I always get rave reviews when I serve this simple salad with a zesty poppy seed dressing! I often don't use the full amount of dressing, as I prefer less.
Wow - now this is a salad! It's full of vibrant colors and it's a great combination of flavors. I can see why the submitter gets rave reviews when it's served. I know I certainly did! And, I'm glad I read through the reviews, because I cut the sugar in half and that was plenty. I also opted for olive oil vs. veg. oil and dijon vs. dry mustard. You can definitely play with this to suite your tastes and you won't be disapppointed. I added some dried cranberries to the mix for that little extra something... Great recipe!
Read MoreI was pretty disappointed, considering everyone gave this recipe 5 stars. I thought the dressing was entirely too onion-y and the salad lacked flavor. Next time (if there is one) I would add less onion for sure, hoping to combat the strong onion flavor.
Read MoreWow - now this is a salad! It's full of vibrant colors and it's a great combination of flavors. I can see why the submitter gets rave reviews when it's served. I know I certainly did! And, I'm glad I read through the reviews, because I cut the sugar in half and that was plenty. I also opted for olive oil vs. veg. oil and dijon vs. dry mustard. You can definitely play with this to suite your tastes and you won't be disapppointed. I added some dried cranberries to the mix for that little extra something... Great recipe!
Thanks for sharing this delicious refreshing salad, Joni B! I cut the sugar back to 1/2c and it was still plenty. This is a favorite around our house. I sometimes toss in a handful of dried cranberries, too.
We really enjoyed this salad, even though I forgot to add the almonds. The (pink) dressing is excellent:not 'too' sweet, to us. Presentation is fresh & beautiful. I will not only make for company, but often, for everyday family meals. Thank you, for such a delicious and pretty recipe!
DELICIOUS!!! I am rating the dressing portion of this recipe only, although I'm sure the salad with this dressing on it would still be five stars! I made half the recipe of dressing, cutting the sugar back to 1/4 cup, as other reviewers suggested, and I used about 1 T. of finely minced sweet onion instead of the red onion. I had an apple that had been hanging around way too long and a few dried cranberries left in the bag, so I added those to red leaf lettuce, chopped green onion and toasted almonds for a marvelous salad that hubby and I both really liked. I'll be making this dressing again for sure!! Here's a little tip that I've used many times since I like to do as much ahead of time as possible. Chop apple and toss in a little of the dressing making sure to coat well, then refrigerate until ready to toss the salad. This keeps the apples from turning brown - works like a charm!
I made this today for lunch and it got rave reviews! I substituted spinach for the romaine because I didn't have any. Next time, I might try a little less sugar, but my husband thought it was perfect.
Excellent Salad! Very refreshing and a great addition to our Father's Day menu this year. Followed the recipe with the exception of using a couple of small shallots, diced very small in place of the red onion. I don't care for a strong onion flavor, so I didn't add them to the blender with the other ingredients. I stirred them into the finished dressing right before service. Worked great. We would be very happy to make this again. Thanks for sharing!
Just got back from a family gathering. My salad bowl was the only empty one at the end of the meal. Everyone asked for the recipe, even the men! I cut back on the sugar, added half an apple to the dressing (double batch). I used half baby spinach and half mixed greens. Wow, after all these years of cooking I even impressed myself!
I really like this recipe, I toasted the almonds with some brown sugar and butter to add some more crunchiness and used 1/3 cup less sugar in the dressing. Thanks for sharing!
I was pretty disappointed, considering everyone gave this recipe 5 stars. I thought the dressing was entirely too onion-y and the salad lacked flavor. Next time (if there is one) I would add less onion for sure, hoping to combat the strong onion flavor.
5 stars - this recipe worked even though I subbed EVERYTHING based on supply! sesame seeds for poppy, grapeseed oil for vegetable, oranges for mandarins, rice vinegar for apple, etc.... But loved it!
This was pretty good! Instead of throwing away my bacon grease I used that along with some of the vegetable oil. Awesome. Bacon makes everything better.
I make this salad but with a difference. I add spinach and I put in cottage cheese at the end and toss it. It is called Spinach salad St. Louis and people just absolutely go crazy over it and all want the recipe.
Loved this salad. The dressing is very good. I used splenda and a little less than the amount of sugar called for. I also used olive oil instead of the vegetable oil called for. Will make this again for sure. Thanks for sharing!
Nice, refreshing salad for a hot summer day. Used turkey bacon, subbed (i) 1/3 cup sugar + Stevia in the Raw to equal 3/4 cup sugar, (ii) almond oil for vegetable, and (iii) BD Smokehouse® almonds for toasted almonds. Easy to make, colorful presentation, and very tasty. We will make this again!
Very tasty! Followed as written - delicious and nice presentation - the dressing was 'pretty' and went well with a ham dinner. Dressing has a nice zip to it!
