Home > Salad > 5 Days Till Christmas: Mandarin Apple Salad Recipe

5 Days Till Christmas: Mandarin Apple Salad Recipe

A plate of mandarin apple salad with a whole apple behind it

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It seems like we just tossed things into this Mandarin Apple Salad as we went along and it turned out fantastic. I guess you really can’t go wrong with this list of ingredients. We don’t have the feta cheese in the photos because we added it while we were already wolfing down the salad, but we both really liked the feta. Sweet, salty, tangy. Major crave!

My son loved this salad too. Yeah, he eats leafy-type salads (my little guy just amazes me). He also loved to help make the salad; washing, spinning and adding all the fixin’s. 

Congratulations to our Winner: 

#98: Tatyana, who wrote: “The salad I really like is tostada salad from Cheesecake Factory!”
Please check your email and reply within 72 hours. 
Have a merry Christmas!! – Natasha 

Ingredients for Mandarin Apple Salad:

1 large head of romaine lettuce
1-2 medium apples (add to a small bowl with juice of 1/2 lemon + 1/2 cup water to keep from browning)
3-4 mandarins (seedless)
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, optional
1/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional; it’s not photographed because we added it late)
Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Mandarin Apple Salad

Ingredients for the Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Mandarin Apple Salad

Salad Spinner

How to Make Mandarin Apple Salad:

1. Start off by washing, chopping and spinning dry your romaine lettuce. The kiddos can get involved with this step. This spinner is unique. It’s like no spinner I’ve ever tried because it has a turbo fan inside that adds large volumes of air which blows the water off your greens. It does what it’s supposed to do; it really spins the salad dry! It’s also very sturdy. Transfer your greens to your salad bowl.

Mandarin Apple Salad

Mandarin Apple Salad

2. Peel and separate your mandarins. Toss into your salad bowl.

Mandarin Apple Salad

3. Chop your apples into 1/2″ pieces. If you aren’t eating your salad right away, add apples to a small bowl filled with juice of 1/2 lemon + 1/2 cup water to keep from browning. Just drain and toss in when ready to serve!

Mandarin Apple Salad

4. Top salad with chopped onion, walnuts and craisins. Add dressing to taste and then sprinkle with feta if you wish. Voila! P.S. This Dexas salad bowl, Dexas klip-cup and Dexas Salad Hands.

Mandarin Apple Salad

Mandarin Apple Salad

The winner of this Dexas giveaway will receive the following Salad-making tools:

1. Dexas Turbo Fan Salad Spinner
2. Pair of Dexas Salad Hands (these are awesome! They wrap around the salad bowl perfectly and make tossing salad a breeze) Pick your color: green, red or orange
3. Dexas Salad Bowl (This bowl can be used for chips and dip too!) Pick your color: lime green or purple.
4. Dexas Klip Kup; an 8 oz cup to hold your salad dressing, or dip. We put the walnuts in the Klip Kup because our son doesn’t eat nuts; just another use for it.What a clever invention!

Our long-awaited cookbook is here! Order now

Mandarin Apple Salad

5 from 15 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients 

Ingredients for Mandarin Apple Salad:

  • 1 large head of romaine lettuce
  • 1-2 medium apples, add to a small bowl with juice of 1/2 lemon + 1/2 cup water to keep from browning
  • 3-4 mandarins, seedless
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, optional
  • 1/4 cup craisins, dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
  • Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients for the Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette:

Instructions

  • Wash, chop and spin dry your romaine lettuce. Than transfer your greens to the salad bowl.
  • Peel and separate mandarins. Toss into the salad bowl.
  • Chop apples into 1/2" pieces. If you aren't eating your salad right away, add apples to a small bowl filled with juice of 1/2 lemon + 1/2 cup water to keep from browning. Just drain and toss in when ready to serve!
  • Top salad with chopped onion, walnuts and craisins. Add dressing to taste and then sprinkle with feta if you wish. Voila!
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Mandarin Apple Salad
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $6-$7

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Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Read comments/reviewsAdd comment/review

  • Lisa
    March 30, 2023

    I made this for dinner tonight! It was delicious! I added some chicken. The dressing paired nicely with the salad. This will be on a regular rotation!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 30, 2023

      Happy to hear that, Lisa. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply

  • LaLe
    November 23, 2019

    Hi Natasha! The recipe sounds great! I have some mandarins but they are a bit sour. Do you think they will be good for this salad? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      November 24, 2019

      Hi LaLe, that would still work. I love the contrast of tanginess that mandarins bring to the salad.

