Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

Mandarin Orange Salad with almonds and cider vinaigrette has been a favorite in my family forever! My Mom always makes this mandarin salad for family dinners and holidays. This salad with mandarin oranges is flavorful, fresh and easy. It’s such a great salad to throw together anytime.

What’s in This Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe?

I love the combo of the citrus with the almonds and feta on this Mandarin Orange Salad… just so good! It’s crunchy, sweet, savory, and everything else great salads call for.

• Sugared Almonds: Add a crunchy texture and a sweet and nutty flavor. You can buy them at the store, or make your own homemade sugared almonds.
• Lettuce: We like a mixture of Romaine and iceberg. You can swap out the Romaine for bibb, but don’t skip the crunchy iceberg.
• Celery: Adds even more crunch!
• Green Onions: Add a pop of freshness and earthiness to the salad.
• Mandarin Oranges: Sometimes called tangerines, these small orange-like fruits have a loose peel and a sweet center.
• Feta Cheese: Adds creaminess and a delightful tangy flavor.
• Croutons: We love the crunch of homemade croutons on this salad, but store-bought also work.
• Cider Vinaigrette: This tangy and sweet dressing is made from apple cider vinegar, sugar, parsley, green onion, salt, pepper, and neutral oil.

Variations on Salad with Mandarin Oranges

In my opinion, this salad is absolutely perfect as is. But you can certainly switch things up by adding some spinach, swapping the almonds for candied pecans or candied walnuts, or swapping the mandarins for another fruit, such as regular oranges, blood oranges, or grapefruits!

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover dressed Mandarin orange salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. For longer storage, store the salad and dressing separately and toss together before serving.

Serving Suggestions

I have a feeling your family will love it just as much as we do! We have been making it for years, and it’s still a favorite. It’s great as a side dish, or pop in some protein like grilled chicken and you have an amazing main dish salad! Enjoy!

Notes from the Test Kitchen

• Make sure everything is chopped into manageable-sized pieces. No one wants to have their fork overwhelmed by a huge piece of iceberg.
• Season the salad itself. Add the salt and pepper directly to the salad leaves when beginning to make your salad. Gives flavor throughout!
• Don’t forget the feta! There is never enough feta!

How to Make Mandarin Orange Salad Step by Step

Mix the Salad: Combine ½ cup of sugared almonds, ½ head of chopped Romaine lettuce, ½ head of chopped iceberg lettuce, ½ cup of diced celery, ½ cup of chopped green onions, 3 peeled and segmented Mandarin oranges, and ¼ cup crumbled Feta cheese in a large serving bowl and mix well.

Whisk the Dressing: Whisk 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley, 1 thinly sliced green onion, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, and ¼ cup of canola oil together until emulsified. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Dress the Salad: Drizzle the salad with just enough dressing to lightly coat. Add ½ cup of croutons and gently mix together. Serve immediately.

More Salad Recipes To Try

• Cucumber Salad
• Esquites
• Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Ambrosia Salad
• Peruvian Chopped Salad
• Caprese Salad
• …Check out all of our Salad Recipes!