Mandarin Orange Salad with Thai Crunch Salad Dressing

This Mandarin Orange Salad with Thai Crunch Salad Dressing may remind you of California Pizza Kitchen. It's an incredibly delicious quick and easy salad with little to no chopping. It comes together in minutes with sweet oranges, greens, and a zingy dressing you will love.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Servings: servings

Calories: 272kcal

Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

Thai Crunch Salad Dressing

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar *see notes
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice about 1 lime
3 tablespoons neutral oil *see notes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2½ tablespoons sugar
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Mandarin Orange Salad

1 15-oz can mandarin oranges, juice drained
16 oz fresh greens spinach, baby spring mix, arugula, or your favorite

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Instructions

Thai Crunch Salad Dressing:

In a blender, add peanut butter, rice vinegar, lime juice, oil, soy sauce, honey, sugar, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Process until very smooth. Add fresh cilantro and blend until the herb is chopped and combined with the dressing. Thin with additional oil if needed to consistency desired. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Mandarin Orange Salad:

Combine the salad greens, drained mandarin oranges, and any additional salad vegetables you want to add in a large salad bowl.
When ready to serve drizzle or spoon dressing over the top of the salad. Top with crushed roasted peanuts and additional fresh cilantro if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

Topping Ideas

Crushed peanuts
Fresh cilantro

Substitutions for Rice Vinegar

If you don't have rice vinegar on hand, easy substitutions are apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.

Neutral Oil

Neutral oils are considered oil that has little to no flavor. The most common are vegetable oil, canola, avocado, corn, peanut, refined coconut, and grapeseed oil. Refined light olive oil can work as well.

Nutrition