Why I love this mandarin orange romaine salad
This mandarin orange romaine salad is one of those simple side dishes that always seems to disappear fast.
The crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy celery, sweet oranges and toasted almonds all work together perfectly, especially once the tangy homemade dressing gets tossed in.
I like that it feels light and fresh, but still has plenty of flavor and texture to make it interesting.
It’s a super versatile salad to serve with everything from grilled chicken and pasta dishes to holiday dinners and potlucks.
Looking for more easy salad recipes? You'll love Berry Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette and Strawberry Watermelon Cucumber Salad.
Ingredients
Here is your shopping list (for 6 side salads):
For the salad
- Fresh produce – 1 head of romaine lettuce, 3 to 4 celery sticks, 2 to 3 green onions
- Nuts – Sliced, roasted almonds. To save time, I like to buy them already roasted. But you can roast them yourself in a small frying pan over medium heat if you prefer. Stir often and watch them closely as they can burn quickly.
- Canned goods – 1 can Mandarin oranges
For the dressing
- Oil – ½ cup pure sunflower oil
- Vinegar – 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Fresh produce – half a lemon, 1 clove garlic
- Seasoning – 1 teaspoon salt
- Sweetener – 1 teaspoon honey
- Spices – ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon dry mustard
Substitutions & Additions
- Spinach or mixed greens will work instead of the romaine lettuce if desired.
- You can replace the sunflower oil with any light vegetable oil or olive oil.
- Try adding some grilled chicken for extra protein, toss in some dried cranberries for a chewy sweetness, or sprinkle in some feta cheese for a nice salty kick.
How to make mandarin orange romaine salad
1 | Prep work
Chop the celery and green onions.
Squeeze the half lemon to get about 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
Drain the juice from can of mandarin oranges.
Separate and wash the romaine lettuce leaves. Then dry them thoroughly so your dressing doesn’t get watery.
The easiest way to do this is with a salad spinner. But if you don’t have one, just pat the lettuce leaves dry with a paper towel.
Chop the lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
2 | Make the salad
Add the lettuce to your favorite salad bowl.
Then, sprinkle the diced celery, chopped onions, orange slices, and crunchy almonds over the top of your lettuce.
3 | Make the dressing
To make the dressing, put ½ cup pure sunflower oil, 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon dry mustard in a mason jar (or other small jar with a lid.)
Then mince 1 clove of garlic and add it to the jar. A garlic press is the easiest way to do this. But if you don’t have one, just chop the garlic as finely as you can.
Close the lid tightly on the jar and shake it until everything is perfectly combined.
If you don’t have a jar, you can also make the dressing in a bowl and mix it with a whisk or fork.
4 | Assemble the salad
Just before you are ready to serve, pour about half of your homemade dressing over the salad and gently toss until everything is lightly coated.
How to make ahead
This salad can be made up to a day ahead of time. To do this:
- Prep and combine the salad ingredients in the bowl. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
- Make the salad dressing in a jar and store in the refrigerator.
- Just before you are ready to serve, toss the salad with the dressing.
Storage
Once the salad has been tossed in the dressing, it will get soggy quite quickly so it doesn’t keep.
If you don’t think you will eat it all at one time, I suggest adding the dressing to the individual servings. That way the leftover salad and dressing can be stored separately in the refrigerator.
Mandarin Orange Romaine Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 head romaine lettuce washed
- 1 cup celery diced
- 2 to 3 green onions sliced, or 1 shallot diced
- 1 can Mandarin oranges drained
- ¼ cup Sliced, roasted almonds
Dressing:
- ½ cup pure sunflower oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 clove garlic minced
Equipment
- 1 Salad bowl
- salad spoons
- Chopping knife
- mason jar or other small jar with a lid
- measuring cups and spoons
- lemon juicer
- garlic press
Instructions
- Cut the romaine lettuce into bite sized pieces and add to the salad bowl.1 head romaine lettuce
- Top with the celery, onions, oranges and almonds.1 cup celery, 2 to 3 green onions, 1 can Mandarin oranges, ¼ cup Sliced, roasted almonds
- To make the salad dressing, combine all of the salad dressing ingredients in the jar. Shake well.½ cup pure sunflower oil, 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 clove garlic
- Just before serving, pour about half the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. The extra dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
Notes
- Replace the romaine lettuce with spinach or mixed greens if desired.
- If you don’t want to buy already roasted almonds, you can roast them yourself in a small frying pan over medium heat. Stir often until the nuts begin to brown, about 2 – 3 minutes. Watch them closely because they will burn easily.
- You can replace the sunflower oil with any other light vegetable oil or olive oil.
- Add chopped, roasted chicken breast or shrimp if you want some protein in the salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Have comments or questions about our mandarin orange romaine salad? Tell us in the section below.
This post was originally published on October 22, 2015 but was updated with new content on May 16, 2026.
Excellent salad. Cool and fresh. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing.
I’m glad you liked it, Miriam! It’s one of my favorites, too.
How many servings does one recipe render please?
Jeri, Although it all depends on the portion size, this recipe will serve about 6 people as a side dish.
Thank you Wanda. I will be preparing for 45 and need a small tasty refreshing salad to serve before the meal.
Wow! Cooking for 45 is a lot of work! But I think this salad is a good choice for a refreshing start to the meal 🙂