This mandarin crunch salad recipe is full of fresh crunchy vegetables, sweet mandarin oranges, and tossed in a savory peanut sauce. It comes together in just ten minutes and is perfect for a quick and easy meal.
Whether you are looking for a flavor-packed salad recipe or hoping to spice up your lunch or dinner menu, this no cook recipe is for you!
Be sure to try my Spicy Chili Garlic Udon Noodles and my Ginger Sesame Tofu next.
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Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- Vegan & vegetarian: This recipe doesn't use any animal products making it dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
- Easy to make gluten-free: Simply swap the soy sauce for tamari sauce to make this a gluten-free meal.
- Ten minute recipe: We don't need to cook anything for this recipe and the entire salad comes together in just ten minutes.
Ingredient Notes
Lettuce: Romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce work best in this recipe for their crunchiness.
Sauce: We use a homemade peanut sauce to add a bold flavor.
Cabbage: Red cabbage is the cabbage of choice to add vibrant color along with extra crunch.
Edamame: This allows us to get a little protein in the salad.
Cilantro: Use fresh cilantro to get the best possible flavor.
Peanuts: Adding chopped peanuts are a great choice to add flavor and crunch to this salad.
Chow mein noodles: This gives the salad a great crunch! You can also use wonton strips in place of the chow mein noodles if you prefer.
Mandarin oranges: Make sure to drain the canned mandarin oranges before adding them to your salad to prevent excess liquid from getting into the salad.
If you enjoy the flavor you can add a little bit of the mandarin orange juice from the can in with the peanut sauce.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients & quantities.
Substitutions & Additions
Add protein: If you want to add extra protein to this recipe I recommend roasted chickpeas, tofu, or extra edamame.
Substitute the sauce: We use a homemade peanut sauce in this recipe but if you are unable to use a peanut sauce I recommend using a sesame dressing instead.
You can find my homemade sesame salad dressing in this recipe: Sesame Tofu Salad.
Swap out veggies: If you plan to take any of the vegetables out of this recipe I recommend doubling one of the other vegetables or adding in another. This will help keep a wide variety of colors, flavors, and textures.
Make it gluten-free: You can easily make this mandarin orange salad gluten-free by swapping the soy sauce in the peanut sauce for tamari sauce instead and omitting the chow mein noodles.
Top tip: If you are making this recipe in advance store the crunchy chow mein noodles and the peanut sauce separately.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the peanut sauce. Simply mix all of the ingredients for the homemade peanut sauce together and set it aside.
Step 2: Wash all vegetables and prep them according to the instructions.
Step 3: Combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl. Then drizzle the peanut sauce on top.
Step 4: Toss the salad until it is well mixed and covered in the sauce and serve right away.
Expert Tips
Use a variety of ingredients: If you take any of the ingredients out of the salad recipe make sure you add another one in its place. This will help you have a wider variety of flavors and textures which is really important in this recipe.
Use fresh ingredients: This always gives us the best flavor compared to using prepped versions of the same ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Be sure to store the chow mein noodles and the sauce separately to keep everything crisp and fresh. Add those ingredients just before tossing and serving.
Yes, we do not use any animal based ingredients to make this recipe which makes it vegan, vegetarian, and dairy-free.
Serving Recommendations
These are my top recommendations for enjoying this recipe:
- Serve as a large salad for a main course
- Make smaller portions and enjoy as a side dish
- Serve in a tortilla as a wrap
- Enjoy it in a pita or pita pocket
Try These Salad Recipes Next:
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Mandarin Crunch Salad
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- ½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ tsp sriracha
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoon cool water you can add more to thin the sauce further if desired.
Crunchy Mandarin Orange Salad
- 4 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup red cabbage chopped
- ½ cup mandarin oranges
- ½ cup shelled edamame
- ½ cup carrots shredded
- ¼ cup peanuts chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
- ¼ cup crunchy chow mein noodles
Instructions
- Start by mixing together all ingredients for the peanut dressing. Stir it until all ingredients are well combined then set aside.
- Wash and prep all other ingredients according to the ingredient list.
- Combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl and pour the desired amount of peanut sauce on top.
- Toss the salad until everything is coated in the peanut sauce and serve right away.
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