There is terrific flavor in this Mixed Green Salad with Oranges, Cranberries and Pecans recipe.
In this salad, dried cranberries are soaked in orange juice. This allows them to become plump and flavorful! Toasted pecans and orange segments are added in too. And it’s all tossed with a simple tangy orange vinaigrette. This is a great salad to serve all year long, and it’s a perfect addition to a Holiday Menu, too.
Ingredients needed:
- oranges
- orange juice
- orange zest
- dried cranberries
- extra-virgin olive oil
- white wine vinegar
- mixed greens
- chopped pecans
How to make Mixed Green Salad with Oranges and Dried Cranberries:
The complete, printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.
The first step in making this salad is preparing the cranberries. Dried cranberries are great, but we’re going to make them more delicious! In a small saucepan, bring orange juice to a simmer. Remove from heat. Stir in the dried cranberries. Let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain well; discard the soaking juice. Now you will have lovely, plump cranberries for your salad!
The next step is preparing the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, orange juice, vinegar, and orange zest to blend. Stir in the soaked cranberries. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over greens and oranges in a salad bowl.
Toss the greens with the vinaigrette until everything is well-coated. Add the toasted pecans, and toss again.
How do you toast pecans?
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes.
What a fabulous salad! Unlike many salads, there is no cheese in this one. You won’t even miss it. Enjoy!
Tips about using oranges:
Since you will need orange zest for the vinaigrette, don’t forget to zest the oranges before peeling them. Peel the oranges, and separate them into segments. Then carefully pull away the white pith from each segment. The oranges will taste better and look so much better in your salad if they are skinned.
Here are a few more green salad recipes you might like to try:
- Mixed Green Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Chopped Vegetable Salad with Feta and Olives
- Kale Salad with Cranberry, Walnut and Feta
- Easy Gourmet Salad
- Mexican Chopped Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Mixed Green Salad with Oranges, Dried Cranberries and Pecans
Ingredients
CRANBERRIES:
- 1 cup orange juice
- 6 tablespoons dried cranberries
VINAIGRETTE:
- 3½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
SALAD:
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 3 medium oranges (peel and white pith removed), segmented
- ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
Instructions
PREPARE THE CRANBERRIES:
- In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice to a simmer. Remove from heat. Stir in the dried cranberries. Let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain well; discard the soaking juice.
PREPARE THE VINAIGRETTE:
- In a small bowl, whisk the oil, orange juice, vinegar, and orange zest to blend. Stir in the soaked cranberries. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving).
ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:
- Place the salad greens in a large bowl. Add orange segments. Toss with the dressing. Sprinkle in the pecans; toss again. Serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks delicious! I’ll try it.
I make this except I add goat cheese crumbles and walnuts instead of pecans. You vinegarette sounds good. I use a strawberry one in a jar.
I made this salad the other night for a Dinner Party. They absolutely loved this salad. The other
salad I make a lot for clients is the Easy Gourmet Salad.
Glad to hear!
I made this recipe but for 50 people and everyone love it. The idea of the dressing already being in the salad was a delight to them. They loved the overall citrusy but sweet flavor of the salad. THANK YOU for this different and refreshing salad recipe. Also, I added different nuts to the mix (toasted pecan halves, white walnuts) just to make it look even prettier.