Orange Raspberry Spinach Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dressing. Please come into my life.right.now. The orange poppy seed dressing is fab not to mention the candied pistachios on top. Yes, that is totally right. I said candied pistachios. Loves all around in this beautiful salad!
Mardi Gras is tomorrow and once you take your first bite of this salad you will want to make this for Mardi Gras every year! Fun fact 👉 dump your leftover salad into a mason jar and eat it for lunch on Ash Wednesday because it’s meatless! The crazy part is that you won’t feel like you are missing out on anything on Ash Wednesday. Meat who??
The Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
Okay, now you may be thinking “What, I have to make the dressing?!” but obviously the answer to that is “no, you don’t have to.” However, the less obvious answer to that question is YOU TOTALLY SHOULD because if you haven’t tasted orange poppy seed dressing before then it is time to change that. Yes, you need to join the I Make My Own Orange Poppy Seed Dressing Club because you are awesome and you know it! It’s okay if you take time out to do the Carlton dance from Fresh Prince right now.🕺 I will be here when you get back.
Cara cara oranges are the main ingredient in this salad dressing. Cara cara oranges have a darker pink to almost red flesh. They are low in acidity, which gives them a sweeter taste. Cara cara oranges are delicious! So the idea to juice them and create a salad dressing seemed like a great idea. Oh, and it was!! This orange poppy seed dressing is ideal for any dark green salad.
The next item on the agenda that needs a little of the spotlight are the candied pistachios. Oh my gosh, just saying candied pistachios makes me want to go eat some right now. The plus..they take 5 minutes to make! ONLY 5 MINUTES! 🙂 I just love everything about this recipe. The recipe for candied pistachios was adapted from Carlsbad Cravings.
And now let’s turn our heads to the main event:
Hellooo Mardi Gras Salad
Orange Raspberry Spinach Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
- 3 cara cara oranges juiced- will give you almost 3/4 cup of juice
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon diced shallot
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Candied pistachios
- 1 cup pistachios
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Salad
- 4 cups spinach or any dark green lettuce/spring mix you prefer
- 12 ounces fresh raspberries
- 5-6 mandarin oranges peeled and pulled apart into sections
- 1/2 cup candied pistachios more if you feel like it! You could definitely substitute a different kind of nut like almonds or pecans if desired.
- Toppings-mozzarella cheese sunflower seeds
Instructions
Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
- Place all ingredients except olive oil in food processor and pulse until smooth. Slowly add in olive oil and process until combined. Transfer dressing to bowl and stir in poppy seeds.
Candied Pistachios
- Combine ingredients in non stick skillet and stir constantly over medium heat. Remove from heat after 4-5 minutes or once nuts are evenly coated.
- Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread pistachios out evenly. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Salad
- Combine spinach, raspberries, orange slices, and pistachios in a medium-large serving bowl. Toss and mix in salad dressing. Garnish with cheese and/or sunflower seeds.
- Make ahead- Add spinach to a medium-large serving bowl. Add fresh raspberries, mandarin orange slices, and candied pistachios on top. Store in refrigerator up to 1 day. Add salad dressing just before serving. Optional: top with mozzarella cheese and sunflower seeds
Notes
*May substitute navel oranges for cara cara oranges.
I did not include the dressing in the nutrition facts label because you will have a lot leftover. Orange poppyseed dressing makes 1 1/4 cups.
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