This Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad is pretty much a guaranteed hit at parties. My insanely picky 5-year-old eats it with minimal coaxing. My 2-year-old closes her eyes and sighs (she does it when she eats sushi, too…it’s pretty darn cute). Plus, it’s quick, easy, and cheap.
It has that addictive sweet and salty thing going on with smoky crumbled bacon, bright red onion, creamy avocados, and sweet mandarin orange segments. It’s all topped off with a sprinkle of cheese and a good dousing of poppy seed dressing to bring everything together. I promise you’ll love this one!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Baby spinach
- Romaine lettuce
- Red onion
- Avocado
- Shredded cheese – Moazzarella or Swiss.
- Bacon – Cooked and crumbled.
- Canned mandarin oranges
- Poppyseed dressing – Grab your favorite brand from the store, or make your own using this Homemade Poppyseed Dressing recipe.
How to Make a Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad
- For your salad base, you’ll use a mixture of baby spinach and romaine lettuce.
- Toss in some thinly sliced red onions, cubed avocado, cooked bacon crumbles, mandarin orange segments, and shredded cheese.
- That all gets tossed together with your favorite poppy seed dressing for a delicious, easy salad!
Storing and Other Tips
- This salad is best eaten soon after assembly. If you’re making it for an event, combine everything but the avocados and dressing. Add those when ready to serve.
- Add some grilled chicken to make it a meal!
Frequently Asked Questions
In my opinion, yes! I also like that I know exactly what ingredients went into it. This Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing recipe has just a handful of simple ingredients and is so good!
Sure. Some toasted or candied pecans, walnuts, or almonds would great, in my opinion! Craisins would also be delicious.
This salad works well for either. I love serving it at parties, but it’s delicious as a meal as well, especially if you add some protein like leftover grilled chicken!
Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces baby spinach (about half a bag)
- ½-1 head Romaine lettuce chopped
- ½ thinly sliced medium red onion
- 1 large avocado cubed
- 8 ounces mozzarella or Swiss cheese shredded
- 12 ounces bacon (1 package) cooked and crumbled
- 1 large can Mandarin oranges drained
- poppy seed dressing to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. When ready to serve, toss with desired amount of salad dressing and serve immediately.
Notes
- Nutritional information does not include dressing.
- If you anticipate leftovers, just let your eaters dress their own salads because the dressing will make the greens wilt.
Questions & Reviews
Oh yum. We are very into salads these days. We'll be trying this one!
I was SUPER excited when you posted the poppy seed dressing recipe the other day because I love it with that salad and it pretty much made my day today to see this recipe follow the dressing recipe. I can't wait to make this. This salad is the best. Thank you! 🙂
This recipe looked so great I ran out & bought the ingredients we didn't have on hand and shuffled our dinner menus to make it last night. It was yummy! We tossed everything but the bacon together and let the carnivores add their own bacon (or eat just bacon, in the case of certain four year olds).
I agree, it is Utah area. Now that we don't live there I forget about that kind of stuff for a bit, but come back to it.
People here are so amazed that Jello can be used in so many ways and ask for the recipies, lol. Thanks for bringing it home!
Oh, I FOR SURE see Utah in this salad. I lived there for about 5 years and this kind of recipe was a standard piece of yumminess. I would put it down right in between the Frog Eye Salad and the Layered Cool Whip & Chocolate Pudding Dessert on the buffet table!
Yum! Wouldn't want to live there again, but I'll eat their food any day! 😉
You've put everything I like into a salad…AGAIN! Thanks for this and all the excellent recipes you and Sara post (you've made me look pretty brilliant on more than one occasion!)
I make a similar salad, but add teryaki chicken off the BBQ ….mmmmmm,mmmm, good!
Yummy. If wish I had all the ingredients to make this a breakfast salad since it is only 8:15am here in Portland. Can't wait for my next potluck invite because I will be bringing this salad.
Ah…Shanna beat me to the green Jell-o comment 🙂
The salad looks delish Kate- that's one of my favorite combos, can't wait to make it!
I don't see any green Jell-O, or funeral potatoes on that plate so I'm not seeing Utah! 😉 (Born and raised 33 years in Happy Valley) – I'm in TX now and the salad looks yummy! Maybe it's the UT in me 😉