Mandarin Sesame Crunch Salad (Printable view)

Crisp Asian-inspired salad with mandarin oranges, toasted sesame crunch, and tangy ginger dressing. Ready in 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad Base

01 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, spinach, or arugula)
02 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
03 - 1 cup shredded carrots
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 1 cup canned mandarin orange segments, drained
06 - 2 green onions, sliced

→ Sesame Crunch Topping

07 - 1 cup crunchy chow mein noodles or slivered almonds
08 - 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
09 - 1 tablespoon butter (or vegan butter/oil for vegan version)
10 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

→ Sesame Dressing

11 - 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
12 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
13 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
14 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
15 - 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
16 - 1 garlic clove, minced
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Steps:

01 - Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sesame seeds and chow mein noodles or almonds, sprinkle with sugar, and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine the mixed greens, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced red bell pepper, drained mandarin orange segments, and sliced green onions.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey or maple syrup, freshly grated ginger, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle the cooled sesame crunch topping over the salad and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sesame crunch topping is genuinely addictive and you will want to put it on everything.
  • It comes together in under thirty minutes with zero cooking stress.
  • The dressing hits every note: tangy, sweet, savory, and just spicy enough from fresh ginger.
02 -
  • Add the dressing at the very last second or the greens will wilt into sadness.
  • Let the sesame crunch cool completely before sprinkling it on, or it will steam itself soft on top of the salad.
03 -
  • Double the sesame crunch recipe because it disappears fast as a snack before it ever reaches the salad.
  • Grate the ginger directly into the dressing using a microplane so the fibers melt right in.

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