Last Updated December 22nd, 2022 at 12:04 am by Lisa
Present a gorgeous, festive, red and green Christmas Salad with an easy pomegranate vinaigrette dressing topped with sparkling pomegranate seeds, D'Anjou pears for the little trees, spicy candied pecans, ruby red dried cranberries, and juicy raspberries. Now, this salad says Happy Holidays...
Christmas Salad Recipe
Create a stunning holiday menu for your Christmas feast, with this salad alongside main dishes of Double Smoked Christmas Ham with an orange honey glaze, a beautiful Roast Turkey with gravy, Beef Roast, and other classic side dishes like Mashed Potatoes, Smashed Potatoes, or Sausage Stuffing for a celebration party filled with delicious food...
- fresh spinach leaves
- pomegranate arils (pomegranate seeds)
- dried cranberries
- fresh raspberries
- toasted pecans (or try my Spicy Candied Pecans!)
- D'Anjou pears
- apple slices
Pomegranate Dressing
- pomegranate juice (store-bought or fresh Pomegranate Juice)
- apple cider vinegar
- orange zest and orange juice
- Dijon mustard
- extra-virgin olive oil
- Worcestershire sauce
- fresh cracked pepper
- sea salt
Christmas Salad Decoration Ideas
There are dozens of Christmas holiday variations and swaps salad decoration ideas here from additions, swaps, toppings, dressings, and how to create your own shaped holiday salad!
- Mixed Greens: Use baby mixed greens, spring greens, baby kale, Iceberg lettuce, or Romaine lettuce.
- Fresh Vegetables: Swap the fresh spinach for a shaved brussels sprouts salad, massaged kale salad, roasted beets, or avocados, or make broccoli or cauliflower salad. Small cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are also really great and look like ornaments. Or toss some sliced or diced green onions on top. Red peppers are so festive, and you can cut them into holiday shapes with Mini Cookie Cutters and make bell pepper stars.
- Add Cheeses: For more flavor and complexity. Try blue cheese, goat cheese, crumbled feta cheese, or parmesan cheese. Sliced fresh mozzarella or small Marinated Mozzarella Balls are a great addition. A Caprese salad made with fresh mozzarella rounds, thin tomato slices, and basil is very festive!
- Pickled Veggies: Add Pickled Red Onions for a bright pop of bright pink color or a few Pickled Green Beans.
- Dressing: Swap in some champagne vinegar in place of the apple cider vinegar.
- Christmas Shapes: Instead of serving in a bowl, shape into a Christmas wreath or Christmas tree shape on a tray or board! Take a look at my Christmas Tree Recipe for more ideas.
- Sprinkle On Some Nuts: Try pistachios, walnuts, Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, or Candied Pecans. Toasted pine nuts with a little sea salt are always so good on salads.
- Fresh Fruit Slices: apple slices, grapes, citrus fruit like orange or grapefruit sections, or mandarine oranges would be beautiful and taste great.
Making Holiday Salad
- Using a small serrated knife, cut pears lengthwise into ½ " thick large pieces, then cut out tree shapes with small cookie cutters. Keep in a little bowl with some water and a little lemon juice to keep them from browning.
- In a large salad bowl (or on individual salad plates) layer fresh spinach leaves, pecans, pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries, raspberries, and top with D'Anjou pear trees. Serve with dressing on the side, or toss into salad.
- For the Pomegranate Mason jar dressing: Add all ingredients into a mason jar, close the lid and shake for one minute until combined. Or whisk well in a bowl to combine. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Reshake or whisk to combine right before serving.
Holiday Salad Pear "Tree" Garnish
Slice the pear into ½" thick flat slices of pear, and use a mini tree-shaped cookie cutter, to then cut out Christmas tree pear garnish.
Make 4-5 per salad plate.
How To Remove Pomegranate Aril Seeds
- Cut the ½" off the top crown of the pomegranate where the stem is, and set aside.
- Using a small knife, run the knife down the pomegranate skin along the white pith to the bottom, but not through the bottom center of the pomegranate (this keeps it held together for the next step).
- Continue all the way around the pomegranate until cuts are made down the sides.
- Crack open the pomegranate and remove the center white core pith.
- Now break each piece over a bowl and pop out the seeds by running your fingers gently over the aril seeds. This does take some time, and remove be sure to remove the white pith bits that fall into your bowl.
Pomegranate Juice for Dressing
- Place the aril seeds into a strainer that fits into a similar size bowl.
- Press down on the pomegranate seeds with a large spoon, letting the juice drain into a bowl.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days in a Mason jar.
