Full of bright and fresh flavors, this zesty mandarin orange salad comes together quickly and easily! I love the tangy flavors from the citrus and goat cheese, and the crunchy texture of the apples, almonds, and mixed greens. They pair wonderfully together, and you can easily turn this side salad into a full meal!
Whether you plan on making this salad for a potluck, meal prep, or a holiday gathering, this mandarin orange salad is always a huge hit.
I’m obsessed with how fresh and tangy the salad tastes and how it has just the right amount of crunch!
It comes together super quickly, and the hardest part about this salad is probably cutting the mandarin orange segments, but you can buy them canned to save time.
Because of the mandarin oranges, this is one of my favorite hot-weather salads, as the juicy oranges are so refreshing! However, don’t count this out for your fall holidays as it can also shine among a Thanksgiving spread as the oranges and apple add a nice pop of color! I honestly love making it year round!
Salad Ingredients
salad dressing — for the sweet and tangy salad dressing, you’ll need Dijon mustard, orange juice (or juiced mandarins), maple syrup, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oil. Make sure you are using pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup. For the oil, I usually use olive oil but avocado oil is also a great choice.
mixed greens — I like to use mixed baby greens, but you can also use baby spinach or your greens of choice.
mandarin orange segments — for speed, you can buy canned mandarin oranges. I like the ones packed in fruit juice, but you can also get mandarins packed in water. Make sure to fully drain the mandarin segments if you are using canned.
cranberries — feel free to leave these out if you don’t have any on hand, but I like how they add a chewy texture that contrasts with the rest of the ingredients.
apples — use your favorite apples, but I’m partial to Honeycrisps and Cosmic Crisp. I prefer sweeter apples, but you can use more tart ones if you want to add a bit of tartness to the salad.
almonds — I like adding slivered almonds for a bit of crunch!
goat cheese — I like the creamy goat cheese, but you can use your favorite cheese. You can even buy flavored goat cheese for even more flavor to the salad. Fig goat cheese and honey goat cheese are a household favorite.
How to Make a Mandarin Orange Salad
- Make the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a bowl and mixing them together, or shake it in an airtight mason jar.
- Toss the mixed greens, mandarin orange segments, dried cranberries, apples, and almonds together. Top with crumbled goat cheese and drizzle the dressing over the salad. Gently toss to coat.
Recipe Tips and Variations
While it’s a great side salad, you can easily turn it into a full meal by adding a simple protein! Try making my air fryer chicken breasts, herby chicken thighs, garlic butter steak, grilled flank steak, crispy air fryer tofu, lemon pepper tofu, oven baked tofu, or eggs (poached eggs, air fryer eggs, instant pot eggs) for a hit of protein.
Baby spinach, arugula, bibb lettuce, or baby kale are a great swap for the mixed greens. Also, if you want to make this mandarin orange salad extra filling, you can add avocados to the mix! It’s usually a 50/50 chance of me adding avocado to this salad as it really depends on if the avocados ripen on time or not.
If you want even more citrus flavor, you can add some orange (or mandarin) zest to the dressing.
Some thinly sliced red onions or shallots will add a delicious crunch to the salad as well!
Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the Salad Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup orange juice, or juiced mandarin oranges
- ½ to 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 tablespoons oil
For the Salad:
- 8 cups mixed baby greens, (5-ounces)
- 2 cups mandarin orange segments, (from about 4-5 mandarin oranges)
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 2 large apples, thinly sliced
- ½ cup almonds, slivered
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
- Make the dressing by adding the Dijon mustard, orange juice, maple syrup, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oil to a bowl and mixing them together, or shake it in an airtight mason jar.
- Toss the mixed greens, mandarin orange segments, dried cranberries, apples, and almonds together.
- Top with crumbled goat cheese.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
More Salad Recipes to Try
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
- Simple House Salad
- Prosciutto and Burrata Arugula Salad
- Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
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