Watercress and Mandarin Orange Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

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A light, refreshing salad full of bright citrusy flavors. It’s an absolute must on a summer dinner table. Serve it on the side of any chicken or fish dish for a perfect pair!

Hello and welcome to this rendition of “Daisy’s favorite meal.” No, that’s not a joke. She loves watercress. She also loves spinach, broccoli rabe, arugula, brie, and bacon. She’s an odd cat.

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How did I discover this? Daisy and I have developed something of a routine every time I come home from the store.

She demands to be shown each and every thing I buy from the grocery store and carry home from the farmer’s market. Bags must be set on the living room floor upon arrival. And each product removed one at a time and presented for her inspection.

I’m convinced she views this as the cat version of “popcorn and a movie.” But at least it expands her palate?

Of course, I like to tease her and show her everything she hates before I get to the good stuff. Persimmons. Cranberries. Lemons. Aluminum foil. Toilet paper. Meanwhile she sits in front of me with her ears back, tail batting, and a look that says “C’mon lady. Show me what’s in the plastic bag.”

Finally we come to the watercress. I untwist the bag and she hardly waits to shove her nose in and tries to run off with the whole bunch!

I did not get a photo of her stealing my watercress. Mostly because I was laughing too hard. But here is a photo of her stealing some spinach.

Watercress is my mom’s go to fancy-salad-leaf of choice. So we only ever had this on nights when we were really feeling special. We’d serve it in these tiny little pyrex ramekins, one for each person. And it annoyed the heck out of my dad. First, because it was a salad. And second, because it was so inexplicably tiny.

Looking for more salads? Try this Three Bean Pasta Salad with Lemony Mustard Dressing or this Easy Spicy Santa Fe Taco Salad (it’s even better than Chili’s)!

I’ve come to believe we only made tiny portions because watercress holds the position of “Salad Leaf with the Longest Prep Time.”

And it’s true. I know because my mom always bullied me into helping her with this one. (I got the last laugh though because I memorized the recipe. HA!)

When I want to remove every stalk and only include leaves (and I don’t bully Vasiliy into helping me) it takes at least 30 minutes to get all them separated. Just the leaves. No dressing, no toasty almonds, not even draining the oranges. Yikes!

A great winter salad option is this hearty pear and kale salad with candied pecans, figs and cranberry balsamic dressing!

To avoid this excruciatingly painful process, you don’t need to remove every single leaf from every single stalk. The stalks are perfectly okay to eat and actually add a refreshing little crunch to your salad. Instead, just remove the main, thick stalks. Leave the thinner ones alone.

A Word on Watercress.

Watercress is healthy. I say that with a sneer of disdain because healthy things make me want to die.

But there is no way to avoid the health benefits of watercress, as much as I may want to. It’s full of vitamin K, magnesium, potassium, even calcium. And it has a high ANDI score. (If that confuses you as much as it confuses me, click here.)

Despite it’s healthiness…watercress is surprisingly yummy! Which is probably why we are still putting up with it some centuries after the Romans first ate it.

If the name doesn’t give it away, watercress typically grows near fresh water springs. The taste is a bit spicy, though not as hot as mustard greens. I prefer baby watercress since the older leaves tend to be more bitter and less crisp. But you can always cook watercress for a more mild version! It fits well in light soups and as a substitute for spinach.

It’s peppery flavor pairs wonderfully with bright and sweet mandarin oranges.

And you really can’t beat a lemon poppy seed dressing! Poppy seeds are naturally addictive (the base of opium, in fact). So it’s always a struggle for me not to eat all this dressing in one go.

This version is more savory. I’ve included salt, pepper, and mustard, so don’t pour this on a fruit salad. You’d be in for a nasty surprise. But it does pair very well with spicy watercress and deep nutty almonds!

What do I pair Watercress with?

A fresh watercress salad will go with nearly anything. I’d recommend this roast chicken or some seared duck to add some veggies on the side. You could also try it with this summer smoked sausage and veggie bow tie pasta skillet for a perfect summer pairing.

Another refreshing summer pairing are these Lemon Pepper Cornish Game Hens. Light, simple, and delicious with the lemon poppy seed dressing.

A heavier dish like this stuffed poblano pepper with butternut squash and shrimp could use a side salad to lighten it up.

But it also pairs excellently with fish like Red Snapper or Honey Wasabi Glazed Salmon!

And don’t forget, you can add it to soup meals for a classic soup-and-salad pairing.

Oh, you meant pairing wines? Always pair wines with your main dish or sauce, not your sides. (Unless it’s Thanksgiving!) But if you’re just having this salad, a light dry wine like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or an Albariño would be lovely.