Mandarin Sesame Crunch Salad (Printable)
Crisp greens, sweet mandarin oranges, and toasted sesame crunch with tangy ginger dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad Base
01 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, spinach, 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
07 - 1 cup crunchy chow mein noodles or slivered almonds
08 - 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
09 - 1 tablespoon butter (or vegan butter substitute)
10 - 1 tablespoon 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 pepper, to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and chow mein noodles or almonds, sprinkle with sugar, and toast for 3-4 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 salad greens, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, thinly sliced red bell pepper, drained mandarin orange segments, and sliced green onions. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the 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 to coat all ingredients evenly. Sprinkle the cooled sesame crunch mixture over the top and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sesame crunch topping is the kind of thing you will start making on purpose just to snack on straight from the pan.
- It comes together in under thirty minutes with mostly pantry staples and one skillet.
02 -
- Add the dressing at the very last second or the greens will wilt into a sad puddle before anyone takes a bite.
- Keep the sesame crunch in a separate container if you are making this ahead and sprinkle it on only when ready to serve.
03 -
- Grate the ginger directly into the dressing bowl so you capture every drop of juice instead of losing it on a cutting board.
- Toasting the sesame oil slightly in a dry pan for thirty seconds before mixing the dressing deepens its flavor in a way that raw oil simply cannot match.