Festive Greens Christmas Salad
A vibrant holiday-ready salad featuring crisp winter greens, ruby pomegranate arils, dried cranberries, toasted nuts, and a whisked balsamic-maple dressing.
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed winter greens baby kale, spinach, arugula
- 1 cup pomegranate arils or seeds from one medium pomegranate
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup pecans toasted, sub walnuts or almonds
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds toasted, sub sunflower seeds
- 4 oz feta cheese crumbled, sub goat cheese or vegan feta
- 1 small blood orange peeled and segmented
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil e.g., California Olive Ranch
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar sub red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup sub agave for vegan
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and dry mixed winter greens with a salad spinner, segment the blood orange, and remove pomegranate arils by tapping the peel with a wooden spoon over a bowl.
- Toast pecans and pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring constantly until fragrant and lightly browned, then cool on a plate.
- Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a jar; shake until emulsified into a smooth, ribbon-like dressing.
- In a large bowl, layer greens, dried cranberries, pomegranate arils, blood orange, red onion, and parsley in that order to keep flavors distinct.
- Crumble feta over the salad, drizzle half the dressing, then toss gently with tongs; taste and add more dressing if needed, aiming for a light coating.
- Let the salad rest in the fridge for 10 minutes, then give one final toss, sprinkle toasted nuts on top, and serve.
Notes
Store greens and dressing separately for up to 2 days; leftover dressing works great on roasted vegetables. Use this salad as a template for seasonal tweaks.
Nutrition
Calories: 180kcal
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