Amazing mandarin orange salad in 15 minutes

Oh my goodness, are you ever just staring into the fridge on a busy weeknight, thinking, “I need something bright, something fast, something that doesn’t involve staring at my **keto meal plan delivery** schedule?” I totally get it! That feeling is exactly why I rely so heavily on my go-to recipes that bring sunshine to the table without demanding all my time. That’s where this incredible Easy & Refreshing Mandarin Orange Spinach Salad swoops in to save the day!

This isn’t one of those long, fussy salads that needs a dozen components. This is my tried-and-true, real-home-kitchen solution for when I need a vibrant side dish fast. As someone who spends most of my time trying to get delicious, family-approved dinners on the table quickly, I promise you this simple salad—our signature mandarin orange salad—is both reliable and unbelievably tasty. It offers that perfect blend of sweet citrus and savory crunch!

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Why This Refreshing Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe Works for Any Occasion

Honestly, this salad is my secret weapon for potlucks. It takes maybe fifteen minutes from pulling the ingredients out to serving, and everyone always asks for the recipe. It’s that magic balance between sweet and savory that makes it work with nearly anything.

• It’s lightning fast—a perfect quick mandarin recipe for when you realize you forgot a side dish!
• It travels like a dream, staying crisp if you keep the dressing separate.
• The combination of sweet oranges and salty feta hits that flavor sweet spot every single time.

If you’re looking for a dependable side dish for BBQ or just a burst of brightness on a Tuesday, this citrus salad is it.

Ingredients for Your Easy Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe

I love how simple this list is! You probably have half of this stuff already, which really makes it the best easy orange salad when you’re in a pinch. Remember, clarity in ingredients is key for that perfect texture in the end. We’re breaking this list into two parts: what goes in the bowl and what makes that amazing dressing!

For the Bright Refreshing Salad Base

This is where the texture and the color all come from. You absolutely must wash and dry your spinach well—soggy greens kill a salad instantly!

• 6 cups fresh spinach, washed and dried completely
• 1 (15 ounce) can mandarin oranges, make absolutely sure they are fully drained!
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (or walnuts if you prefer!)
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional, but it adds a lovely tang)

For the Sweet Orange Vinaigrette

This dressing is so much better than anything bottled, and it only takes a minute. Using freshly squeezed orange juice really kicks up the brightness factor.

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup if you’re avoiding honey)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Mandarin Orange Salad

Okay, let’s get cooking! Even though this is a salad, there are a couple of steps that really turn simple ingredients into something special. Trust me on the toasting—it makes all the difference in your final mandarin orange salad. And remember, we are moving quickly, so have your bowl ready!

Toasting Almonds and Making the Sweet Orange Vinaigrette

First things first: those almonds need some color! Toss those sliced almonds right into a dry skillet—no oil needed—over medium heat. You’ve got to stand right there and stir them constantly for about three to five minutes until they smell wonderfully nutty and look nicely browned. Watch them close because they burn fast! Once they’re done, immediately dump them onto a plate to cool down. While they’re cooling, it’s vinaigrette time. Grab a small bowl and whisk together your olive oil, that fresh orange juice, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Just whisk and whisk until it all looks married together and slightly thicker. You can even use a speedy immersion blender if you want your dressing perfectly emulsified, kind of like my tips for a great quick-pickled red onions recipe!

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Assembling Your Mandarin Orange Salad

Now for the fun part! In your biggest salad bowl, combine those dry spinach leaves with the perfectly drained mandarin oranges. If you’re using feta, sprinkle it in now too. The most important rule here is timing: Do NOT dress this salad until the very last second. Seriously! Drizzle that beautiful citrus vinaigrette over the top. Use a gentle toss—just enough to lightly coat everything. We don’t want to bruise those delicate greens or smash the oranges up. Finally, scatter those lovely toasted almonds over the top right before you walk it out to the table. Serve it right away!

Tips for the Perfect Mandarin Almond Salad Success

I’ve made this mandarin almond salad dozens of times for family dinners and BBQs, so I’ve picked up a few tricks to make sure it always shines. The biggest secret here is respecting your textures! You want crisp greens and crunchy nuts, not a sad, soggy mess.

Definitely don’t skip toasting those sliced almonds. Even five minutes on a dry pan wakes up their flavor massively. Raw almonds just lay there; toasted almonds sing! Remember what I always say about my grandmother—it’s the small, careful steps that make the biggest difference.

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Also, and this is crucial for any citrus salad side dish: only dress it right before serving. You can prep all your ingredients—wash the spinach, toast the nuts, mix the dressing—but keep them totally separate. That way, when you’re ready to serve, you just mix, toss, and go. Check out my general latest kitchen adventures for more quick tips!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for This Citrus Salad Side Dish

I get asked all the time about switching things up in this salad, and the great news is that this citrus salad side dish is super flexible! My original recipe uses feta because I love that little salty bite against the sweet oranges, but you absolutely can swap it out. If you want something creamier, try a soft goat cheese instead. If you need the entire dish to be vegan, just skip the cheese entirely—the salad is still amazing!

Swapping Greens and Cheese

When you swap out the spinach, be mindful of the texture, okay? If you use something heartier like romaine, it won’t wilt quite as fast, which is handy if you have to make it a little ahead of time. And those mandarin oranges? If you have gorgeous, sweet fresh tangerines on hand, peel and segment those bad boys! They’ll be a bit juicier than the canned ones, but the flavor is just unbeatable when they are perfectly in season.

