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Arugula Salad with Clementines and Maple Pepper Pecans

Bursting with color and flavor–bright citrus, ripe avocado, roasted pecans, and maple sherry vinaigrette–sweet, spicy, creamy, and crunch–you absolutely need this arugula salad with clementines and pepper-spiced pecans!

white plates with Arugula Salad of Clementines, avocado and Pecans

As the weather gets hotter, we’re not much into turning the oven on for toasting a few nuts. No problem here–these caramelized crunchy peppery pecans are pan roasted, stovetop. Just stir the nuts around in a hot heavy-bottomed skillet with maple syrup, a bit of coconut oil, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. They toast up beautifully!

While the nuts cool into their crunchiness, whisk up a light tangy-sweet dressing out of sherry vinegar, maple syrup, a titch of Dijon mustard, and extra virgin olive oil. The sherry vinegar’s robust almost-caramel toasted nut flavor accents the peppery arugula, sweet mandarins, and oh—those pecans!

Click here to PIN Arugula Salad with Clementines and Maple Pepper Pecans!

Grab the last of the spring season’s kid-sized oranges and add this amazing arugula salad with mandarin orange and maple pepper pecans to your salad repertoire!

Arugula Salad with Clementines and Maple Pepper Pecans with hand and fork

Just so you know, some of the links below are affiliates. When you purchase products via my links, it doesn’t cost you anything and I earn a tiny commission, which helps me continue to provide free content here on Letty’s Kitchen. Thank you!!

Arugula Salad with Clementines and Maple Pepper Pecans details:

  • Mandarin oranges are slightly smaller hybrid cousins of the standard orange. Much in the same way gala and fuji are apple varietals, tangerines and clementines are varietals of the mandarin.
  • From November into late spring, you can find kid-sized, easy-to-peel super sweet mandarins fresh—with brand names like Cuties, Halos, and Dimples. When mandarin oranges aren’t in season, simply substitute canned mandarin oranges. (Affiliate link.) Strawberries are also delicious here, and pears.
  • Made from fermented and aged Spanish wine, sherry vinegar (affiliate link) gives this vinaigrette dressing its distinct pleasing taste. Try sprinkling sherry vinegar on sautéed greens like kale, a bit of acid always brings out the flavor in greens!  In these chard quesadillas sherry vinegar is one of the surprise ingredients!
  • If your arugula comes from a garden or farm share box, it will likely be more peppery than baby arugula. All the better for a vibrant salad! Do take the time to remove and discard the larger stems, and tear the leaves into smaller pieces.

Arugula Salad with Clementines and Maple Pepper Pecans one plate

Make it a fabulous week–get in the kitchen and cook a light and delicious salad!

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This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase products via my links, it doesn’t cost you anything and I earn a tiny commission, which helps me continue to provide free content here on Letty’s Kitchen. Thank you!!


7 comments

  • Jolie Welch

    Hi Letty, I found a great recipe for vegan “bacon bits” using the bigger flaked coconut and spices. They’re broiled-crispy and yummy on top of salads. Reply · 29 May, 2018

    • Hi Jolie,
      I have yet to make those, but I’ve sure saved more than one coconut bacon on Pinterest!! Reply · 4 June, 2018

    • Hi Jolie,
      I have yet to try coconut bacon–though I’ve certainly saved more than one recipe on Pinterest!! Reply · 4 June, 2018

  • Lori

    I served this salad for Christmas dinner, and it was a huge hit! I love the contrasting bitterness of the arugula with the tartness of the oranges and the sweetness of the pecans. Really delicious! Reply · 28 December, 2018

    • Thank you Lori! I’m so happy to hear that! I brought it to a Christmas Eve dinner and my group loved it too! Reply · 29 December, 2018

  • Lisa

    This is fantastic! I doubled the pecans. Everybody loved it, and it’s become a family favorite. Reply · 1 June, 2023

    • Thank you! I so appreciate your comment and I’m delighted you enjoy the salad! Reply · 9 June, 2023

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