For a beautiful Holiday Salad Recipe this year, add a healthy punch of bold flavors to your holiday menu. Simple greens, fruits, and veggies topped with goat cheese and crunchy nuts -- it is a festive Christmas Salad topped with pomegranate arils and a pomegranate balsamic vinaigrette.
Add oil, vinegar, shallot, orange juice, pomegranate juice, Dijon mustard, extra balsamic (if using) and kosher salt to a mason jar with a lid.
Shake until combined or place in blender and whir for a few seconds. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Holiday Salad Recipe
Make honeyed walnuts. Toss walnuts into a pan over medium heat, shaking or stirring until nutty and warm. Add drizzle of honey, stirring constantly for one minute, then transfer to parchment or foil lined tray to cool, breaking apart any clumps that form. Allow to cool.
Arrange baby spring greens on individual plates or in a salad bowl. I love plating individually for a prettier presentation.
Fan out the pears, oranges, sliced beets, and then sprinkle with shallots, pistachios, honey walnuts and goat cheese, finishing with pomegranate arils for color.
Serve with pomegranate dressing on the side or dress salad and toss.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
If you are making this salad ahead, I recommend storing each layer in a separate container so the colors and freshness stay crisp. Keep the sliced fruits from browning by adding a few drops of lemon juice to each bag or container of fruit.
Then you can layer and dress the salad when ready to serve.
And, if you have not mixed in the dressing you can place the salad in a container and store it in the refrigerator for a day or two.
**I have had good luck making up the individual salads, covering them tightly with plastic wrap and storing in the crisper drawer for up to 2 hours before an event. Wait to place the nuts and dressing until the last minute so it doesn't get wilted and soft!
See post for how to best get pomegranate seeds out, storage and freezing information. Variations
Oils | Change olive oil out for grapeseed oil or avocado oil.
Vinegar | Use balsamic or pomegranate balsamic for the best taste profile. Or try red wine vinegar if you’d prefer.
Cheese | Not a fan of creamy goat cheese? Try feta cheese or blue cheese crumbles instead.
Onions | If you love the crunch of a strong onion in your salad, add the bold taste of red onion slices in place of the shallots or try my quick refrigerator pickled red onions for a milder take.
Spring Mixed Greens | You can use other healthy greens to make this hearty salad. Mix up your lettuce choices to taste.
Nuts | If nuts are not your thing, try sunflower seeds or pepitas.