Mandarin Sesame Crunch Salad (Printable)
Fresh Asian salad with mandarin oranges, crunchy noodles, and savory sesame dressing.
# What You 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 Make It:
01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the mixed greens, shredded carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, mandarin orange segments, and edamame.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, grated ginger, minced garlic, and sesame seeds until 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 almonds over the top just before serving to maintain their texture. Serve immediately, garnished with extra sesame seeds if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast between the juicy mandarin segments and the crunchy noodles is the kind of texture surprise that keeps every bite interesting.
- That sesame dressing comes together in under a minute and tastes like something from a restaurant that charges sixteen dollars for a side salad.
02 -
- If you dress the salad and let it sit the noodles and almonds will go soft within ten minutes and you will lose the entire point of this recipe.
- Toasting the sesame seeds and almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for two to three minutes unlocks a depth of flavor that raw ones simply cannot provide.
03 -
- Double the dressing recipe and keep the extra in a jar in the fridge for up to a week because you will want it on everything from grain bowls to steamed broccoli.
- Run your knife through the mandarin segments once or twice so they are bite sized and distribute more evenly across each serving.