Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe with Citrus Dressing

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Easy Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe with Citrus Dressing is sweet, tangy, and full of texture with juicy oranges, crisp greens, crunchy almonds, and wonton strips. Who said a salad needs to be boring? I love creating new delicious salad recipes filled with fresh ingredients, variety, and vibrant colors!

Ingredient notes

With just a few simple ingredients you can make a great salad that will be a huge hit at your next family dinner.

• Greens | For a unique taste and texture, use spring mix salad greens
• Oranges | Use a quality can of mandarin oranges, drained well.
• Cranberries | Dried cranberries bring a crisp and tangy-sweet element to the salad recipe.
• Green onions | Sprinkle in sliced green onions or diced red onion for a subtly bitter contrast.
• Almonds | For crunch and sweetness, top the salad with sliced toasted almonds.
• Wonton strips | Complete the array of textures and flavors with crispy fried wonton strips.

Dressing ingredients

• Oil and vinegar | Create the base of the salad dressing with a classic olive oil and red wine vinegar combo.
• Orange juice | Bring out the citrus of the mandarin oranges by adding freshly squeezed orange juice to the dressing.
• Honey | Sweeten the dressing with a bit of honey.
• Poppy seeds | Add poppy seeds for texture and nutty flavor.
• Salt and pepper | Complete the dressing with salt & black pepper to taste.

How to make Orange Salad with Mandarin Oranges

Who knew making a flavorful salad full of satisfying textures and fresh flavor was so easy? Let’s dive right in!

STEP 1 | Make the citrus dressing

Start by preparing the homemade dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, orange juice, honey, and poppy seeds in a small bowl until emulsified.

Then, taste and season with salt and black pepper.

STEP 2 | Toss salad with dressing

Next, gently toss the salad greens, drained mandarin oranges, cranberries, and green onions in a large salad bowl. Add about half the citrus dressing, then gently toss again.

STEP 2 | Divide, top, and serve!

Then, divide the salad into four salad bowls and top each with toasted almonds and wonton strips. If desired, drizzle more dressing on top.

If you like this easy Mandarin Orange Salad, check out my Grilled Steak Salad, Chopped Kale Salad, and Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing — And did I mention the taco salad is topped with salty and crisp Fritos? So delicious!

Variations and substitutions

• Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing. This recipe is also delicious tossed with a creamy poppy seed dressing instead of the citrus dressing.
• Swap the Almonds. If preferred, switch the almonds with another favorite, like walnuts, pecans, or cashews. Candied almonds are also a delicious option!
• All Fresh Produce. Trade the dried cranberries and canned mandarin oranges for fresh cranberries and mandarin orange segments for a refreshing, fruity flavor. You could even add wedges of crisp apples, too.
• Add Protein. Make this salad a complete meal with grilled chicken or sirloin steak.
• Vinegar Options. White wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar are excellent substitutes for the red wine vinegar the recipe calls for.
• Salad Greens. If you prefer something other than spring mix salad greens, use romaine or iceberg lettuce as the base of this salad. 
• Add Cheese. Feta cheese and goat cheese are the best options for this salad recipe.

Storage and reheating tips

• Leftover dressing can be easily saved for later by storing it in an airtight container, like a mason jar, in the fridge for up to five days.
• Without the dressing, the leftover salad keeps in the refrigerator for two days. However, if it is tossed with the dressing, the salad ingredients will become soggy quickly.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

There’s nothing more comforting than a soup and salad combo!

Serve this sweet orange salad with The Best Creamy Potato Soup for creamy notes, Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup to compliment the citrus flavor in the salad, or this Chicken Florentine Soup with crunchy homemade parmesan croutons — Yum!