This dressing is awesome and will get you tons of compliments. I recommend making this dressing one day before you use it because the flavors will mellow out.
Made this for a potluck - everyone loved it. A sophisticated flavour that takes this salad up a notch.
My new favorite salad! Had this for a Sunday lunch party. Served it with Lasagna and the reviews were great. Thank you for sharing.
O my goodness. I read other reviews that complained about the onion and thought they must either not like onion or didn't know how to choose a sweet one. This has too much! The flavors were nice otherwise. If I make it again, I will definitely cut the onion by half.
apple cider vinegar had a very strong taste, only a little dressing is needed on the salad.
Reduced sugar to 1/2 C and only added less than 1/4 red onion. We loved it and it's a definate keeper.
Made it as directed -- awesome! I will make this again & again. I love the dressing and will use that as my favorite dressing now. Thank you.
This salad is gorgeous, and quickly becoming one of my favorite salad recipes from this site! All the ingredients' flavors and textures go together beautifully. I didn't have a red onion, so I used a white onion and it resulted in this really pretty white dressing. I also reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup, it was plenty. I highly recommend this salad and I will definitely make it again!
AMAZING!! I combine the dressing ingredients in a blender till its real smooth and the onions are finely chopped. Love this recipe and make it for my family often! I wouldn't change anything about it!
This recipe turned out great. The first time I made it, the sugar was too much. And the red onions turned the dressing pink. The onion flavor was overwhelming. I started over. I cut the sugar to about 2 T and used dijon mustard. Then subbed the veg oil with olive oil. No salt needed. The dijon took care of that. Served it with organic chicken breast. A little fresh chopped onion. Feta and almonds. Nice! 2nd time Great flavors! Beautiful summer salad.
Absolutely scrumptious! I roasted pine nuts and substituted for the slivered almonds (because it was what I had on hand)
This review is for the dressing only. I make the dressing frequently, but with some changes. I use much less onion (approximately 1 tablespoon of chopped onion, and I use the pre-chopped onions you can find frozen in a bag). Instead of dry mustard powder, I use 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard. I omit the salt. Sometimes I add the poppy seeds, and sometimes I omit them. I make the dressing in my food processor and it turns out creamy and delicious. Everyone loves it. My favorite salad to use it on is butter and red leaf lettuce with chopped Granny Smith apples, grated Swiss cheese, and toasted sliced almonds. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
My breath still stinks......way too much onion. Basing my rating on on just the dressng, everything else was GREAT!
A really wonderful summertime salad. Oh, my gosh, my mouth is watering just remembering it! I think I will make it again tonight! I am trying the California Chicken recipe that arrived in the Allrecipe Daily letter---doesn't that sound delish? Yum-o!
Made this for Easter dinner. The finicky and gourmet lovers at the table all loved this salad. 5 stars for flavor but the dressing simply would not stay emulsified/creamy.
This is hands down the BEST summer salad ever. So refreshing and perfect balance of savory, tangy, sweet and crunchy. I probably could use half of the amount of sugar if I'm looking to cut calories.
Wow. So good. Was sick and tired of eating romaine with tomatoes and italian or caesar dressing. This was a refreshing, sweet, smoky, and savory (sorry for the alliteration, completely unintentional) dish that was perfect for a hot summer evening.
Fabulous dressing. Made it according to the recipe the first few times, now I just make the dressing and add it to whatever type salad we are having. I especially like it with feta cheese and dried cranberries. Have to make it up for my sister on a regular basis. Very very nice!
I loved this salad. The dressing is what really makes it, though. It's very sweet and tangy. The only change I made was that I cut the sugar in half. It was still plenty sweet. I can't wait to try the dressing on other salads.
I really enjoyed this salad. The dressing was very interesting, and I never thought to use onions like that in a dressing to thicken it. Wonderful flavor and I can see lots of options to add different things to vary. Thanks so much for sharing!
Made this for a light lunch a few days ago and it was simply Delish!! I could have drank the dressing by itself. My Daughter come over and she had a plate and she loved it also. I made more dressing and used on a regular salad and it was wonderful. Its hard to believe a few ingred. and it was so good. Thanks..I'd don't know what I would do without allrecipe and all the reviews. Love it!
Excellent! I made a few adjustments for my own preference such as: I left out the poppy seeds, used olive oil instead of veggie oil, & used regular oranges. I added garlic because I just love garlic & I thought it needed a zing to it. It was one of my fav. salads!
Fabulous!! The pink dressing looks lovely and has a great taste. Like all my salad dressings I made it a few hours in advance to allow the flavours to mellow. I didn't have apple cider vinegar and used rice vinegar instead and it turned out great. Will use this recipe over and over I am sure.
The dressing for this salad is delicious! I added pomegranate seeds and left the bacon out.
