Christmas Salad

About This Recipe

This Christmas Salad is inspired by fruits of the season: oranges, pomegranates, and dried cranberries. It's made with simple ingredients, which makes it perfect for serving a large crowd or family with lots of different preferences.

Plus this recipe is festive! It's topped with bright orange slices, red pomegranate seeds, and delicate flakes of parmesan. It's a salad that looks impressive but only takes about 15 minutes to make.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe. The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the bottom of the page.

• Spring mix
• Orange
• Pomegranate seeds
• Chopped walnuts
• Dried cranberries
• Parmesan flakes

Orange Vinaigrette:

• Olive oil
• Fresh orange juice
• White wine vinegar
• Honey
• Orange zest
• Dijon

Instructions

Here's how to make this recipe in 4 simple steps:

1. Make the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until emulsified, fully combined and thickened.
2. Optional wreath design: if you have a large platter, place the dressing in a small bowl in the center and layer your salad around it to look like a wreath (this is not necessary – but looks pretty)!
3. Make the salad: make your salad by layering the lettuce first and then sprinkling all of the toppings over it.
4. Serving recommendations: if serving the salad from a large bowl, toss it in the dressing just before serving. Use as much of the dressing as desired. If serving the salad from the ‘wreath’ design, serve your salad as-is and drizzle the dressing on top once its plated.

Variations

Here's some of the most popular substitutions and additions for this recipe:

• Lettuce: spring mix, spinach, or arugula are all delicious in this recipe.
• Orange: you can use a navel orange cut into bite-sized pieces, clementine slices, or mandarin oranges.
• Walnuts: can be substituted with pecans or sliced almonds.
• Parmesan: feta, goat, or gorgonzola are tasty alternatives. The parmesan cheese can be flaked, shredded or crumbled.
• Orange juice: fresh is best but from concentrate will also work.
• White wine vinegar: substitute apple cider vinegar if preferred.
• Honey: maple syrup can be used instead.

About The Dressing

The dressing for this Christmas Salad is an easy Orange Vinaigrette. It's full of sweet, citrus-y and bright flavor.

Oranges are in season during winter, and they're a tasty, fresh compliment to the other seasonal-inspired ingredients in this salad.

Dressing Options

Here's a few other dressing options that you can find at the store or make yourself.

• Lemon Vinaigrette
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Lemon Tahini Dressing

Plus just about any dressing with citrus flavor would be delicious. This includes variations of orange or lemon vinaigrettes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage

This recipe is best enjoyed immediately, while fresh. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day or two (after about a day the lettuce tends to get soggy). For best texture, store the dressing separately.

Equipment

If you want to make this salad in the wreath design, you'll need a large round serving platter and a smaller bowl to place in the middle. It's not necessary to make the salad this way, but it does look pretty!

Here's what I used: a round 14" platter (click here for the exact one) and a 5" small bowl for the dressing in the center.

You don't need to use plates and bowls with these exact same measurements, but they're a good starting point. The salad will still work if you use ones that are larger or smaller than these examples.

Similar Recipes

For more holiday salads, check out these favorites:

• Holiday Broccoli Salad
• Pear Salad
• Our Thanksgiving Salad also happens to be red and green themed (perfect for Christmas too)!