Christmas Salad Recipe (2024)

This Christmas salad is a blend of mixed greens, oranges, pomegranate, feta cheese and candied pecans, all tossed in a homemade dressing. An easy and festive salad that is the perfect addition to any holiday menu!

When I’m looking for a salad that features winter produce, I turn to favorites such as kale salad, brussels sprouts salad and this colorful and refreshing Christmas salad.

Christmas Salad Recipe (1)

If I’m making the menu for the holidays, I always include at least one salad for nutrition and to provide a lighter counterpart to the heavier main course options. This Christmas salad features a sweet and savory blend of fruit, cheese and nuts that ends up being the perfect flavor combination.

How do you make Christmas salad?

This salad starts with small oranges such as tangerines or clementines, which are peeled and placed in a bowl of mixed greens along with feta cheese, candied pecans and pomegranate seeds. Make a homemade dressing with a few simple ingredients, then pour it over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Christmas Salad Recipe (2)

Tips for the perfect salad

  • You can use canned mandarin oranges, or any variety of fresh orange that is peeled and cut into segments. I prefer the fresh oranges as they have a better texture than the canned variety.
  • I like to buy a block of feta cheese and crumble it myself. Pre-crumbled feta cheese often contains anti-caking agents and stabilizers, and it doesn’t have as good of a flavor in my opinion.
  • You can buy candied pecans at the grocery store, or make your own with my recipe.
  • When I’m looking to save on prep time, I buy a container of pomegranate seeds at the grocery store instead of removing the seeds from a whole pomegranate. I also get a tub of pre-washed greens to make life a little easier.

Christmas Salad Recipe (3)

Make ahead instructions

One of the most important features of a holiday salad is that it can be prepared in advance, because no one wants to be in the kitchen chopping produce on Christmas. Feel free to make the salad dressing up to 3 days in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it, then shake well and pour over the salad. The oranges and pomegranates can be prepped up to one day in advance. When you’re ready to eat, simply place the ingredients in a bowl with the lettuce, add the dressing and serve.

Christmas Salad Recipe (4)

Christmas salad flavor variations

This salad is fabulous as-is, but you can add other ingredients to make it your own.

  • Fruit: Instead of oranges, try another cold weather fruit such as apples, pears or persimmons.
  • Nuts: While I think the pecans go well with the flavors in the salad, other options include almonds, walnuts or even cashews. You can choose roasted or candied nuts, but I feel the candied nuts add a nice crunch and sweetness.
  • Cheese: Swap out the feta for blue cheese, shaved parmesan, ricotta salata or small mozzarella balls.
  • Add-Ins: Feel free to add other ingredients such as shaved fennel, red onions, avocado or dried cranberries.

Christmas Salad Recipe (5)

You can’t go wrong with this salad, in fact, I make it all winter long!

More salad recipes you’ll enjoy

  • Broccoli Salad
  • Arugula Salad
  • Beet Salad
  • Green Bean Salad
  • Strawberry Spinach Salad

Christmas Salad Video

This Christmas salad is a blend of mixed greens, oranges, pomegranate, feta cheese and candied pecans, all tossed in a homemade dressing. An easy and festive salad that is the perfect addition to any holiday menu!

Time

Prep Time15 minutes minutes

Cook Time1 minute minute

Total Time16 minutes minutes

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 7 cups mixed spring greens
  • 1 1/4 cups orange segments mandarin oranges, clementines or tangerines
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds can substitute dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
  • 1/2 cup candied pecans roughly chopped

For the dressing

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon shallot minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Place the mixed greens, oranges, pomegranate seeds, feta cheese and pecans in a large bowl.

  • Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, whisk until smooth.

  • Drizzle the dressing over the salad mixture to taste, then gently toss to coat. You may have dressing left over. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 137IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @dinneratthezoo on Instagram and hashtag it #dinneratthezoo

Originally Posted October 14, 2021

CategoriesChristmas Salads

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Christmas Salad Recipe (12)
Christmas Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is ambrosia salad made of? ›

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

The best Ambrosia Salad recipe is made with pineapple, mandarin oranges, yogurt, mini marshmallows, coconut and whipped cream. This easy side dish has a delicious tropical sweetness and is always a crowd favorite!

What is Waldorf salad made of? ›

A Waldorf salad is a fruit and nut salad generally made of celery, fresh apples, walnuts, and grapes, dressed in mayonnaise, and traditionally served on a bed of lettuce as an appetizer or a light meal. The apples, celery, and grapes can all be green, which harmonizes the color palette of the dish.

What are 5 components of a satisfying salad? ›

But today, I am going to teach you how to make a salad without using a recipe so you, too, can become a salad artist. Sound like a deal? There are five elements to a perfect salad: greens, sweetness, creaminess, crunchiness, and dressing.

How can I jazz up my salad? ›

Chunks of meat such as beef, chicken or turkey can add protein, variety and flavor, and they can help satisfy your hunger. Some other protein-rich additives for salads are boiled eggs, cheese, almonds, walnuts and cashews. Try a new dressing: Consider trying a new dressing to switch up your salad's flavor.

What vegetables should I put in my salad? ›

The list of salad vegetables includes broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, endive, escarole, green onions, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, bell peppers, chili peppers, radishes, romaine, spinach and tomatoes. Market them well to drive profits to your bottom line.

How do restaurants make salads so crisp? ›

Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture (but not too much!), in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.

What adds flavor to salad? ›

To enhance the flavour and texture of the salad following can be added : Uncooked vegetables like lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula. Carrots, onion, cucumber, celery, mushroom, and broccoli. Nuts and seeds like chia seeds, pistachio, peanuts, almonds, walnut, pumpkin seeds.

Why does restaurant lettuce taste better? ›

Season your greens

A good salad is always well-seasoned, and this shouldn't stop at the dressing. Most home cooks may not know this, but the way that chefs in restaurants get you to spend money on a salad you could easily make at home is by seasoning the greens.

What does ambrosia contain? ›

Most ambrosia recipes contain canned (often sweetened) or fresh pineapple, canned mandarin orange slices or fresh orange sections, miniature marshmallows, and coconut. Other ingredients might include various fruits and nuts: maraschino cherries, bananas, strawberries, peeled grapes, or crushed pecans.

Why do people eat ambrosia salad? ›

The once hard-to-find ingredients were considered luxurious and exotic. The salad was a treat reserved for holidays and other special occasions, and named “ambrosia” after the food of the Greek and Roman gods.

What is the difference between ambrosia and watergate? ›

Watergate has a nutty, sweet flavor from the pistachio flavoring while ambrosia features a prominent coconut flavor. Another dead giveaway is the signature minty green color of a Watergate salad that comes courtesy of the pistachio pudding blend while ambrosia salad has a white color.

Is ambrosia good for you? ›

When it simply comes to enjoying the familiar taste of Southern-style ambrosia, this real food version is a satisfying treat that provides a great dose of probiotics, as well as a healthy boost of nutrition!

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