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    Home » Recipes » Salad

    Christmas Salad

    Published: Dec 14, 2022 · Modified: Dec 19, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

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    This Christmas Salad is an easy but impressive side dish that's full of seasonal toppings and served with a bright, sweet Orange Vinaigrette. Serving it in a wreath design isn't necessary, but adds a festive touch!

    Christmas salad with orange vinaigrette.

    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
    Christmas salad with pomegranate and orange.

    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.

    Orange citrus vinaigrette.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I make this salad ahead of time?

    Yes, you can make this salad ahead of time. Assemble the salad but wait to add the dressing and oranges pieces until just before serving. Store the salad, covered, in the fridge. It's not recommended to make this recipe more than a few hours ahead of time as the lettuce may start to wilt.

    How should you serve this salad?

    You can serve this salad from a large bowl or from a round platter with the dressing in the middle (to look like a wreath)! If serving it in a 'wreath' design, you can let guests add the salad and dressing to their own individual plates (rather than tossing it all together on your serving platter).

    Christmas salad with orange vinaigrette.

    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.

    Plated Christmas salad.

    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)!

    If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & rating at the bottom of this page!

    Print
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    Christmas salad with orange vinaigrette.

    Christmas Salad


    • Author: Megan
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This Christmas Salad is an easy but impressive side dish that's full of seasonal toppings and served with a bright, sweet Orange Vinaigrette. Serving it in a wreath design isn't necessary, but adds a festive touch!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 6 cups spring mix
    • 1 orange, peeled & diced
    • ½ cup pomegranate seeds
    • ½ cup chopped walnuts
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • ½ cup parmesan flakes

    Orange Vinaigrette:

    • ½ cup olive oil
    • ¼ cup fresh orange juice (from about 1 large orange)
    • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
    • ¼ teaspoon dijon
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    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 over the salad once it's plated. 

    Notes

    • Note: I used a mandolin to slice my parmesan cheese thinly. A sharp knife would also work for this.
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 0 minutes
    • Category: Salad
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: holiday, christmas, salad, orange, orange vinaigrette, pomegranate, cranberries, winter, fall, wreath, walnuts

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    Hi, I'm Megan! I'm a health coach & I love to create salad recipes that are simple and delicious.

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