I was originally introduced to this salad a month or so ago when Bryan brought it to a get together. Once I started, I couldn’t stop! The dressing he made to go along with it was fantastic. I could almost open my mouth and pour it straight in, it was that good. Then, not too long after that Steve and I went to a game night with work friends and a friend brought this salad with a different dressing. Again, I couldn’t get enough. I didn’t think I even liked mandarin oranges before. Just last week Jonna at Get Off Your Butt and Bake posted this salad too! Man, it’s like wildfire. So what I am trying to say is, this recipe comes from all over! Try it, you’ll love it!
Mandarin Orange Almond Salad
If you love a good salad with fruit and candied nuts, this Mandarin Orange Almond Salad has a great lineup of flavors that blend so well together. It's a tasty side for any meal.
Ingredients
- 1 large head red leaf lettuce or any leafy green
- 1 can 11 oz mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 very small red onion finely sliced
- 1/2 pkg. bacon cooked & crumbled
- 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 c. sliced almonds
- 3 tbsp. sugar
Dressing
- 1/2 tsp. fresh grated orange rind
- 1/3 c. fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 c. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. dried Italian salad dressing mix
Instructions
-
Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces; add onion and oranges to bowl. Refrigerate.
-
Toast almonds in sugar over medium heat, being careful not to burn. Set aside to cook, then break apart.
-
Add remaining ingredients.
-
There are endless dressings you could use to top this salad. For the dressing, mix together well, and serve immediately.
