Alpha Gal Friendly Spinach Mandarin Almond Salad
This bright, refreshing salad is built around tender baby spinach, juicy mandarin oranges, and crunchy dry-roasted almonds — a combination that feels both light and satisfying. The homemade dressing brings it all together with fresh orange juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, and a hint of ginger and turmeric, giving every bite a warm, citrusy depth that store-bought dressings rarely match. For anyone managing an alpha-gal sensitivity, this recipe is a natural fit — every single ingredient is plant-based or comes from plants and nuts, with absolutely no mammalian meat, dairy, or gelatin to worry about. That means you can dig in without scanning labels or second-guessing a single component. The thinly sliced red onion adds a gentle sharpness that plays beautifully against the sweet oranges, and a handful of torn fresh mint at the end takes the whole bowl somewhere almost tropical. It comes together in just a few minutes of whisking and tossing, making it an easy go-to for weeknight dinners or a crowd-pleasing dish to bring to a gathering where you need something reliably safe and genuinely delicious.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 2 cans (11 oz each) mandarin oranges, drained
- ½ cup dry-roasted almonds, roughly chopped
- ¼ red onion, very thinly sliced
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, grated ginger, turmeric, salt, and black pepper until the dressing is smooth and emulsified.
- 2
Add the baby spinach, drained mandarin oranges, chopped almonds, and sliced red onion to a large salad bowl.
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