Mandarin Sesame Crunch Salad (Print Version)
Crisp vegetables, sweet mandarin oranges, and crunchy sesame topping with a tangy Asian dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Salad Base
01 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (romaine, spinach, or 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 for vegan version)
10 - 1 tablespoon granulated 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 Steps:
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.
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.
04 - Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the cooled sesame crunch topping over the salad and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sesame crunch topping is legitimately addictive, and you will find yourself snacking on it straight from the pan before it ever reaches the salad.
- It comes together in under thirty minutes with zero cooking skills required, which makes it my go-to for bringing something impressive to last minute gatherings.
02 -
- If you dress the salad too far in advance, the greens will wilt and the crunch topping will go soft, so always keep the components separate until the very last minute.
- The sesame crunch mixture hardens as it cools, and if you leave it in the pan it will stick like cement, so transfer it to a plate immediately after toasting.
03 -
- Use a microplane to grate the ginger directly into the dressing so the juicy fibers melt right in without leaving stringy bits behind.
- Toasting the sesame seeds in the dry pan for thirty seconds before adding the butter and noodles gives you a deeper, more complex nuttiness that elevates the entire dish.