Home
Recipes
Salad
Green Salads
Romaine Lettuce Salad
Romaine and Mandarin Orange Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Romaine and Mandarin Orange Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Name: Romaine and Mandarin Orange Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 6 slices bacon; ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar; ¾ cup white sugar; ½ red onion, coarsely chopped; ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ cup vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon poppy seeds; 10 cups torn romaine lettuce leaves; 1 (10 ounce) can mandarin orange segments, drained; ¼ cup toasted slivered almonds

Rating: 4.71 stars

97 Ratings
74 Reviews
9 Photos

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.

By Joni B.

Recipe Summary

prep:

25 mins

cook:

10 mins

total:

35 mins

Servings:

Yield:

6 servings

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

Advertisement
Step 2

Place vinegar, sugar, red onion, mustard powder, and salt into the bowl of a blender. Cover, and puree on high until smooth. Reduce blender speed to medium-low; slowly pour in the vegetable oil and blend until incorporated and the dressing is creamy. Stir in the poppy seeds and set aside.
Step 3

To serve, toss the romaine in a large bowl with the crumbled bacon, Mandarin oranges, and enough dressing to moisten. Place onto salad plates and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

456.6 calories; 5.9 g protein; 34.8 g carbohydrates; 19 mg cholesterol; 341.6 mg sodium. Full Nutrition

Reviews (74)

Most helpful positive review

Jillian

11/06/2012

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 More

Helpful

(47)

Most helpful critical review

heather88

07/02/2009

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. Read More

Helpful

(12)

97 Ratings

5 star values: 77
4 star values: 14
3 star values: 4
2 star values: 2
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Jillian

11/06/2012

Helpful

(47)

Jillian

11/06/2012

Helpful

(47)

MAGGIE MCGUIRE

05/07/2007

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. Read More

Helpful

(35)

somethingdifferentagain?!

05/31/2008

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! Read More

Helpful

(25)

KRISTIN1100

04/15/2007

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. Read More

Helpful

(17)

bellepepper

03/29/2010

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! Read More

Helpful

(16)

abapplez

06/22/2010

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! Read More

Helpful

(15)

Lindsey

02/18/2009

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! Read More

Helpful

(15)

Mary Lou Stoddard

07/10/2011

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! Read More

Helpful

(14)

heather88

07/02/2009

Helpful

(12)

More Reviews

Back to Romaine and Mandarin Orange Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

All Reviews for Romaine and Mandarin Orange Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

- of Reviews

Nutritional Information

Romaine and Mandarin Orange Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Servings Per Recipe: 6
Calories: 456.6

% Daily Value *

protein: 12 %

carbohydrates: 11 %

exchange other carbs:

dietary fiber: 12 %

sugars:

fat: 52 %

saturated fat: 36 %

cholesterol: 6 %

vitamin a iu: 117 %

niacin equivalents: 20 %

vitamin b6: 10 %

vitamin c: 66 %

folate: 33 %

calcium: 6 %

iron: 8 %

magnesium: 14 %

potassium: 11 %

sodium: 14 %

thiamin: 24 %

calories from fat:

percent of calories from carbs:

percent of calories from fat:

percent of calories from protein:

percent of calories from sat fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Reviews for: Photos of Romaine and Mandarin Orange Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

1 of 74

All Reviews

Jillian

11/06/2012

Helpful

(47)

Jillian

11/06/2012

Helpful

(47)

MAGGIE MCGUIRE

05/07/2007

Helpful

(35)

somethingdifferentagain?!

05/31/2008

Helpful

(25)

KRISTIN1100

04/15/2007

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.

Helpful

(17)

bellepepper

03/29/2010

Helpful

(16)

abapplez

06/22/2010

Helpful

(15)

Lindsey

02/18/2009

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!

Helpful

(15)

Mary Lou Stoddard