      Reply

  • viktoria
    December 22, 2012

    ceaser salad love it

    Reply

  • Lena
    December 22, 2012

    Posted to Facebook!

    Reply

  • Lena
    December 22, 2012

    I like to make caesar salad, its good and easy.

    Reply

  • Karen Medlin
    December 21, 2012

    shared on facebook-https://www.facebook.com/gumma.medlin/posts/381363821957766

    Reply

  • Karen Medlin
    December 21, 2012

    Fresh Green Leaf salad is our favorite

    Reply

  • Sergiy
    December 21, 2012

    I like chopped lettuce, cucumber, avocado, green onion, mixed with oil and garlic (oil and garlic mixed and heated in micowave for like 15 seconds, then added and mixed into the salad). so good with shashlik 🙂

    Reply

  • Serge
    December 21, 2012

    shared on facebook

    Reply

  • Serge
    December 21, 2012

    I love ceasar salad

    Reply

  • Olga
    December 21, 2012

    shared on facebook

    Reply

  • Olga
    December 21, 2012

    My favorite salad is cucumber, green onion, radishes, dill, mixed with mayo and sour cream

    Reply

  • Carmen
    December 21, 2012

    We love making a romaine, grilled chicken, yellow squash, cashew and mandarin orange salad.

    Reply

  • Ron
    December 21, 2012

    My favorite salad is garden salad with lots of mix-ins.

    Reply

  • Katrina T
    December 21, 2012

    I love fruit salad.

    Reply

  • Olesya
    December 21, 2012

    Facebooked! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes you blog about. They sure do make my life easier.

    Reply

  • Olesya
    December 21, 2012

    Pinned

    Reply

  • Olesya
    December 21, 2012

    Lately I’ve been making and crving the wreath salad that you have posted. So yummy. I’m making to 3 Christmas parties this weekend.

    Reply

  • alena
    December 21, 2012

    tweeted : https://twitter.com/pink411

    Reply

  • alena
    December 21, 2012

    i love ceaser salad its very delicious and i always order it at the restaurant when me and my husband go out 🙂

    Reply

  • karen
    December 20, 2012

    I love lentil salads!
    What great products- they look so useful
    karenreichmann@hotmail.com

    Reply

  • Katrina
    December 20, 2012

    My favorite salad to make is vinigret!

    Reply

  • Angela
    December 20, 2012

    got it on pinterest
    http://pinterest.com/pin/126663808241684670/

    Reply

  • Angela
    December 20, 2012

    shared on facebook!

    Reply

  • Angela
    December 20, 2012

    I have a favorite salad but have no clue the name of it, I make my own dressing with olive oil and some spices, and salad romaine lettuce, apple, grapes and feta cheese plus croutons. It sooo good

    Reply

  • Natalya H
    December 20, 2012

    That’s funny, I made a very similar salad today except I added dried cranberries instead of the apples and had Thousand Island for the dressing. Love a simple salad!

    Reply

  • Mila L.
    December 20, 2012

    Ceaser and Cobb salads are my favorites.

    Reply

  • Svetlana
    December 20, 2012

    Caesar salad and venigret are my faves.

    Reply

  • Jen B.
    December 20, 2012

    Beet salat. With garlic. : )

    Reply

  • alison
    December 20, 2012

    I just like the green leaf salad, what ever that would be. I also add other vegetables of my choice to it and some parmasan cheese.

    Reply

  • Heather
    December 20, 2012

    I tweeted! https://twitter.com/HeatherLynn626/status/281853311789981696

    Reply

  • Heather
    December 20, 2012

    My favorite salad to make is a mandarine cranberry salad with a vinagrette made from apple cider vinager. So yummy!

    Reply

  • Tatyana V
    December 20, 2012

    I like garden salads and Cesar as well, especially with nice piece of chicken …. Yam:)

    Reply

  • Roza Andrukhovych
    December 20, 2012

    Posted on Facebook 🙂

    Reply

  • Liliya
    December 20, 2012

    my whole family loves beets salad, its easy to make and really healthy 🙂 You have it here with onions I add garlic to mine.

