Description
Celebrate the festive season with this vibrant Christmas Salad featuring a mix of fresh baby spinach or mixed greens, sweet pomegranate seeds, tart cranberries, crisp apple slices, candied nuts, and optional feta cheese and red onion. Topped with a tangy and slightly sweet honey mustard dressing, this salad is a refreshing, colorful, and easy-to-make dish perfect for holiday gatherings or a light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 4 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
- 1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- 1 cup fresh cranberries (or dried cranberries)
- 1 medium apple, thinly sliced (such as Gala or Granny Smith)
- ½ cup candied pecans or walnuts
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Honey Mustard Dressing
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make Honey Mustard Dressing: In a bowl or jar, whisk together 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Slowly drizzle in ¼ cup olive oil while continuously whisking or shaking until well emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Prepare Salad Components: Wash and thoroughly dry the 4 cups of baby spinach or mixed greens to ensure a crisp texture. Thinly slice the 1 medium apple. If using fresh cranberries, rinse them thoroughly. If using red onion, thinly slice it as well.
- Assemble Salad: In a large serving bowl, gently combine the dried mixed greens, 1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds, 1 cup cranberries (fresh or dried), the thinly sliced apple, ½ cup candied pecans or walnuts, ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (if using), and ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion (if using). Toss lightly to mix ingredients evenly.
- Dress and Serve: Retrieve the chilled Honey Mustard Dressing from the refrigerator, give it a good whisk or shake to recombine the ingredients. Drizzle about half to two-thirds of the dressing over the salad. Gently toss all ingredients until lightly coated with the dressing. Serve immediately to enjoy the salad at its freshest and most flavorful.
Notes
- For a nut-free version, omit the candied pecans or walnuts.
- If fresh cranberries are too tart, opt for dried cranberries for a sweeter contrast.
- The honey mustard dressing can be prepared up to 1 day ahead for convenience.
- Use a mix of baby spinach and kale for added texture and nutrition.
- Adjust salt and pepper in the dressing to taste depending on your preference.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Christmas salad, honey mustard dressing, holiday salad, pomegranate salad, healthy salad, festive salad, vegetarian salad
