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This Mandarin Almond Salad is an easy and delicious salad recipe with mandarin oranges that's gluten-free, vegan, and so incredibly fresh and bright!
Bring on all of the spring and summer salads, am I right? This is a new family favorite and one that I've been thinking about for a long time! Our Mandarin Almond Salad is my recreation of a salad a friend made many many years ago that I've always loved! I mean who doesn't love a salad recipe with mandarin oranges? They add such a delicious bright pop of sweet flavor, perfectly paired with crisp romaine lettuce and crunchy almonds, this is a salad that's so easy to make, ready in less than 10 minutes, and the perfect summer side to any meal or gathering.
Ingredients Needed
- Romaine Lettuce - Get a nice big head of crisp romaine lettuce.
- Mandarin Oranges - While normally we would say that fresh is always best when it comes to mandarin oranges for this recipe, we actually prefer canned for this one! There's something about the added juice from the actual orange slices and how they work in the salad that we prefer over fresh. Fresh is of course always an option too though!
- Sliced Almonds - Sliced almonds are best for this recipe because they add the right amount of crunch! Slivered almonds are also a great choice.
- Green Onions - The onions are a great compliment to the rest of the salad, while not being too overwhelming.
- Olive Oil - This is when you bust out the good olive oil! Anytime you make a homemade vinaigrette, this is when you want to use the higher quality olive oil in your panty vs. your cooking olive oil.
- Mandarin Juice and Lemon Juice - For all good vinaigrettes, you need some acid, and we love a combination of both mandarin juice and lemon juice.
- Dijon Mustard, Ground Ginger, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Salt - Flavor enhancers for the vinaigrette!
How to Cut Romaine Lettuce
Here are 4 simple steps to chopping a head of romaine lettuce.
- 1. Slice the romaine head in half
- 2. Cut out the cores.
- 3. Once the cores are removed, then slice those halves lengthwise in half again.
- 4. Finally, give them all a final even chop.
Make the Vinaigrette
Nothing takes a salad to the next level more than a homemade dressing! And this one is so incredibly simple to make, but also packed full of flavor (hello dijon and ginger!).
Pro Tip: The best way to make this dressing quick, easy, and also mess-free, is to use a Mason Jar to emulsify the dressing. Dijon mustard is the emulsifier needed in order to obtain the best creaminess. While you can certainly make a vinaigrette without an emulsifier like Dijon (fresh garlic will also help add to the creaminess), adding it ensures that you'll get a nice creamy dressing every time.
Make sure you put some muscle into it and really shake it up so it's well-mixed and emulsified. For this salad recipe with mandarin oranges, you really need a nice well mixed vinaigrette so that it all sticks well to everything in your big beautiful salad bowl.
Add it and Mix
Get a nice big bowl and add the lettuce, mandarins, almonds, and onions, and mix!
Add that emulsified vinaigrette to that big bowl of freshness and give a good stir to create this delicious Mandarin Almond Salad!
Recipe FAQs
Can I use bagged romaine?
Of course! This recipe is for 1 large head, about 8 cups, or 1 10 oz bag of precut romaine lettuce.
Can I use fresh mandarins?
Of course, but this is one of the very few recipes that we'll actually say that canned/jarred is a little better. Just the softer texture of the mandarins that have been soaked in juice is preferred. Also, be sure to get mandarins that are in the juice so you can use a little bit of that in the vinaigrette.
Do the almonds have to be sliced?
No, they don't have to be, but I think that the gentle crunch that the thinly sliced almonds adds a great amount of crunch that's not too overwhelming "crunchy." Slivered almonds are also a great choice!
Can I use regular mustard?
We don't suggest it, because that dijon mustard is the emulsifier for this vinaigrette and it's what will make that dressing creamy as the oil and juices mix together. While you can use regular mustard, dijon has been shown to help keep a dressing from separating longer.
Do I wash the lettuce before or after chopping?
After is our preferred method. Add those chopped pieces to a colander, rinse, and then either dry with a salad spinner or shake off excess water and pat dry with a paper towel.
Can I make this salad in advance?
We recommend that you prep each of the components separately, but don't assemble until you're ready to serve. You can prep the salad ingredients a few hours before and the vinaigrette a day in advance and store them in the fridge (you may need to give another good shake), but don't add the dressing to the salad until you're ready to serve because the lettuce will begin to wilt and you want to serve it with nice crispy romaine lettuce. If bringing to a party, we suggest bringing the salad ingredients in a bowl and the jar of vinaigrette separately and then dress and toss when you arrive, if possible.
So fresh, so flavorful, and soooo perfect for the warmer weather! Bring on all the warm-weather salads!
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- Green Goddess Salad
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Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Mandarin Almond Salad
This romaine lettuce based salad is so light, bright, and easy to make!
4.83 from 28 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Tracy
Equipment
mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce approximately 8 cups
- 2 cups mandarin oranges approximately 2 10.5 oz cans with juice
- 1 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 3/4 cup green onions diced, about 1 bunch
Vinairgrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil high quality
- 1/8 cup mandarin orange juice
- 1/8 cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
Cut the Romaine Slice the head of romaine in half. Then cut out the core in each half. Cut the halves in half again, and then chop them into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces. Add pieces to a large colander, rinse with cold water and shake off excess water. Dry either in a salad spinner or pat dry with a paper towel.
Prep the Salad Add romaine lettuce, sliced almonds, mandarin oranges, and chopped green onions to a large bowl. Give it all a good mix. Note: Be sure to save a little bit of the mandarin juice for the vinaigrette!
Make the Vinaigrette add all of the vinaigrette ingredients to a mason jar. Cover and shake very well until all ingredients are emulsified.
Finish the Salad. Pour some of the vinaigrette onto the salad and give it a good mix. Pour the rest and mix again so that it is all well coated.
Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storage
Fridge: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days, although the lettuce will wilt after it is dressed.
Prep in Advance
You can prep the salad ingredients a few hours before and the vinaigrette a day in advance and store them in the fridge (you may need to give another good shake), but don't add the dressing to the salad until you're ready to serve because the lettuce will begin to wilt and you want to serve it with nice crispy romaine lettuce. If bringing to a party, we suggest bringing the salad mixture and the jar of vinaigrette and then dressing and tossing when you arrive, if possible.
Substitutions
Romaine: While romaine is the best for this recipe, you can also use iceberg or butterhead. You can also use a 10 oz bag of precut romaine.
Mandarin Oranges: It's one of the very few times I'll say canned is preferred. But of course, you can use fresh if you would like and then just squeeze a bit of the fresh juice for the vinaigrette. For 2 cups of orange slices, you'll want 5 fresh mandarin oranges and then at least 1 more for the juice for the vinaigrette.
Almonds: Slivered almonds are also great.
Dijon Mustard: You can use another kind of mustard, but the Dijon really acts as the best emulsifier and also adds a great, subtle, kick of flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 414mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 7242IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Elizabeth
This was such a great salad! Very fresh and refreshing! This would be a great salad to make for the spring and summer.Reply
- Tracy
So glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth. Thanks for sharing!
Reply
- Ann
This salad was super yummy and refreshing! I made it for lunch today, and my kids even loved it!Reply
- Tracy
Great to hear, Ann!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Reply