Storing and Reheating Your Bright Refreshing Salad Components

Okay, this is a fresh salad, so the rule is: keep everything separate until the absolute last minute, trust me on this! You can totally prep ahead to make serving this bright refreshing salad even faster when company arrives.

The vinaigrette? Whisk it up and pop it in a jar with a tight lid. It’s good chilling in the fridge for a couple of days. Just take it out about twenty minutes before you need it so it loosens up a bit before you drizzle. The spinach needs to be totally bone-dry, wrapped snugly in a paper towel inside a Ziploc bag. The nuts? Store those toasted beauties in an airtight container on the counter—they stay crunchy for days that way!

Variations: Making Your Own Flavorful Mandarin Orange Salad

While I absolutely stand by the simplicity of my tried-and-true recipe, sometimes you need to shake things up a bit, right? That’s the fun of cooking! You can take this beautiful base mandarin orange salad and turn it into something completely new with just one or two extra items.

If you’re looking to make this a real meal—maybe for lunch when you’re busy trying to keep up with your meal planning—toss in some leftover grilled chicken. Suddenly, it’s a hearty, high-protein winner!

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For texture and creaminess, you have to try adding avocado. I use it in so many salads because it just melts right in with the dressing! A little thinly sliced red onion adds a nice sharp bite that cuts through the sweetness of the oranges, too. If you’re feeling adventurous, try swapping those almonds for toasted pecans or even tossing in some dried cranberries for extra chewiness. For more inspiration on zesty citrus dishes, check out this interesting mandarin orange salad recipe I saw online!

Frequently Asked Questions About This Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe

I always get so many great questions after people try this! It’s what happens when you have a really popular easy orange salad that people tweak. Here are the things I hear most often about making this recipe a success every time, even when you need a quick mandarin recipe.

Can I use fresh oranges instead of canned in this mandarin orange salad recipe?

Oh, yes, you totally can! Canned ones are just easier when life is hectic, but fresh oranges taste amazing too. If you go fresh—and I highly recommend using tangerines or clementines if they look great at the store—you’ll want to segment them yourself. That means cutting off all the peel and the white pith, and then cutting between the membranes to release the sweet little segments. It takes a bit more time, but the flavor is just so much cleaner and brighter in your salad!

What is the best way to serve this citrus salad side dish?

For this specific version, the best way is immediately! Because we are only using spinach, which wilts if you look at it funny, you must dress it right before it hits the table. Seriously, don’t dress it until you’re ready to serve it alongside your burgers or grilled chicken. This flavor profile screams summer potluck or side dish for BBQ, so make sure it’s the last thing you finish before heading out the door.

Can I make this a creamy mandarin salad without using Jello?

That’s a great question, because my mom has a totally different, fluffy recipe she brings to holidays! For this fresh, spinach-based version, I haven’t put cottage cheese or whipped topping in it. If you want a slightly creamier texture without going full fluff dessert, try whisking in about a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt or even a tiny bit of mayonnaise right into your citrus vinaigrette. It gives it some body without turning it into that heavy dessert-style creamy mandarin salad.

Estimated Nutritional Data for This Mandarin Orange Salad

I always try to keep track of what we’re eating, especially since I’m always looking for ways to simplify my meal planning for the week! Now, please remember these values are just estimates based on the ingredients I listed—if you skip the feta cheese, your numbers will change slightly. This data is here to help you see the general breakdown!

• Serving Size: 1.5 cups
• Calories: 250
• Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 20g
• Protein: 6g
• Sugar: 12g
• Fiber: 4g

We keep the sodium pretty low in this recipe, but if you’re worried about too much fat, just use a little less olive oil in the vinaigrette. It’s amazing how you can swap a few things and still keep the flavor profile bright and delicious!

Easy Mandarin Orange Spinach Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

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You will make this bright, refreshing mandarin orange salad featuring spinach, crunchy almonds, and a simple homemade citrus vinaigrette. It is a perfect side dish for summer gatherings or BBQs.

• Author: Carla Davis
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 5 min
• Total Time: 20 min
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Salad Assembly
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

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• 6 cups fresh spinach, washed and dried
• 1 (15 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

1. Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often until fragrant and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
2. Prepare the vinaigrette: Whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until fully combined.
3. In a large bowl, combine the washed spinach and the drained mandarin oranges.
4. If using, sprinkle the feta cheese over the salad mixture.
5. Just before serving, drizzle the citrus vinaigrette over the salad. Toss gently to coat the greens and oranges.
6. Top the salad with the toasted sliced almonds. Serve immediately as a side dish for BBQ or any meal.

Notes

• To save time on meal planning, you can prepare the vinaigrette up to two days ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Let it warm slightly before using.
• If you skip the feta, this salad fits well into a low-calorie diet plan.
• For a heartier meal, add grilled chicken or use this as a base for your weekly meal planning.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1.5 cups
• Calories: 250
• Sugar: 12
• Sodium: 180
• Fat: 18
• Saturated Fat: 3
• Unsaturated Fat: 15
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 20
• Fiber: 4
• Protein: 6
• Cholesterol: 5