Mandarin Sesame Crunch Salad (Printable)
Crispy Asian salad with mandarin oranges, toasted sesame, and a tangy sweet dressing.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Salad Base
01 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, napa cabbage, or spinach)
02 - 1 cup shredded carrots
03 - 1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
04 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
05 - 1 cup mandarin orange segments (drained if canned)
06 - 1/2 cup shelled edamame
07 - 1/2 cup crunchy chow mein noodles
08 - 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
→ Sesame Dressing
09 - 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
10 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
11 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
12 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
14 - 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
15 - 1 garlic clove, minced
16 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
17 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a large salad bowl, toss together the mixed greens, shredded carrots, sliced bell pepper, green onions, mandarin orange segments, and edamame until evenly distributed.
02 - In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, fresh lime juice, grated ginger, minced garlic, and sesame seeds until the dressing is fully emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
03 - Pour the sesame dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Sprinkle the crunchy chow mein noodles and toasted sliced almonds over the salad just before serving to preserve their crisp texture.
05 - Serve immediately, garnished with additional sesame seeds if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing comes together in about sixty seconds and tastes like something from a restaurant that charges eighteen dollars for a side salad.
- That contrast of juicy mandarins against salty soy and sharp ginger will ruin plain salads for you forever.
02 -
- Do not dress the salad until you are literally walking to the table because the greens deflate fast and the crunch disappears within ten minutes.
- Canned mandarins seem convenient but they carry syrup that will dilute your dressing and make the whole bowl soggy if you do not drain and pat them dry first.
03 -
- Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking constantly, and pull them off the heat the moment you smell anything because they go from golden to burnt in seconds.
- Grate the ginger directly into the dressing jar using a microplane so the juice and pulp both end up in the dressing instead of on your cutting board.