• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Salads with Anastasia logo
  • SALAD RECIPES
  • SALAD COLLECTIONS
  • SALAD DRESSINGS
  • SALAD VEGGIES
  • ABOUT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Home » Salads by Season » Winter Salads

Spinach Mandarin Orange Salad with Star Anise

Made by Anastasia Papapetros - Serves 4 Filed Under: 10 Minute Salads, Paleo, Salad Index, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter Salads

Share
Pin54
Tweet
Share

Get your dose of vitamin C in minutes with this scrumptious Spinach Mandarin Orange Salad. This winter salad is reminiscent of sipping ouzo in the sun and will help you bear the winter chill.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

An aerial view of spinach and mandarin salad with mandarin halves, star anise and salad servers on the side.

This salad features star anise which has a delicate "ouzo" flavour combined with the sweet mandarins, bitter blood oranges and creamy avocado it was just magical.

An ideal salad for people with specific dietary requirements, as it is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan and paleo-friendly. A vivid colourful salad perfect for brightening up any winters day.

What is Star Anise?

Star Anise is a seed pod from an evergreen bush that is native to Southwest China, it has a liquorice-like flavour that compliments mandarins and oranges beautifully.

If you are unable to find these cute little star-shaped pods in the spice section of your supermarket, you can try substituting their flavour with a splash of ouzo, some Chinese 5 Spice powder or with some fennel seeds.

A close-up of spinach and mandarin salad.

How to make Spinach Mandarin Orange Salad

1Wash your leaves and herbs.
Wash your spinach and dill sprigs, remove any wilted or damaged leaves shake and then either pat dry with a towel or spin in a salad spinner to remove excess water. Finely chop your dill and transfer both to a large mixing bowl.

  • Washing rocket or arugula in a colander in the sink.
    WASH YOUR ARUGULA (ROCKET)
  • Arugula or rocket being dried in a salad spinner.
    WASH & DRY YOUR ROCKET

2Peel and cut your citrus and avocado.
Wash and peel your blood oranges and mandarins, being careful to remove as much of the white pith as possible. Dice your oranges and cut your mandarin slices in half lengthwise. Wash and peel your avocado, cut into chunks and squeeze some lemon juice on top to prevent browning. Add to your bowl.

  • Cutting up mandarin segments on a wooden board with peelings on the side. Next to a plate of mandarin slices.
    PEEL MANDARINS & ORANGES
  • Sliced mandarin segments on a white plate.
    CUT MANDARIN LENGHTHWISE
  • CUT UP BLOOD ORANGES
    DICE YOUR BLOOD ORANGES
  • Diced Avocado on a white plate with lemon.
    CUT AVOCADO INTO CHUNKS

3Putting it all together.
Add all the vinaigrette ingredients in a glass jar and shake until emulsified.
Season your salad with some sea salt and black pepper, pour your vinaigrette over the top, toss well until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste. Arrange in a salad bowl, scatter the pistachios on top to garnish and serve.

  • Prepared spinach and mandarin salad ingredients in a white bowl.
    ADD INGREDIENTS TO A BOWL
  • Spinach and mandarin salad being mixed with dressing in a white bowl with tongs.
    TOSS WELL TO COMBINE

What can I serve with this salad?

  • Another good all-round salad that you could pair with anything from grilled meats, casseroles and roasts.
  • We served ours with some mustard pork chops for a quick weeknight dinner
  • But I have also served it with stuffed roasted porchetta for a dinner party.

Try some more of our Mandarin Salad recipes

  • JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SALAD WITH ROCKET & MANDARIN
  • RAINBOW CHARD SALAD WITH AVOCADO & MANDARIN

Spinach and mandarin salad.

Spinach Mandarin Orange Salad with Star Anise

Get your dose of vitamin C in minutes with this scrumptious Spinach Mandarin Orange Salad.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes
* Times are an estimate and will depend on your skill level
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Australian
Keyword: Easy
Servings: 4
Calories: 240kcal
Author: Anastasia Papapetros
Toggle to prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
For the salad...
  • 4 medium mandarins (500 grams)
  • 2 small navel orange (300 grams)
  • 80 grams baby spinach (approximately 4 cups)
  • ⅓ cup pistachio kernels
  • 3 sprigs dill or fennel
For the vinaigrette...
  • ¼ cup avocado oil
  • 2 tbsps mandarin juice (juice from 1 medium mandarin)
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon star anise (ground)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Metric - Imperial
Instructions
  • Wash your spinach and dill, pat dry with a towel or spin in a salad spinner to remove excess water. Finely chop your dill and transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
  • Wash and peel all your blood oranges and mandarins, dice the oranges and cut the mandarins in half lengthwise.
  • Peel and cut your avocado into chunks and squeeze on some lemon juice to prevent browning add to your bowl.
  • Add all the vinaigrette ingredients in a glass jar and shake until emulsified.
  • Season your salad, pour the dressing over the top and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  • Arrange in a salad bowl, scatter the pistachios on top to garnish then serve immediately.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 485mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3796IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @salads_with_anastasia or tag #salads_with_anastasia!

PINTEREST - SPINACH MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD
Share
Pin54
Tweet
Share

More Winter Salads

  • Kale lemon parmesan salad in white bowl on dark grey round board & kale leaves on the side.
    Kale Lemon Parmesan Salad
  • Turkish red cabbage salad in a mint coloured bowl with parsley and zaatar in a small bowl on the side.
    Turkish Red Cabbage Salad a.k.a. Kebab Shop Salad
  • Cabbage fennel slaw in a black bowl with mint sprigs, lime leaves and halved finger limes.
    Cabbage Fennel Slaw with Finger Limes
  • Aerial view of purple Brussel Sprouts with orange slices on top.
    Purple Brussel Sprouts Salad with Orange and Poppy Seeds

About Anastasia Papapetros

Anastasia has been passionate about cooking since she was eight years old, and hasn't left the kitchen since! With over a decade of experience running her own coffee shop and catering business, Anastasia has developed a true love for salads - especially for family get-togethers and friends' functions. She's the go-to for bringing the perfect salad to any occasion!

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

ANASTASIA FROM SALADS WITH ANASTASIA

Hi, I’m Anastasia,
Let me show you how to transform your salads from boring and limp to bright, fresh and exciting using in-season produce.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Looking for a recipe?

Greek Salad Collection

NARROW PICS OF VARIOUS GREEK SALADS WITH A TEXT OVERLAY

Cheesy Salad Collection

Various salads with cheese and a text overlay.

Green Salad Collection

VARIETY OF GREEN SALADS WITH TEXT OVERLAY

Asian Salads

ASIAN SALAD COLLECTION WITH TEXT OVERLAY

Footer

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Me
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Site Credits
  • Contact Me

Sign-up for new salad recipes!

Recipes & Tools

  • Salads
  • Dressings
  • Spices & Condiments
  • Salad Tools
  • How to Guides
  • What's in Season
  • Let's Shop!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2020 · Salads with Anastasia · All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsOKAY
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT