Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges

5 from 6 votes
6 Comments

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Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Candied Pecans is colorful and packed with flavor! Tart pomegranates and sweet candied pecans give it a yummy crunch.

Mandarin Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans, blueberries, and pomegranite seeds in a big glass bowl.
Featured with this Recipe:
  1. Salad with Fresh Color and Flavor
  2. Ingredients in Mandarin Orange Spinach Salad
  3. Spinach Salad Additions and Substitutions
  4. Optional Vinaigrette Dressing
  5. Make this Spinach Salad a Meal
  6. How to Make Candied Pecans
  7. Frequently Asked Questions
  8. Other Delicious Salad Recipes
  9. How to Make Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges
  10. Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges Recipe
  11. Recipe Tips:

Salad with Fresh Color and Flavor

This Mandarin Spinach Salad Recipe with Candied Pecans is the perfect salad to serve no matter the season. Spinach Salad is ideal for taking to potlucks and summer barbecues because it’s so pretty; it tastes fresh and delicious and can feed a crowd, but is gorgeous enough to serve on a Christmas buffet or Thanksgiving Day table. Even my picky kids love this salad because they think the pecans taste like candy. Easy to make and versatile, you’ll want to make this salad all year round!

Ingredients in Mandarin Orange Spinach Salad

Salad Ingredients

  • Baby spinach
  • Brianna’s poppyseed dressing 
  • Mandarin oranges
  • Pomegranate seeds
  • Blueberries

For the Candied Pecans

  • Pecans
  • Sugar

Spinach Salad Additions and Substitutions

  • Serve this salad with pomegranate seeds and candied pecans for a sweet Christmas salad.
  • Swap out the pomegranate seeds for fresh raspberries or strawberries during the summer months for a light summer supper.
  • Add craisins, dried cranberries, raisins, dried mango, feta cheese, or creamy goat cheese for added texture and flavor.
  • Toss the fresh spinach with romaine lettuce or a spring mix to add bulk if you need to serve a lot of people.
  • Try toasted almonds instead of pecans.
  • red onion
  • green onion
  • bacon pieces
  • cilantro
  • mushrooms
  • tomatoes
  • eggs
  • walnuts
  • sesame seeds

Optional Vinaigrette Dressing

  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar (white vinegar works too)
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • salt and black pepper, to taste

Shake all ingredients together in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, or whisk together in a bowl and pour over salad.

Make this Spinach Salad a Meal

It’s easy to turn this Mandarin Spinach Salad into a full meal! All you need to do is add some diced meat and you’ve got the perfect summer supper that’s ready in no time!

  • Add grilled chicken, sliced over the top.
  • Grill up a pork tenderloin and slice into the salad.
  • Dice turkey, or even leftover Sunday ham into the salad.

How to Make Candied Pecans

Making your own candied pecans is really easy! All you need are some pecan halves and some sugar. Add the pecans and sugar to a small skillet and heat up on the stove. The trick is to make sure to watch them closely and stir constantly! They are perfect just after the sugar melts and coats the pecans. Once the sugar melts they can burn fast, so be sure to watch it really closely.

Mandarin Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans


Frequently Asked Questions

What goes well with this salad?

Seasoned Grilled Chicken or Shrimp would be great to serve with spinach salad. Try our lemon baked chicken!

What cheese would be good in this salad?

I would go with a goat cheese, gorgonzola, or crumbled feta cheese.

Does this salad keep well?

Once you add the dressing, you only have about a day before it gets too soggy.

Read Next: 25+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Other Delicious Salad Recipes

Some of our other favorite salads that make great side dishes are:

How to Make Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges

Mandarin Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans, blueberries, and pomegranite seeds in a big glass bowl.

Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges

5 from 6 votes
Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges is colorful and packed with flavor! Tart pomegranates and sweet candied pecans give it a yummy crunch.
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 6 cups baby spinach pre-washed
  • 3/4 cup poppyseed dressing Brianna's
  • 22 ounces mandarin oranges 2 cans, drained
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1 cup blueberries

Candied Pecans

Instructions

For the Candied Pecans:

  • In a small skillet, cook the chopped pecans and sugar over medium heat over the stove. Stir constantly until the sugar melts and coats the pecans. Remove from heat and cool completely.

For the Salad:

  • Toss the spinach in the poppyseed dressing, then sprinkle on all remaining ingredients.

Notes

Recipe Tips:

Don’t love one of the ingredients? No problem! Here are some helpful substitutions and additions to Spinach Salad:
  • Serve this salad with pomegranate seeds and candied pecans for a sweet Christmas salad.
  • Swap out the pomegranate seeds for fresh raspberries or strawberries during the summer months for a light summer supper.
  • Add craisins, dried cranberries, raisins, dried mango, feta cheese, or creamy goat cheese for added texture and flavor.
  • Toss the fresh spinach with romaine lettuce or a spring mix to add bulk if you need to serve a lot of people.
  • Try toasted almonds instead of pecans.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 297kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 7gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 299mgPotassium: 1108mgFiber: 7gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 16675IUVitamin C: 54.4mgCalcium: 192mgIron: 5.3mg

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About the author

Emily Walker

Emily lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, Beau, a physician assistant, and her three incredible children: a son and two daughters. Travel is one of her favorite ways to experience new cultures and cuisines, and she has a love for all things Disney.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Candied pecans on top of any salad, is just the best!! This is full of everything I love, from the crisp greens & pomegranate to the mandarin oranges.

  2. 5 stars
    I sure love colorful salads! You know that means it’s super tasty!! And, this is! Love the crunch & the bursts of flavor from the pomegranate.

  3. 5 stars
    Thanks a lot for sharing this awesome mandarin spinach salad candied pecans recipe! It’s easy to make and tasted so good! Will have this again!

  4. 5 stars
    This salad looks so delicious and the perfect colors for Fall! I am a big fan of candied pecans but with all the other tasty ingredients in this salad, I may actually eat the whole salad and not just dig out the candied pecans!