Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad

Two months until Amber's wedding. The binder has evolved into what I can only describe as a wedding operations manual. It has tabs. It has timelines. It has contingency plans for rain. Amber called me six times this week. Six. Each call was about a different crisis: the DJ might cancel (he didn't), the cake topper broke (she glued it), the flower girl (Darren's niece) is afraid of walking down aisles (they're practicing with treats, like training a puppy). I love my sister. I love her so much. I need her to get married immediately so the calls stop.

At work, I crossed a milestone: 100 patients. One hundred people have sat in my chair at Harmony Dental and let me clean their teeth. One hundred acts of trust. I keep a mental list — not of every patient, but of the ones who changed me. Gloria, who cried because she hadn't been to a dentist in eleven years. Mrs. Henderson, who said "wonderful." Harold, who said "not bad at all." Derek, who stopped gripping the armrest. Janet, my first professional patient, who said "great." Mr. Chen, who brings me tea. Mrs. DeLuca, who lets me do the X-ray even though she's afraid. One hundred patients. One hundred stories. One hundred reasons I went to school.

Chloe is at twenty-three books for the summer. Jayden is at day camp, building things out of blocks and telling Oliver about everything in our house. He came home and said, "I told Oliver about our kitchen, Mama." What about it? "I told him it's BIG." Our kitchen is not big. But it's bigger than Antioch. And to Jayden, who remembers the closet kitchen, the Hermitage kitchen is a palace. Perspective. It's everything.

I made a summer corn and tomato salad this week — fresh corn cut off the cob, cherry tomatoes, basil, red onion, olive oil, lime juice. It tastes like June. It tastes like the farmers market I went to for the first time last weekend because I can afford farmers market tomatoes now, which are $4 a pint and taste like the sun was personally involved in their creation. Old Sarah bought tomatoes on sale at Kroger. New Sarah buys tomatoes at the farmers market and doesn't feel guilty. The tomato upgrade is small. The feelings upgrade is enormous.

That corn and tomato salad I made this week was the whole story in one bowl — and it got me thinking about all the ways a fresh, farmers-market-inspired salad can just feel like a win. This Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad hits the same note: crisp greens, bright citrus, something a little unexpected that makes you feel like you’re eating well on purpose. It’s the kind of recipe Old Sarah would have scrolled past, and New Sarah makes on a Tuesday just because she can.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/3 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup crispy wonton strips
Dressing:
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup neutral oil (such as avocado or canola)

Instructions

Make the dressing. Whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the neutral oil while whisking until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Toast the almonds. In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sliced almonds for 2—3 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
Build the salad base. In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine, red cabbage, and shredded carrots. Toss lightly to combine.
Add the toppings. Arrange the shredded chicken, mandarin oranges, green onions, toasted almonds, and sesame seeds over the salad base.
Dress and finish. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving and toss gently to coat. Top with crispy wonton strips for crunch and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad — The Farmers Market Upgrade I Didn’t Know I Needed