    Reply

  • Ellie D
    December 20, 2012

    pinned http://pinterest.com/pin/269090146457141014/

    Reply

  • Ellie D
    December 20, 2012

    Tweeted https://twitter.com/curlfusion/status/281822589335257089

    Reply

  • Roza Andrukhovych
    December 20, 2012

    My favorite salad is Chicken Oriental from Applebee’s. it’s soo good, I never get sick of it! 🙂

    Reply

  • Ellie D
    December 20, 2012

    I love broccoli, bacon and cranberry salad. I make it for potlucks and it’s gone in seconds. 🙂

    Reply

  • Luda
    December 20, 2012

    Any salad is good, just LOVE lettuce!! Would love to try ur new recipe

    Reply

  • rachel martin
    December 20, 2012

    This is by far the best salad ever!

    Reply

  • Nadiya. G
    December 20, 2012

    Also shared this giveaway on Instagram.

    The link to my previous comment about Pinterest is:

    Reply

  • Nadiya. G
    December 20, 2012

    Pinned a photo of this giveaway on Pinterest. 🙂

    Reply

  • Nadiya. G
    December 20, 2012

    Shared this giveaway on Facebook. 🙂

    Reply

  • Nadiya. G
    December 20, 2012

    I love making/eating any kind of salad with avocado in it. And I like the (mushroom, spinach, cheese, ham) type of salad. 🙂

    Reply

  • Anna
    December 20, 2012

    I love a simple salad of just tomatoes and cucumbers for every day, but I recently made your broccoli/walnut/cranberry salad, and it is one of my new faves!

    Reply

  • Kristy
    December 20, 2012

    http://pinterest.com/pin/346495765050583873

    Reply

  • Roman
    December 20, 2012

    My favorite salad is just garden salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower seeds/nuts with ranch dressing.

    Reply

  • Luda B
    December 20, 2012

    In my family we eat ceasar salad the most. Its one of my family favorites and easy to make.

    Reply

  • Alina K
    December 19, 2012

    Simple greens with ranch/mayo/freshly minced garlic mix usually hits the spot.
    This is an awesome giveaway!

    Reply

  • Ana
    December 19, 2012

    Pinned

    Reply

  • Mariya
    December 19, 2012

    I love Olive Garden’s all you can eat salad =) Yummmy!

    Reply

  • Ana
    December 19, 2012

    I really like olivye salad. 🙂

    Reply

  • Nadia
    December 19, 2012

    My favorite salad is the Creamy Spinach Chicken Tomato salad. Ever since I tried it earlier this year, it has been one of my absolute favorites. I also love Pringle salad (cooked, diced beets, carrots, peas, canned corn, and crushed Pringles. Mayo, minced garlic, and salt is the dressing) Yum! Another favorite is fresh Spring Mix or baby Spinach salad greens with varying toppings. Always turns out wonderful. Honey mustard dressing, of course (;

    Reply

  • Julia
    December 19, 2012

    My favorite salad changes weekly, but I’m currently in love with “shuba” (your recipe).

    Reply

  • Zina P
    December 19, 2012

    Shared your recipe and sweeps on FB!

    Reply

  • Zina P
    December 19, 2012

    I’m becoming a “Pin It” fanatic….chuckle! Pinned it here

    Reply

  • Mila
    December 19, 2012

    Pinned on Pinterest!
    http://pinterest.com/pin/5277724535306947/

    Reply

  • Mila
    December 19, 2012

    I love the broccoli salad with cranberries & nuts! Delish!!

    Reply

  • ALINA
    December 19, 2012

    I really like shuba.

    Reply

  • liliya georgeshan
    December 19, 2012

    shared on facebook

    Reply

  • Julie
    December 19, 2012

    I love Caesar salad!!!

    Reply

  • Lilia
    December 19, 2012

    I shared this giveaway with my friends on my Facebook page.

    Reply

  • Lilia
    December 19, 2012

    My hubby’s and my favorite salad would have to be a mixed green salad with either Caesar or Italian dressing, toasted pecans, grilled chicken or shrimp, cherry tomatoes and baby cucumbers all tossed together. The salad is all about fresh ingredients. We love to top our salads with fresh grated parmesan cheese too.

    Reply

  • JulieKuz
    December 19, 2012

    Instagrammed!

    Reply

  • marina
    December 19, 2012

    http://pinterest.com/pin/172614598189518974/ pinned it

    Reply

  • Tatyana
    December 19, 2012

    Shared on Facebook.

    Reply

  • Tatyana
    December 19, 2012

    Tomato, cucumber, onion, and parsley — with olive oil and garlic salt!

    Also, shared on Facebook.

