Sweet, savory, and incredibly refreshing, Strawberry & Mandarin Orange Salad is a beautiful dish that’ll take you on a delicious flavor trip.
Strawberry & Mandarin Orange Salad is a simple but eye-catching salad, full of wonderful colors and such a treat to eat! Nutritious greens tossed with sweet strawberries, watermelon, and mandarins, paired with savory red onion and creamy feta cheese, and topped with a tangy Dijon mustard vinaigrette for a dish that is perfect for a weeknight or a get-together.
A Salad Refresh
Strawberry & Mandarin Orange Salad is a flavor adventure that maybe not everyone is ready for, but they will absolutely fall in love with! I have some family members who are convinced they are either “sweet” or “salty” people and were hard pressed to try this amazing salad (that definitely has both) but I can tell you that this is now one of their favorite dishes. The mix of textures, the flavors, and the lightness of this salad is really too perfect to pass up!
Other Recipes to Serve with Strawberry & Mandarin Orange Salad
- Oranges and strawberries are simply amazing together so why not mix up a pitcher of Orange Strawberry Rose Sangria to complement that delicious salad you’re making?
- Don’t forget to serve up a scrumptious dessert that everyone at the table will rave about, like Strawberries and Cream Angel Food Cake!
Ingredients
Fruit: You will need watermelon that has been cut into bite-sized pieces, strawberries, and mandarin oranges. If mandarin oranges are not available, then pick up navel oranges. Blueberries and cherries would also be great choices for this salad.
Produce: A wide variety of greens can be used for this salad, such as spinach, kale, arugula, or lettuce. Feel free to mix the greens too! Don’t also forget to grab a red onion.
Cheese: This recipe calls for feta cheese, but you could also use ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, goat cheese, or any vegan substitute.
Seeds: You will also need sunflower seeds for a light crunch.
To make the Dijon Dressing: You will need Dijon mustard, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, and salt and pepper.
How to Make Strawberry & Mandarin Orange Salad
STEP ONE: Place the greens in a large bowl, followed by the cut watermelon. Add the strawberries, mandarin orange slices, and chopped red onion. Mix the salad and then sprinkle on the feta cheese and sunflower seeds.
STEP TWO: Drizzle the Dijon dressing over the salad and toss gently. Serve immediately or let the salad sit for no longer than two hours in the refrigerator.
Tips for Success
- Chilling the greens and fruit ahead of time is a great way to keep the salad on the cool side so that it is extra refreshing. Don’t forget, though, not to let the salad sit in the fridge for too long or it will begin to wilt and lose some of its beauty.
- To prepare the mandarins for the salad, slice the top and bottom off of the mandarin and then make cut down the peel. Now you can unroll the mandarin and separate the segments, removing any strings.
- Try out the different ideas mentioned above, like using mixed greens, adding in blueberries or substituting mozzarella pearls! There are great combinations to try so that the salad is a little different each time you make it.
What else can I add to this salad?
So glad you asked! There are a variety of nuts you can add, such as walnuts or pecans (how amazing would candied pecans be!) or add a touch of creaminess by tossing in sliced avocado. Crisp cucumber and dried cranberries are also wonderful ideas. If you want to take this salad in a heartier direction, think crispy chopped bacon, shredded chicken, seasoned tofu, or chunks of tempeh. The interplay of sweet and savory, along with the different textures, make this a unique salad that is hard not to love!
How do I store leftovers?
As with most good things, this salad will not last well past 24 hours. If kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it should be good for lunch the next day, but the greens will begin to oxidize quickly. If you have leftover fruit that you’re not sure what to do with, you can place it in freezer bags and freeze the fruit to make smoothies in the future. The salad itself will not freeze well, so again, try not to make too much and enjoy it within a day.
More salads to tempt your taste buds
- Watermelon Salad
- Strawberry Feta Salad
- Grape Salad
- Summer Wild Rice Salad
- Fully Loaded Raspberry Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad
- 10 ounces leafy greens washed and drained
- 1.5 pounds seedless watermelon cut into bite-size pieces
- 10 mandarin oranges peeled and segmented
- 8 ounces strawberries
- 1 small red onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
Dijon Mustard Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Arrange the greens in a large serving bowl. Top with watermelon, oranges, strawberries, and onions. Sprinkle feta cheese all over the salad.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour onto the salad and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately or let chill in the fridge for up to 2 hours.
Leave a Reply