kid-friendly vegan potluck salad

(and by kid-friendly, i mean kids there will like at least a couple of the ingredients, and their parents will still eat the salad as is.)

first, make the dressing: open a can of mandarin oranges. reserve oranges, and drain the syrup into a small bowl. to the syrup, add an equal part of olive oil and a half part of tamari, and one tbsp small flake coconut. mix and set aside.

take one bag cleaned baby spinach and empty into large bowl. add three ribboned carrots. add dressing and toss.

on top of tossed salad, arrange drained mandarin oranges in a ring, and throw a handful of roasted soynuts in the middle of that. if you mix the oranges or nuts into the salad now, they'll sink to the bottom of the bowl by the time you get to the potluck... so toss it all together when you get there.