    Reply

  • Marina
    December 19, 2012

    My favorite salad to eat at home starts with romaine and any veggies that I have. Must have tomatoe, cucumber, onion, avocado and egg. Tossed with oil & vinegar salt & pepper. A big bowl of it and its a meal! Love salads!

    Reply

  • viktoriya
    December 19, 2012

    spinach and strawberry salad!!! :p

    Reply

  • Katerina P.
    December 19, 2012

    I love something I call coleslaw salad. It has coleslaw mix, almonds, sunflower seeds, green onions and ramen noodles in it. Sounds like a strange combo but is absolutely delicious and very easy to make.

    Reply

  • Katrina T
    December 19, 2012

    Ooooh la la. I would love love love these salad gadgets. Oh so classy. My favorite salad is greens with all the yummy mix-ins….such as cherry tomatoes, avocado, eggs, snap peas, chicken, you know, all the yummy stuff.

    Reply

  • Anya
    December 19, 2012

    I love caesar salads, and the caesar dressing you have posted on your site became a favorite for me. Thanks for all your great recipes 🙂

    Reply

  • Lidiya
    December 19, 2012

    One of my favorite salads is a mix of romaine lettuce, dry cranberries, almonds, avocado and all tossed with Italian dressing or balsamic.

    Reply

  • Julie
    December 19, 2012

    shared on FB.

    Reply

  • Luba
    December 19, 2012

    Instagrammed:

    Reply

  • Tatyana
    December 19, 2012

    Shared on Instagram!!!

    Reply

  • Tatyana
    December 19, 2012

    The salad I really like is tostada salad from
    Cheesecake Factory!

    Reply

  • Tatyana
    December 19, 2012

    Shared on Facebook!!!

    Reply

  • Julie
    December 19, 2012

    I love making cesar salad and feta sald with spinach and white balsamic vinegar and olive oil 🙂

    Reply

  • JuliaKuz
    December 19, 2012

    my absolute favorite salad is to have spinach.. Top it with baby tomatoes, sweet white onion, chopped green chives and sprinkle it with feta! AND use Olive Garden dresssing!

    Reply

  • Luba
    December 19, 2012

    Shared on FB.

    Reply

  • olga
    December 19, 2012

    my favorite salad to make and eat would probably be the “vinigret” salad. my all time favorite russian salad. Dont ever get sick of it 😉

    Reply

  • olga
    December 19, 2012

    posted this on instagram!

    Reply

  • Vika
    December 19, 2012

    I love Caesar salad. I eat it just about every week

    Reply

  • liliya georgeshan
    December 19, 2012

    I love eating the fuji apple salad.

    Reply

  • Natalie
    December 19, 2012

    My favorite salad would be (olivE) not sure if that would be considered a salad, but in my book it is a “salad”.

    Reply

  • Vika
    December 19, 2012

    I really like the broccoli and raisin salad. I’ve discovered it this summer and LOVe it!

    Reply

  • Julie P.
    December 19, 2012

    Here is my pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/201887995767505119/

    Reply

  • Julie P.
    December 19, 2012

    My favorite salad: spinach with ground turkey, avocado, greek yogurt, and lemon juice. Yummy and so good for you 🙂

    Reply

  • Yana
    December 19, 2012

    Shared on Facebook.

    Reply

  • Yana
    December 19, 2012

    Twitter –

    Reply

  • Yana
    December 19, 2012

    Pinterest –

    Reply

  • Yana
    December 19, 2012

    I love Costco’s Grand Parisian salad mix. It includes lettuce, carrots, white balsamic dressing, almonds, cranberries, and feta cheese. I’m actually about to eat it 🙂

    Reply

  • Elena G
    December 19, 2012

    Romaine lettuce with shredded carrots, parmesan cheese, grape tomatoes, and ceasar or ranch dressing. Actually this salad turns out different almost every time because I like to put other extras like crab meat or avocado…etc. This salad is so easy to make and so good!

    Reply

  • Irina
    December 19, 2012

    I like to eat olivye salad.

    Reply

  • Alla
    December 19, 2012

    shared it on fb

    Reply

  • Alla
    December 19, 2012

    pinned it: http://pinterest.com/pin/199917670930458126/

    Reply

  • Alla
    December 19, 2012

    Probably ceaser salad?

    Reply

  • Tina
    December 19, 2012

    My favorite salad is with lettuce, walnuts, gorgonzola, cranberries, apples and the raspberry walnut gorgonzola salad dressing from trader joes 🙂

    Reply

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