Mandarin Sesame Crunch Salad (Printer-friendly)
Crisp vegetables, sweet mandarin oranges, and toasted sesame crunch with a tangy ginger dressing.
# What You 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 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 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 Make It:
01 - Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sesame seeds and chow mein noodles or almonds, sprinkle with sugar, and toast for 3-4 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. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
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. Adjust sweetness or acidity as desired.
04 - Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat all ingredients evenly. Sprinkle the cooled sesame crunch topping over the salad and serve immediately to maintain maximum crunch and freshness.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sesame crunch topping is the kind of thing you will start putting on everything once you try it.
- It comes together in under 30 minutes with zero cooking skills required, just honest chopping and a quick toast.
02 -
- If you dress the salad more than a few minutes before serving, the greens will wilt and the crunch will go soft, and there is no recovering from that.
- The sesame crunch stores well in an airtight container for up to three days, so you can make it ahead and keep the salad components separate until the last moment.
03 -
- Use a nonstick skillet for the sesame crunch and resist the urge to walk away, sugar goes from golden to burnt in seconds.
- Grate the ginger directly into the dressing using a microplane so the juices mix in and the fibers stay behind.