Blood Orange Citrus Salad with Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette
Cranberry Orange White Balsamic Citrus Salad
Description
Crisp mixed greens, juicy mandarin oranges, toasted almonds, red onion, and tangy cheese tossed with a bright Cranberry Orange White Balsamic vinaigrette and Blood Orange Olive Oil. Fresh, citrus-forward, and balanced enough to serve as a starter, side salad, or light meal.
Recipe Overview
Servings: 4–6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
6 cups mixed greens
1½ cups fresh mandarin orange segments, or well-drained canned mandarins
¼ cup very thinly sliced red onion
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese, optional
1½ cups sliced cooked grilled chicken, optional
Vinaigrette
⅓ cup Cranberry Orange White Balsamic
¼ cup Blood Orange Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
• If using canned mandarin oranges, drain them thoroughly and gently blot away excess liquid with a paper towel so they do not water down the vinaigrette.
• Place the mixed greens in a large serving bowl. Add the mandarin oranges, red onion, toasted almonds, and feta or goat cheese, if using.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the Cranberry Orange White Balsamic, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper.
• While whisking continuously, slowly stream in the Blood Orange Olive Oil until the vinaigrette is smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
• Just before serving, drizzle about half of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently. Add additional vinaigrette a little at a time only until the greens are lightly and evenly coated; you may not need all of it.
• If using grilled chicken, arrange the sliced cooked chicken over the dressed salad.
• Finish with a very light drizzle of Cranberry Orange White Balsamic over the top for a fresh final layer of cranberry-citrus flavor and serve immediately.
Chef’s Tip
Dress the salad immediately before serving and add the vinaigrette gradually. The greens should be lightly coated and glossy, not weighed down. Because the Cranberry Orange White Balsamic and mandarins already contribute sweetness, no additional honey is needed unless you taste the finished vinaigrette and personally prefer it sweeter.
Flavor Variations
• Raspberry Dark Balsamic creates a deeper berry-forward salad with richer color and flavor.
• 25 Star White Balsamic creates a cleaner, more traditional sweet-tart vinaigrette while allowing the mandarin and Blood Orange Olive Oil to lead.
• Add sliced avocado for creamy richness and contrast.
• Replace the almonds with toasted walnuts or pecans for a deeper nutty flavor.
• Add dried cranberries for extra cranberry character and chewy texture.
Pairings
Serve as a refreshing starter or side with grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, roasted turkey, or pork. For a light main-course salad, add sliced grilled chicken or salmon and serve with crusty bread.
Build Your Salad
Turn this cranberry orange citrus salad into a complete meal
Keep the salad fresh and citrus-forward, then add a simple protein if you want to turn it from a bright side salad into a satisfying lunch or dinner.
Finished Salad
Cranberry Orange Citrus Salad with grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, feta, toasted almonds, and citrus balsamic vinaigrette
Greens
Mixed baby greens provide a crisp, fresh base that lets the mandarin oranges and cranberry-citrus vinaigrette remain the focus
Toppings
Mandarin oranges, red onion, toasted almonds, feta or goat cheese, with optional grilled chicken, avocado, walnuts, or pecans
Dressing & Flavor Pairing
Cranberry Orange White Balsamic and Blood Orange Olive Oil with Dijon create a bright, fruit-forward vinaigrette that ties the citrus salad together
Recipe Notes
This vinaigrette intentionally uses more balsamic relative to oil than a conventional vinaigrette. Cranberry Orange White Balsamic is the featured flavor, so the dressing is designed to remain bright and balsamic-forward rather than becoming predominantly oil-based.
The original version included 1 tablespoon honey. Because Cranberry Orange White Balsamic already brings sweetness and the salad contains sweet mandarin oranges, the honey is unnecessary for the base recipe and can make the overall salad taste sweeter than intended. Taste first; if you personally want additional sweetness, whisk in a small amount after the vinaigrette is otherwise complete.
Dijon mustard provides savory contrast while helping the oil and balsamic form a more stable emulsion. Slowly streaming the Blood Orange Olive Oil into the balsamic mixture while whisking creates a smoother vinaigrette that coats the greens more evenly.
Toast the almonds before adding them to the salad. Toasting deepens their nutty flavor and gives the finished salad better contrast against the juicy mandarins and tender greens.
If preparing components ahead, refrigerate the vinaigrette separately and keep the greens, citrus, nuts, and cheese undressed. Assemble and dress the salad immediately before serving so the greens remain crisp.
