Carrageenan Free Spinach Mandarin Almond Salad
Bright, citrusy, and loaded with crunch, this spinach salad is the kind of dish that looks impressive but comes together in minutes. Tender baby spinach gets tossed with juicy mandarin oranges, roughly chopped dry-roasted almonds, and paper-thin slices of red onion for a combination that hits every note — sweet, savory, and a little sharp. The homemade dressing is where things really shine: a quick whisk of olive oil, fresh orange juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, grated ginger, and a pinch of turmeric creates something vibrant and deeply flavorful without a single additive or thickener in sight. That matters more than it might seem, because many bottled dressings and store-bought salad kits sneak in stabilizers that people following a carrageenan-free lifestyle need to avoid. Making the dressing yourself with these whole, recognizable ingredients means you know exactly what's going in the bowl. A scatter of torn fresh mint over the top adds an optional but genuinely lovely finishing touch. This one is easy enough for a weeknight and pretty enough to bring to a gathering.
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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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