Are you looking for a healthier option for your holiday meal? Try out this easy and delicious Christmas salad recipe! Packed with nutritious ingredients and bursting with festive flavors, it’s the perfect addition to any holiday spread.
The flavors of the fresh citrus, salad greens, and pomegranate meld so well together, especially with a honey mustard vinaigrette, making it the perfect side dish. I love to serve it with roasted rosemary potatoes and New York Strip Steak.
Christmas is coming! It is right around the corner. Are you ready to go? Do you have your holiday menu planned? This gorgeous Christmas salad comes together quickly and is always a hit.
It pairs wonderfully with roasted chicken, prime rib, pork tenderloin, lobster, or shrimp. Other gorgeous salads to inspire your holiday meal are ambrosia salad, brussels sprouts salad, and broccoli salad.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Spring greens: or mixed greens like arugula, baby spinach, baby greens
- Nuts: almonds, pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, and walnuts.
- Cheese: I like feta because it works well in this salad, but you can substitute Parmesan, goat, or blue cheese.
- Oranges: Preferably seedless mandarins. They are easy to peel, full of flavor, and bite-sized.
- Pomegranate seeds: also known as pomegranate arils. If you can not find them, try dried cranberries or blueberries.
How to Make Christmas Salad
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Start by mixing the vinaigrette. Whisk the minced garlic, champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. If you prefer, you can shake everything together in a mason jar. Now, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously.
Next, grab a big, beautiful bowl and add your spring greens, sliced almonds, feta cheese, mandarin oranges, and pomegranate arils. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Making this Christmas salad is just that easy, and it’s so darn delicious and beautiful.
Make It Ahead
You can make the honey mustard champagne vinaigrette up to two days in advance; however, remove it from the refrigerator about 45 minutes before serving to warm to room temperature and whisk or shake well.
Prep the oranges and pomegranate arils up to 24 hours in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Assemble the salad up to 1 hour before, but do not toss with the vinaigrette until ready to serve.
Preparation Tips
- I encourage you to use fresh, seedless mandarin oranges for optimal taste, but you could also use canned ones in a pinch.
- Pomegranate arils are just the red jewels found inside a pomegranate. They contain a sweet nectar that surrounds a white seed in the middle. Around late November through December, grocery stores will have pomegranates available, and some stores may even have the arils already removed and available for sale.
- This salad is equally delicious with a honey poppy seed dressing.
More Salad Recipes
Christmas Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
Christmas Salad
- 12 ounces fresh spring greens
- ⅔ cup sliced almonds
- ⅔ cup feta cheese
- 4 seedless mandarin oranges peeled and segmented
- 1 pomegranate seeded
Instructions
- Whisk together minced garlic, champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking continuously.
- Add spring green, sliced almonds, feta cheese, mandarin oranges, and pomegranate arils in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- I encourage you to use fresh, seedless mandarin oranges for optimal taste, but you could also use canned ones in a pinch.
- Pomegranate arils are just the red jewels found inside a pomegranate. They contain a sweet nectar that surrounds a white seed in the middle. Around late November through December, grocery stores will have pomegranates available, and some stores may even have the arils already removed and available for sale.
- Feta cheese substitutes include Parmesan cheese, goat cheese, and blue cheese.
- This salad is equally delicious with a honey poppy seed dressing.
Nutrition
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Camila
This salad is amazing! The mix of pomegranate and mandarin oranges with the honey mustard vinaigrette adds such a fresh, festive flavor. I made it last year for Thanksgiving and I can’t wait to make it again.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Camila! I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
Beth
Delicious salad. I made this last year for a Christmas book club dinner and was requested to make it again this year. Wonderful salad that will remain in my favorite Christmas recipes. Thank you.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Beth!
Emily Fata
This looks so very yummy! I’m going to make this for Christmas dinner this year, for sure.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Emily! Enjoy!
Mandy F
Delicious salad. We loved every bite! It will be on rotation, here.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Mandy!
Karletta
The Pomegranate trees in our village are bursting with fruit right now. The citrus are on their way. This will be the perfect recipe to accompany our souvla
Beth Pierce
Thanks. Karletta! Enjoy
Kristine
Fantastic Christmas salad recipe! I whipped it up for lunch today using dried craberries. I will serving this often over the holidays….delicious!
Franklin
Interesting salad, colorful and well put together. I would love to try this salad with my partner. Thank you for sharing it.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Franklin!
Stephanie
Thank you for another wonderful recipe for my holiday menu planning. This is such a special salad with so many flavors and textures to fall in love with!
Emily
Oh my gosh, this looks so good, I don’t think I can wait until Christmas to try it out. I’m going to try making it this week, and then I’ll make it again over the holidays for Christmas dinner. Thank you for sharing!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Emily! Enjoy! You might need to sub dried cranberries for the pomegranite seeds this time of year.
Grasyah
I wonder how would those oranges will compliment the taste of a regular salad! will try to make this one too!!
Beth Pierce
They are delicious in a lot of salads!
Julie
I just started planning the Christmas menu today, and I will be making this salad. It sounds so yummy! I can’t wait.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Julie! Enjoy!
Mary
Such a pretty and festive salad! I love the combination of the citrus with the pomegranate seeds. Nice to have some healthy holiday recipes.
Beth Pierce
I agree, Mary!
Ed
Yyyaaayyy! I’ve been in search for a salad to have with the Christmas feast. It looks like I’ve found it. Such a grogeous salad!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Ed! Enjoy!
Elise
I love this salad. It has a delicious array of flavors that complement each other well. This one is a must try.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Elise!
Luna S
This sounds and looks so delicious! I love salads that have fresh ingredients in them and a pop of color.
Ben
I think this salad covers every flavor and color that I’ve ever associated with the holidays. I love the combination of greens, nuts, and citrus in this. It’s so pretty, too.