Mandarin Orange & Blueberry Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Mandarin Orange Salad with Blueberries

It’s summertime and that means it’s showtime for light salad recipes. This light salad is an oldie but goodie and one of my favorite salads to make. When it comes to mandarin oranges, most of us think of ambrosia salad.  That’s the dessert-salad with marshmallows, cool whip, pineapple, and mandarin oranges.

Although this salad features mandarin oranges, it couldn’t be more different than the more well-known ambrosia salad! Fresh berries replace the marshmallows and toasted almond slivers replace the pineapple. Finally, a lightly sweetened vinaigrette is used to dress this summer beauty, instead of cool whip. Comparing the two is like night and day!

Featuring an Easy Citrus Dressing

Part of the beauty of this mandarin orange salad is the heavenly dressing. It is both delicious and effortless.  All you do is combine the reserved juice with white wine vinegar and a little bit of sugar. Talk about easy peasy!

A Salad that Kids will Eat

Our kids love mandarin oranges.  They are also pretty fond of blueberries.  Fresh, leafy greens – not so much.  By mixing all of these together, doused with a little sweetened juice from the oranges, our kids suddenly become salad eaters!

Of course, it isn’t just our kids who enjoy this salad.  Their parents do as well.  It’s great as a side for outdoor cooking, family reunions, or as a warm-weather lunch all by itself. Uncomplicated and simple to put together, it’s a plate of healthy fruit and greens.  It is a plate of summer!

FAQ for this  Mandarin Orange Salad

Can I use spinach for this salad?

Baby spinach is a great choice to use for this easy salad.

What other berries can I use?

• Fresh raspberries
• Strawberries
• Blackberries

Chopped bing cherries, dried cherries, and dried cranberries are great additions as well!

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Prepare this salad ahead of time to save time when you are ready to serve it. Just seal it and store it in the refrigerator up to a day before serving. Douse the dressing over the salad when ready to eat.

What are mandarin oranges?

Mandarin oranges are a small variety of oranges also known as mandarines. Because of their small size, they are often used in salad recipes like this one.

Can I use regular oranges for this salad?

You can use other types of oranges for this salad. Be sure and peel the pith (white lining)  from the citrus and cut the slices in half to make them more bite-size. If you don’t use mandarins for this salad, try to use another sweet variety like Valencias or navel oranges. Substitute orange juice for the reserved mandarin juice, if using fresh oranges.

I’m always looking for easy summer salad recipes, both for myself and for our readers. If you have a favorite, please drop me an email!  I’d love to give it a try and put our own spin on it!

BTW, do you have a salad spinner in your kitchen? It’s a fast and effective way to rinse and dry salad greens and I sometimes use mine as a colander. If you don’t have one of these, you may want to consider picking one up.  (As a bonus, kids love to use these things, and adults do too!)

If you have tried this mandarin salad recipe, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below. We love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what we have cooking.

Mandarin Orange and Blueberry Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

A simple green salad with a quick and delicious vinaigrette dressing.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 118kcal

Author: Dan

Cost: $5

Equipment

• Salad spinner

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 2 cups salad greens washed and rinsed.
• 1 cup blueberries washed and rinsed.
• 11 oz. mandarin orange slices. drained (reserve the juice.)
• 1/4 cup almond slivers toasted

For the Dressing

• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• reserved mandarin orange juice.

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350° F. Then, spread the almond slivers onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Place the pan on a center oven rack and toast for 7 to 10 minutes, until they begin to turn a light brown.
• Thoroughly mix the sugar, white wine vinegar, and reserved juices.
• Plate greens, place orange slices and blueberries on top, then sprinkle with toasted almonds. Apply the dressing and taste the summer.

Notes

• Substitute other fresh berries for the blueberries, if desired.
• Always serve summers salads on a chilled plate. This helps keep the salad cool and takes away a bit of the summer heat!

Nutrition

Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 778IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg

Made This Recipe?

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This post is from the original post of June 10, 2014.

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