The 3-Ingredient Joanna Gaines Salad Dressing That Will Never Leave My Rotation

If you’ve ever flipped through Joanna Gaines’ cookbooks, you know she has a knack for creating recipes that are approachable, flavorful, and family-friendly. Her Quick Table Salad from Magnolia Table is no exception. In her words, this salad is “all about getting great flavors together in as little time as possible”— a dish that’s light, bright, and endlessly adaptable. Packed with sweet mandarins, tart cherries, salty feta, and crunchy buttered pecans, it’s a medley that proves a weeknight salad can feel just as special as a restaurant starter.

To find out if this salad is really as quick and delicious as Joanna promises, I gave it a spin in my own kitchen.

The base is a bag of spring greens — no washing or chopping required — which already speeds things along. From there, you scatter on canned mandarin oranges, dried cherries, crumbled feta, and her signature buttered pecans. 

Making the candied pecan are easy. Melt a couple tablespoons of salted butter over medium heat, then stir in a half cup of packed light brown sugar and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Toss in the pecans (or walnuts work too!), and cook until fragrant, which should be just a few minutes. Then pour onto wax paper and let cool. If you don’t have time to candy your own nuts, a store-bought version will do in a pinch, but Joanna’s recipe is worth the five minutes at the stove.

The whole salad is tied together with her red wine vinaigrette: a tangy, slightly sweet dressing made with a half cup olive oil, a quarter cup of red wine vinegar, a couple tablespoons of honey, and an optional “dash” of Tabasco for subtle heat. Shake it all up in a Mason jar, and you’ve got the perfect finish to a salad that feels layered and intentional, yet takes just minutes to assemble.

This salad is exactly what Joanna promises: quick, easy, and full of flavor. I loved the interplay of textures — juicy mandarins, chewy dried cherries, crisp greens, and crunchy pecans — and the feta’s briny punch is essential to keep things from leaning too sweet.

But the real star here is the vinaigrette. It’s just the right balance of tangy and sweet, and the touch of honey makes the vinegar’s sharpness more approachable. It takes seconds to shake together in a jar, and I found myself reaching for leftovers to drizzle over grain bowls and roasted veggies later in the week.

If I had one critique, it’s that the salad skews a little sweet between the fruit and nuts. Choosing a robust, salty feta or even swapping in goat cheese helps balance the flavors nicely. Overall, it’s fast enough for a Tuesday night yet elegant enough for entertaining, and the homemade vinaigrette alone is worth bookmarking.

• Swap the fruit. When mandarins are in season, use fresh segments for a brighter, juicier bite. Strawberries (Joanna’s favorite swap) also work beautifully in place of the dried cherries.
• Elevate the dressing. Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard for a little more body, or swap in white balsamic vinegar for a softer tang. If you like more heat, a pinch of crushed red pepper makes it sing.
• Make the nuts ahead. Joanna’s buttered pecans keep well in an airtight container, so double the batch and you’ll have them ready to toss on salads all week — or to snack on straight from the jar.

Change the greens. Spring mix is convenient, but arugula adds peppery bite, while spinach brings a sturdier, heartier feel.