Orange Almond Salad

This recipe for orange almond salad has been around for years and it’s still a great one. I just took a big bowl of it to a party and it was a hit. The traditional recipe (and this one) has candied almonds, but as with many of the recipes on the site, you are welcome to leave out the sugar and sprinkle on the almonds as-is.

I’ve kept the oil low (1 tablespoon) but you could leave this out completely, as well. Just keep in mind that omitting the oil makes the dressing a little more tart.

I added dried (unsweetened) cranberries for color or you could use raisins. Purchase dried cranberries without palm oil and sugar if you can find them. Some health markets sell them sweetened with apple juice.

Pair this salad with a tasty main dish:

• Moroccan Chickpea Vegetable Tagine
• Cauliflower Pasta Alfredo
• Tempeh Reuben Sandwich
• Sweet Potato Veggie Lasagna

If you’d like to learn about making your own oil-free salad dressings, see my “Salad Dressing Formula” freebie.

I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Orange Almond Salad recipe! If you have a photo, post it on my Instagram page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!

Print Recipe

4 from 10 votes

Orange Almond Salad

A dash of sweetness from the oranges and caramelized almonds with the bright tanginess of the vinegar makes this salad a crowd-pleaser.

Prep Time15 mins

Total Time15 mins

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 head Romaine lettuce chopped or torn into small pieces
• 1 can mandarin oranges drained
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds or sliced
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 Tbl sugar (optional)
• 1/3 cup parsley roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup green onion diced

Dressing

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (red wine or rice vinegar works, too)
• 2 Tbl maple syrup
• 1 Tbl olive oil (optional)
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• If you'd like to "candy" the almonds, melt sugar in the bottom of a non-stick pan. Add almonds and stir until lightly browned and covered with syrup. Pour on to a plate to cool.
• Put lettuce, oranged, cranberries, almonds, green onions, and parsley into a salad bowl.
• Whisk dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Toss to coat.

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Orange Almond Salad

Amount per Serving

Calories

248

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

12.2

g

19

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Sodium

 

18.4

mg

1

%

Carbohydrates

 

33.1

g

11

%

Fiber

 

7

g

29

%

Sugar

 

21.9

g

24

%

Protein

 

6.6

g

13

%

Vitamin A

 

3950

IU

79

%

Vitamin C

 

22.3

mg

27

%

Calcium

 

130

mg

13

%

Iron

 

3.1

mg

17

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.