I made this for dinner last night and it's a keeper. I especially appreciate how easy this is to make. The dressing is just a good all-around salad dressing. Like others, I cut the sugar down to 1/2 cup.
This salad was great. I had extra dressing left which I found I liked better on regular garden salads than anything I'd been buying. I used olive oil in my dressing so after refrigeration, it needs a good shake since the olive oil tends to solidify when chilled.
This is the same dressing as I use but we add diced apple, diced swiss cheese, craisins and sometimes cashews. I decreased the sugar too, way too sweet. Everyone always wants the recipe.
I really like the whole idea, but it was way way way too sweet, even for me - and I'm the Queen of Sugar! I will make this again, but cut the sugar in half and add more mustard, perhaps Dijon or Yellow (not just the powder) To the salad, I added the other half of the onion, sliced thin, sprinkled on blue cheese crumbles and some croutons. It was still so sweet it was kind of making me sick towards the end of it, but those savory elements helped somewhat and I would do that again, for sure.
This salad is phenomenal!! Even my teenagers and their friends loved it! I have since made the dressing 3 times and it will always be a staple in my refrigerator from now on. FANTASTIC!!!!!
I made this for a friend and she loved it. She almost ate the whole thing at one sitting! Although I did make it smaller than the recipe called for. I do have to confess that I didn't make the dressing, I bought it from Trader Joe's. Sorry.Good job Joni B.!
This is a great recipe where you have the flavor of onion but it is so blended in to the dressing. The dressing is also so versitile, great on a broccoli salad with raisins and sunflower seeds!
Wonderful salad...although I did change it up a bit, but wouldn't have thought of these combinations, so thank you. Used romaine lettuce, fresh clementine sections, bacon and french fried onions (the kind in a can). Instead of making the dressing, I had Ott's Poppy Seed dressing on hand and used that....marvelous, simply marvelous.
I made it 2 days in a row. The first time was for a dinner party with 8 adults. It was a great accompaniment for grilled salmon. It was so good, I made it the next day served with sloppy joe's lunch with grandchildren. It was a hit both times. I didn't use much of the salad dressing either time.
Made this for a family gathering. Used some suggestions from reviews and added cranberries and green apple. Left the red onion out of dressing. Put it on the salad in slices so could be removed if wanted. Only used 1/2 cup sugar in dressing. Also added onion powder. Was a huge hit!
Added thin sliced purple onion and avocado. Outstandng.
This has been a big hit with the grown-ups, even my husband who "hates" girly salads. Not anymore! It made way more dressing than we could have ever used so I froze the leftovers for next time. I added blueberries since we needed to use them up, sliced red onion for garnish, 1/2 cup sugar instead of the 3/4 cup it called for, and one time I even forgot the bacon but it was delish anyway. I feel like it has a Panera taste, and for that I give it 5 stars.
I've made this recipe about 4 times for different groups, always gets rave reviews and some one always asks for the recipe. I do however cut back about half on the red onion as I think it's too oniony and I like onion!
I added a little blue cheese to this and used store-bought poppy seed dressing, but this was delicious. Loved it!
Absolutely delicious! Took this to a potluck and didn't think I was going to get any to try myself, but fortunately I did. I did add about 3/4 cup of dried cherries for color and flavor. Next time I will halve the dressing, since I had well over half of it left. I think this would also be really good with some chicken breasts mixed in for a complete meal.
Great base for a wonderful dressing. I could tell this would be way too much onion for my family's liking. So I substituted 1 teaspoon of Pampered Chef 3 onion rub for the 1/2 cup of red onion. Instead of dry mustard I used a little spicy brown mustard (size of a pea). I cut the sugar to 1/2 cup. I used 1/8 cup of raw almonds then cut them in half, toasted them with a tablespoon of brown sugar in a non stick frying pan for 3 minutes until candied. cooled and broke them apart then garnished salad with the nuts.
I made this and served it for friends, every bite was eaten! I plan to make it again this weekend for more friends! We love it. The dressing will make enough for at least two salads!
Cheated and used marie's poppy seed dressing w/ extra cider vinegar. Yummy flavours, excellent!
It started with a simple search “orange segments” after using the zest for another recipe, and it ended with one of the most refreshing, delicious, crunchy salads I’ll forever add to my favorites. Try it, you’ll most likely love it!
The recipe was perfect and I made no changes. It is a big hit whenever I serve it and it is especially good during the summer.
This salad is a definite winner. I did reduce the amount of red onion by about a third and I used slightly less sugar than called for - next time I will try it with just half a cup of sugar, as it is quite sweet. As Joni mentioned in her comment, it makes quite a bit of dressing and I did not use all of it as well. The flavors are marvelous together - the bacon, almonds, and mandarin oranges really complement each other. I am planning to bring it to the next potluck because I am anxious for my co-workers to try it.
