Mandarin Orange Salad
This mandarin orange salad is a leafy veggie salad that leans on both traditional ingredients, like toasted ramen and a sesame-ginger dressing, and modern additions, like napa cabbage, spinach, and edamame. It comes together in 20 minutes and works as a full meal with chicken on top or as a bright, veggie-loaded side dish on its own. Bonus points: my kids loved this one as much as the adults!
🥗 Traditional Meets Modern 🤝
We’re taking everything people love about a classic sesame-soy salad (toasted ramen, sesame seeds, that ginger dressing) and tossing in some fresher favorites: spinach, napa cabbage, and edamame.
It’s sweet, savory, and crunchy, and it works as a meal (add chicken or tofu) or a veggie-forward side salad. It’s…
🥢 Big on crunch: Toasted ramen, toasted almonds, and sesame seeds give every bite serious texture.
🍊 Sweet & savory: Mandarin oranges balance the salty, ginger-forward dressing.
🍗 Meal or side: Add chicken for a full dinner, or keep it as a veggie-loaded side.
⏰ Ready in 20 minutes: No cooking beyond toasting the ramen and almonds.
📦 Make-ahead friendly: Toast the crunchy toppings and mix the dressing days in advance.
Every meal needs a veggie side, and honestly that’s usually the hardest part of dinner to figure out. Greek cucumber salad brings the same fresh, crunchy energy to the table. Lemon kale salad is another bright, veggie-forward side that holds up well for meal prep. And garbanzo bean chopped salad is a solid make-ahead option when you want something a little heartier.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need sliced almonds, ramen noodles (you can ditch the seasoning packets), baby spinach, napa cabbage (if you love napa cabbage, also try our easy napa cabbage slaw), mandarin oranges, edamame, green onion, and sesame seeds. For the dressing: mirin, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic, and fresh ginger.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: Slice the spinach and napa cabbage into ribbons before assembling – it makes every bite easier to eat and keeps the salad from feeling like a pile of whole leaves.
- Feeding kids without pressure: My kids loved this one, but I served it salad-bar style so everyone could make their own perfect bowl, and as you’d expect, no two bowls were alike.
- Additions: Add some chicken or tofu to turn this into a dinner salad.
Mandarin Orange Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings (as a side salad) 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
This mandarin orange salad blends crunchy ramen and almonds with napa cabbage, spinach, and edamame in a sesame-ginger dressing – ready in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1 (3 oz.) block ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded, toasted
- 4 cups sliced baby spinach
- 4 cups sliced napa cabbage
- 1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
For the dressing
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
Instructions
- Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan often, until fragrant and lightly golden. Watch them closely since they go from toasted to burnt fast. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Crush the ramen blocks while still in their packaging into small, bite-sized pieces. Toast in the dry skillet (same as almonds) over medium-low heat for 1-3 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate to cool and crisp further. Watch these closely as well!
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.
- In a large bowl, combine the spinach and napa cabbage ribbons. Right before serving, drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Top with the mandarin oranges, edamame, green onion, toasted almonds, toasted ramen, and sesame seeds.
Notes
Ingredients: If you don’t have mirin or seasoned rice vinegar, add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the dressing to balance the acidity.
Prep ahead: Toast the ramen and almonds up to 2 days ahead and store separately at room temperature in an airtight container. The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge – whisk again before using.
Serve with: Add sliced chicken breast or rotisserie chicken to turn this into a full meal.
About the Author
This recipe was developed by Emily Dingmann, founder and contributor to My Everyday Table. Emily specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and nearly 20 years of experience, she shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.