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

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