There’s an old saying that goes: intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. While finding a chunk of tomato in with your grapes, melons, and berries isn’t very fun, the opposite – putting fruit in with your leafy greens – is a great way to add a different flair to your side salads.

The star of this sweet spinach salad is the mandarin oranges, which add a delicious sweetness to the greens, onions, and, yes, tomatoes. Not only do mandarin oranges taste delicious, they are also great sources for vitamins, particularly Vitamin C. Among other things, Vitamin C helps your body absorb the iron in the spinach which makes it even more effective at building strong bones!

Check out how to make this yummy salad in the video below!

Once again, we like to mix it up with our made-from-scratch salad dressing. This time we make sure that no part of the orange is wasted, using the juice from the canned oranges as the base of this sweet dressing. As far as making your own dressing, this couldn’t be easier: just tossing together olive oil, the orange juice from the can, and a little Dijon mustard for a bit of a kick.

Why not try this fresh, summer salad the next time you are having something on the barbecue? The sweet crispness of the salad pairs well with smoky meat flavours. Even if you’re not eating meat, this salad complements most summer entrees with ease.

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