Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe
This vibrant Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing combines fresh baby spinach, tart cranberries, sweet apples, and crunchy candied pecans, all tossed in a zesty homemade honey mustard dressing. It’s a colorful, festive, and refreshing side dish perfect for holiday gatherings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 4 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
- 1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- 1 cup fresh cranberries (or dried cranberries)
- 1 medium apple, thinly sliced (such as a Gala or Granny Smith)
- ½ cup candied pecans or walnuts
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Honey Mustard Dressing
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and Dry the Greens: Thoroughly wash the baby spinach or mixed greens to remove any dirt or grit. Use a salad spinner or gently pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, preventing a soggy salad.
- Slice the Apple: Core the apple and thinly slice it. Leaving the skin on adds extra color and nutrients, but peel if preferred for a milder texture.
- Prepare the Pomegranate and Cranberries: If using fresh pomegranate seeds, carefully extract them from the fruit. For cranberries, leave them whole or slice in half for a subtler tartness.
- Toast the Nuts (Optional): To enhance flavor, toast the candied pecans or walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant. Allow them to cool before adding to the salad for added crunch.
- Make the Honey Mustard Dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Toss the Salad: In a large salad bowl, combine spinach or mixed greens, pomegranate seeds, cranberries, apple slices, toasted nuts, crumbled feta cheese, and sliced red onion if using. Gently toss to distribute ingredients evenly.
- Dress the Salad: Drizzle the honey mustard dressing over the salad. Toss again gently to coat all ingredients evenly, starting with a small amount of dressing and adding more as needed to avoid overdressing.
- Serve: Serve the salad immediately as a colorful and refreshing side dish or festive starter to brighten up any holiday meal.
Notes
- Toasting nuts enhances their flavor but can be skipped for convenience.
- Use dried cranberries if fresh are unavailable; soak them briefly for plumper texture if desired.
- Adjust the sweetness of the dressing by varying the honey quantity to suit your taste.
- Feta cheese and red onion are optional but add a nice tang and bite to the salad.
- For added crunch, consider adding some toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Keywords: Christmas salad, honey mustard dressing, holiday salad, spinach salad, festive salad, cranberry salad, pomegranate salad, healthy salad, vegetarian salad