Salad Dressings, Vinaigrettes & Croutons
Drizzle one of these homemade salad dressings like a Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette or a creamy dressing like Ranch Dressing. Bake some cheesy parmesan Croutons and get my hack to make these fast with a baguette. Or shake up healthy salad dressings like this Parmesan Lemon Vinaigrette for beautiful Christmas salads...
More Christmas Salad Recipes
Christmas dinners all need a big side salad on the holiday dining table or buffet, here are some great options for the holiday season ...
Shape this Christmas Tree Salad and decorate it with "garland, ornaments, and snow" as Christmas decorations. So fun, and everyone will love it on your festive table!
And for a colorful salad, serve a Broccoli Salad with bright jewel tones. Serve a simple elegant Wedge Salad with steaks like filet mignon or beef tenderloin.
Or for a crowd, make a classic 7 Layer Salad. It's always a favorite salad and a total crowd-pleaser, and so pretty in a trifle bowl.
Now you can make this famous iconic Cobb Salad from the golden age of Hollywood, California. A hearty salad loaded with chopped tomato, cubed chicken, crumbled bacon, diced avocado, chopped eggs, and topped with Roquefort cheese. And another classic for a holiday feast, is this cherished old-fashioned family recipe and a real crowd-pleaser for Macaroni Salad.
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Christmas Holiday Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Christmas Salad
- 8 cups fresh spinach leaves
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- ½ cup pecans or make Spicy Candied Pecans
- ½" slices D'Anjou pears cut with small tree cookie cutter
Pomegranate Dressing
- 4 tablespoons pomegranate juice store bought or fresh squeezed pomegranate juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 orange zested and juiced (zest first!)
- 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Make Pomegranate Dressing
- To a mason jar, add the pomegranate juice, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt.
- Close the lid and shake for one minute until combined. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Reshake to combine right before serving. (You can also whisk all the ingredients in a bowl).
Assemble the Holiday Salad
- Using a small cookie cutter, cut pears lengthwise into ½ " thick large pieces, then cut out tree shapes. Keep in a little bowl with some water and a little lemon juice to keep from browning.
- In a large salad bowl (or on individual salad plates) layer fresh spinach leaves, candied or regular pecans, pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries, raspberries, and top with D'Anjou pear trees. Serve with dressing on the side, or toss into salad.
Notes
Make The Pear "Tree" Garnish
Slice ½" flat slices of pear, and use a small tree-shaped cookie cutter, to then cut out Christmas tree pear garnish. Make 4-5 per salad plate.To Seed (Arils) A Pomegranate
- Cut the ½" off the top crown of the pomegranate where the stem is, and set aside.
- Using a small knife, run the knife down the pomegranate skin along the white pith to the bottom, but not through the bottom center of the pomegranate (this keeps it held together for the next step).
- Continue all the way around the pomegranate until cuts are made down the sides.
- Crack open the pomegranate and remove the center white core pith.
- Now break each piece over a bowl and pop out the seeds by running your fingers gently over the aril seeds. This does take some time, and remove be sure to remove the white pith bits that fall into your bowl.
- Enjoy your pomegranate seeds!
Hidden Rose Apples
Try some pretty pink-colored apples like Hidden Rose and slice them for the salad, or even cut your little trees out of them, so festive and beautiful.Christmas Holiday Salad Variations & Swaps
- Mixed Greens: Use baby mixed greens, spring greens, baby kale, Iceberg lettuce, or Romaine lettuce.
- Vegetable Salad Options: Swap the fresh spinach for a shaved brussels sprouts salad, massaged kale salad, roasted beets, or avocados, or make broccoli or cauliflower salad.
- Add Cheeses: For more flavor and complexity. Try blue cheese, goat cheese, crumbled feta cheese, or parmesan cheese.
- Pickled Veggies: Add Pickled Red Onions for a bright pop of bright pink color or a few Pickled Green Beans.
- Dressing: Swap in some champagne vinegar in place of the apple cider vinegar.
- Christmas Shapes: Instead of serving in a bowl, shape into a Christmas wreath or Christmas tree shape on a tray or board! Take a look at my Christmas Tree Recipe for more ideas.
- Sprinkle On Some Nuts: Try pistachios, walnuts, Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, or Candied Pecans.
- Use Fruit Slices: apple slices, grapes, citrus fruit like orange or grapefruit sections, or mandarine oranges would be beautiful and taste great.
Wonderful salad Thanks
A gorgeous salad, we made the dressing and the trees, so festive for Christmas.