This Spinach Salad with Sliced Apples and Mandarin Oranges and a homemade Mandarin-Poppy Seed dressing is so delicious it will have you going for seconds!
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Collective Bias, Inc., and Sahale Snacks. The recipe and opinions are my own.
Whenever anyone in my family has a dinner party and I ask what I can bring, the request is usually "bring one of those delicious salads that you make, you know, the ones with the fruit and the nuts." And it's true, I am awesome at putting together delicious salads. You see, it's pretty easy: all you need for a perfect salad is a combination of sweet and salty, soft and crunchy, and acidic & oily for the dressing.
This Apple Mandarin Orange Salad with homemade Mandarin-Poppy Seed Dressing has it all, and it is what I will be bringing to dinner parties this Fall. I also plan on serving it with dinner whenever we have anyone over this Fall.
It's a perfect Fall salad because Gala apples are in season. And it is great for entertaining because it is ridiculously easy to put together so you can focus on what matters - your guests!
The toppings for this salad make the perfect combination of sweet/salty/crunchy/soft - feta cheese, apples, mandarin orange slices, and Honey Almonds Glazed Mix from Sahale Snacks. The Honey Almonds Glazed Mix add a delicious crunch to every bite of the salad, and they are both salty and sweet, doing triple work to make this salad delicious.
The Honey Almonds Glazed Mix contains whole roasted almonds, tart cranberries, Madagascar vanilla bean and they are glazed with honey, toasted sesame seeds, and a bit of sea salt. They're irresistible, I tell ya. I am pretty sure half the bag didn't make it into the salad the first time I made the salad. I smartened up next time - got a couple of bags to make sure I don't run out if I have a snack attack while preparing this salad.
Sahale Snacks also makes several other delicious flavors of mixes - Raspberry Crumble Cashew Trail Mix, Maple Pecans Glazed Mix, Valdosta Pecans Glazed Mix, Naturally Pomegranate Vanilla Flavored Cashews Glazed Mix, Tangerine Vanilla Cashew-Macadamia Glazed Mix, and my other favorite - the Thai Cashews Glazed Mix. They are ALL good, and are great for setting out in bowls so your guests can snack on them while you get dinner ready.
Any of these mixes would be amazing on top of salad, so don't be afraid to try different ones on top of this salad. They are all gluten-free, non-GMO, and Kosher.
Enjoy this Fall salad with a few of our favorite dishes:
- Mashed butternut squash with white beans
- Roasted Turkey Breast - perfect Thanksgiving dinner for two or for small families!
Fall Apple Mandarin Orange Spinach Salad with Mandarin-Poppyseed Dressing
Ingredients
- 9 cups baby spinach - (about 9 oz)
- 1 gala apple
- 2 (4-oz) cups mandarin oranges in juice
- Sahale Snacks Honey Almonds Glazed Mix - , 4 oz bag
- 1/2 cup crumbed feta cheese
- 3 tablespoon mandarin orange juice
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
- pinch of garlic powder
- pinch of onion powder
- pinch of salt and pepper - , to taste
Instructions
- Core and thinly slice the apple. Drain the juice from the mandarin oranges into a cup, reserving 3 tablespoons of juice for the dressing.
- Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl (see notes below) and gently toss together. Dress with mandarin-poppy seed dressing right before serving.
- Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a small jar or food storage container. Shake well before use. Store leftover dressing in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Notes
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.