This orange winter salad with spinach and leaf lettuce salad is a delicious way to eat healthy during the wintertime. It includes rotisserie chicken, cheese, hazelnuts, and fruit, topped with an orange vinaigrette.
Kumquats and Oranges
This salad is loaded with vitamin C from oranges and kumquats. If you aren’t familiar with kumquats, they are citrus fruits about the size of a large grape or olive. When cut open, kumquats look like oranges and have a sweet-tart taste. Unlike oranges, you eat them whole without peeling them.
Rotisserie Chicken for Orange Winter Salad
This recipe uses rotisserie chicken breast as a preparation shortcut. Use it cold or warm, or omit it to make a vegetarian salad. You can also cook your own chicken. Use a meat thermometer to prevent overcooking. Position it in the thickest part of the chicken. It is done when the temperature reaches 165°F.
Hazelnuts
Try using hazelnuts in your salads. You can enhance their flavor by toasting them in a skillet on medium-low heat. Stir often and cook for 3-7 minutes, or until lightly browned. They can overcook quickly, so be sure to watch them closely.
Orange Vinaigrette for Orange Winter Salad
This salad has a tangy orange vinaigrette dressing made with orange blossom honey, fresh orange juice, vinegar, and olive oil. If unable to find orange blossom honey, substitute your favorite honey instead. You can also substitute orange marmalade for honey to enhance the dressing’s orange flavor.
Garnishes for Orange Winter Salad
Add any garnishes or toppings you like to this orange winter salad. Pomegranate arils are pretty, appetizing, and delicious. However, if you can’t find them, include other toppings, such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds, and dried fruits like golden raisins or apricots.
Try Other Orange Recipes
If you like orange recipes, you might also like:
- Orange Chicken Recipe
- Orange Fluff Salad
- Orange Pretzel Salad
- Blood Orange Tart
- Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
- Orange Rolls
- Orange Cream Tart
Orange Winter Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 4 cups leaf lettuce, torn into pieces
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- ¼ cup Pomegranate arils
- 1 Mandarin orange, peeled and sliced horizontally
- ¼ cup Toasted hazelnuts, chopped
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¾ cup Kumquats (optional)
Orange Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed mandarin orange juice
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom honey (substitute any honey)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Wash the spinach and lettuce and divide them between two bowls. Place several orange slices on the lettuce and then sprinkle a handful of pomegranate arils on top of the orange slices. Divide the chicken between the salads and place it on the side of each bowl. Place a handful of hazelnuts, kumquats, and a couple of tablespoons of shredded cheese on the side of each salad.
Vinaigrette
- Use an immersion blender (or regular blender) to mix all the ingredients. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers.