Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges

This 15 minute spinach salad with mandarin oranges for one is a perfect flavor packed vegetarian salad. It's full of crunchy, juicy, and flavorful toppings-tender spinach, mandarin oranges, edamame, and an orange & ginger vinaigrette.

[This spinach salad with mandarin oranges recipe was originally posted in February 2020. It has been updated with new cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

This salad is so refreshing and easy. It's flavorful, sweet, and juicy thanks to the added oranges. Personally, I can't do canned mandarin oranges, thanks to getting sick after having some as a kid.

I'll always choose fresh ones, but go for canned if you have 'em.

This salad is a great recipe to make if you've got a big bag of mandarin/or similar oranges to eat up. The dressing, especially would still be good with oranges that are a bit too ripe to enjoy plain.

Since this spinach salad with mandarin oranges is on the lighter side, I'd add some crusty bread and cheese to make it more satisfying, you'll see below, but crumbled goat cheese, bleu cheese, or feta would be tasty here.

You can also add meat.

Ingredients

Scroll down to the spinach salad with mandarin oranges recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick description of what's in this recipe.

• Spinach/Mixed Greens: It's great with plain or baby spinach or whatever greens you have on hand. Mix it up by using what you already have on hand.
• Mandarin Oranges: I prefer the fresh version, but go for canned or fresh. You'll use some of the juice in the dressing, if the canned mandarin orange juice is too sweet, add a dash of white or red wine vinegar to your dressing.
• Olive Oil: Blend it with your orange juice for a tasty, simple dressing.
• Broccoli: Crunchy broccoli florets are a great addition to this salad.
• Ginger: Just a bit of ginger added to the dressing adds a nice zingy flavor.
• Pistachios: I love a good crunch in salads. Use any kind of nut, but pistachios are very nice added to this spinach salad with mandarin oranges.
• Edamame: Frozen edamame is such an easy plant based protein to add to dishes, it's got a great texture for salads.

Instructions

Scroll down to the spinach salad with mandarin oranges recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.

1.Start by making the dressing for your spinach salad with mandarin oranges: Mix together mandarin orange juice, olive oil, grated ginger, and a pinch of salt.

2. Prepare the veggies: defrost the edamame, chop broccoli.

3. Assemble spinach salad with mandarin oranges: add spinach or mixed greens to a serving bowl, then add broccoli, edamame, and chopped pistachios.

4. Peel mandarin oranges. Cut thin slices. Remove seeds, then add to salad and finish off with the dressing. Toss your salad and enjoy immediately.

5. Serve this spinach salad with mandarin oranges with your favorite crusty bread or add your favorite grain to the salad (like farro, rice, quinoa, or wheat berries).

Storage Tips

Store vegetables together, but oranges, nuts, and dressing separately in airtight containers in the fridge. They should last about a week. Assemble your spinach salad with mandarin oranges just before enjoying.

Substitutions/Tips

• Taste salad dressing for salt and ginger preferences- add more if desired.
• Don't have fresh or frozen ginger (I have a whole frozen knob of ginger in my freezer, and I grate ginger from that when I need it)- add ⅛t ground ginger.
• If you have 20 minutes, roast broccoli for added flavor and crunch to your spinach salad with mandarin oranges. (about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees)
• Use fresh mandarin (or similar small, easy to peel oranges) or canned. Either works. You can add a bit of white or red wine vinegar to canned mandarin orange juice, if desired.
• Add other vegetables in your fridge to reduce food waste.
• Use whatever greens you have on hand- mixed greens, kale, baby kale, arugula, etc.
• To make this spinach salad with mandarin oranges more satisfying (I'd do this for a meal) add your favorite grain: farro, rice, quinoa, or toast. And cheese-goat cheese, feta, or bleu cheese would be great additions.
• Other great add-ins: hearty grains, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries (crasins), seasonal vegetables, red onion, avocado, cheese, salmon or chicken.

FAQ

Other good salad recipes

• Grapefruit & Avocado Salad
• Simple Kale Salad
• Mediterranean Grain Bowl
• Spinach Strawberry Salad
• Copycat Chick Fil A Kale Salad

Repurpose orange spinach salad

• Add some grilled chicken or salmon to your spinach salad with mandarin oranges
• Wrap spinach salad with mandarin oranges ingredients in a tortilla for a simple spinach wrap.

What to do with leftover ingredients

When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.

• Spinach: Thai Beef with Fried Garlic & Spinach, Grapefruit & Avocado Salad, or this Mixed Fruit Smoothie.
• Mandarin oranges: Use the juice to make whipped cream for this gingerbread cake, in this Orange and Roasted Pear Salad, or add them to another salad.
• Broccoli: Beef & Broccoli, Broccoli Salad with Grapes, Chicken & Broccoli, or this Easy Shrimp Sheet Pan Dinner.
• Edamame: Beet & Arugula Salad, Grapefruit & Avocado Salad, or this Spring Green Pesto Pasta.

Did you make this spinach salad with mandarin oranges? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!

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