We had a healthy recipe contest at the office and I decided to enter my Mandarin Spinach Salad. It’s a great salad and one I’ve been making for years. It’s very easy to throw together and looks so pretty as a starter course served on individual plates when you arrange the mandarin oranges and walnuts nicely on top.
The citrusy dressing took some trial and error before I finally came up with a nice blend of flavors I liked. I think it’s wonderfully refreshing and would go well with other greens and veggies, too. The dressing is delicious made with fresh squeezed orange juice, but in a pinch, frozen orange juice concentrate works just as well.
By the way…… I won the recipe contest!
MANDARIN SPINACH SALAD
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed orange juice or frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 4 cups spinach
- 1 can (11 ozs.) mandarin orange segments, drained
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 3/4 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
Prepare Dressing:
- Mix together oil, vinegar, orange juice and honey in a small bowl.
- Set aside.
Make Salad:
- Combine remaining ingredients in a large salad bowl.
- Add dressing just before serving and toss gently.
- Serve salad or arrange on individual plates to serve.
(Serves 4)
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