber: 25g | Sugar: 84g | Vitamin A: 44720IU | Vitamin C: 177mg | Calcium: 906mg | Iron: 16mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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