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This Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing is my go-to “house” salad. I make it on repeat all winter long, but especially over the holidays. Mixed greens, avocado, juicy pomegranates, sweet and spicy maple-roasted walnuts, and plenty of crumbled cheese. All tossed together with a delicious honey mustard dressing. It’s simple to put together, healthy, and pairs perfectly with just about any meal. You’ll never tire of this beautiful winter salad.
You all, I really was torn on just what recipe to share today. It’s the Friday before Christmas Eve and I was stumped on what everyone might be looking for the most. Yet another appetizer? A holiday side dish? Something sweet to snack on?
I had plenty of ideas, but in the end, my mom and I decided on my Christmas salad. This is the salad I make almost nightly over the next 2 weeks. It’s never made the exact same way twice, but the base is almost always the same.
Plenty of fresh greens, avocado, pomegranate arils, and a really delicious dressing.
Throughout the winter months, dinners get especially cozy, which means vegetables are not usually the main focus. It’s always nice when we have people in town to prepare a simple salad for everyone’s plate.
It’s something they can easily take or leave. But I’m not going to lie, the salad almost always disappears by the end of dinner.
We love a side of garlic bread, but we also love a good side salad too! This salad really has been my staple for years. I can make it in just minutes and everyone will always enjoy it as long as there are greens, avocado, and cheese.
We’re big avocado people…and even bigger cheese people.
Details
I always start off my salads with nuts and seeds. Usually, I’ll make more than the salad will require so I can have extra on hand.
My favorite combination is walnuts, pumpkin seeds, maple, smoked paprika, and chili powder. That spicy, sweet, salty, flavor is one that everyone really enjoys.
They add crunchiness and a really nice spicy, smoky flavor to the salad.
For the salad itself, I almost always do a mix of spring greens with arugula or Frisée. I can’t always find Frisée, so that’s when I’ll use arugula.
Then apples, because I always have them. Avocado because my family can’t do a salad with them. And pomegranates, because I personally think they’re one of the best additions to a green salad you can use.
And that’s it, just add the cheese. I love to use a crumbled blue, but will also use goat cheese and or feta. Our favorite is blue cheese, then goat, then feta. Use what you and your family love most though.
Finally, the honey mustard dressing. It’s a tangy, creamy, honey mustard with dijon, balsamic, or sometimes I’ll switch it up and use apple cider vinegar. I always add honey, fig preserves, and chili flakes.
Add a bit of orange zest + juice for tang. You can use lemon too. But I love using orange in the winter.
And that completes my Christmas Salad. As I mentioned, it kind of changes nightly, but this is my favorite “variation”. And I think it’s my family’s too.
It’s simple, but full of just the right amount of sweet and tangy flavors, perfect!
Looking for other winter salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Winter Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
Super Green Sun-Dried Tomato Herb Salad
Citrus Avocado Salad with Orange Tahini Vinaigrette
Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas
Lastly, if you make this Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 511 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw walnuts
- 1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup honey or maple
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 2 cups Frisée
- 1-2 apples or pears, chopped
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 2 cups pomegranate arils
- 1 cup crumbled blue cheese, feta, or goat cheese
Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic or apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon fig preserves
- 2 teaspoons orange zest + 2 tablespoons orange juice
- kosher salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the walnuts and pumpkin seeds with the honey/maple syrup, chili powder, and salt. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once throughout cooking, until the walnuts are toasted. Remove from the oven and spread the walnuts in one layer. Sprinkle with flaky salt.2. Add the greens to a large salad bowl. Add the apple, avocados, and pomegranate. Sprinkle on the cheese and nuts. Gently toss the salad.3. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on December 23, 2022
This was the only dish that was completely eaten up! So, so good. I used what I had on hand: pecans instead of walnuts and strawberry instead of fig preserves, and it turned out beautifully.
Hey Sarah,
Big thanks for making this recipe and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
Happy Holidays!
Made this with ribeyes and mashed potatoes, and it did not disappoint.
Hey Erika,
Awesome! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out nicely for you!
Merry Christmas!🎄🎁
We’re having this salad with Christmas dinner tomorrow. I just got finished roasting the walnuts and pumpkin seeds. The house smells so good! For those commenting that the cook temperature/time for them is too high/long – maybe use an oven thermometer. Your oven may run hotter than you realize. Mine turned out perfect! I expect the salad to be delicious, but will report back manana!
Thanks so much, Susannah:) Thanks for choosing this salad for your Christmas dinner!
Merry Christmas!
The salad was amazing and a big hit today! This makes a big salad. Tip –
at Thanksgiving I discovered that mixing the stuffing ingredients in a turkey oven bag worked great. I used one today and gently tossed the salad ingredients together and put in my wooden bowl. It all mixed nicely and the dressing was perfectly coated throughout. Very nice presentation!
Thanks so much, Susannah!
Can you substitute lemon zest for orange zest? Orange allergy
Hi Stacey,
Sure, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe! Merry Christmas!🎄🎁
Hi! Do you think thinly sliced radicchio could be good in place of the since my store doesn’t have? Or is arugula better? Or both? 😂 They add that bitter element right? Excited to make!
Hey Lauren,
Sure, I would use both! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
Salt isn’t in the ingredient list but is added to the walnuts and pumpkin seeds. How much salt? Plus, some for sprinkling once out of the oven?
The ads on this page jump terribly. It’s hard to read through the recipe or leave a comment.
Hey Tracy,
Just a pinch of salt is perfect! I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy Holidays!
This looks delicious! Planning to make for the Christmas Eve dinner we’re hosting but am tryin to cook as much as possible the day before. Would the nut/seed mixture keep if I cooked the day before and stored in a mason jar on the counter? Otherwise what would you recommend? Thanks!
Thanks so much, Mandy! Yes, you can do the nut/seed mixture in advance, just keep in an airtight container at room temperature.
I hope you love this recipe! Happy Holidays!
Hello! I am guessing raw pumpkin seeds are best here since we are roasting and adding salt?
Hey Claire,
Yes, that is correct:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy Holidays!
Looking forward to making this for a Christmas family brunch! Do you mean maple syrup for the nuts? And if I don’t have chipotle chili powder, can I use smoked paprika + chili powder? Thanks!
Hey Lauren,
Yes, maple syrup is correct. Sure, smoked paprika and chili powder will work nicely for you. I hope you love this recipe!
Merry Christmas!
Looks very good – what would be a possible substitute for fig preserves?
Thanks so much, Tim! You can use honey in place of the fig preserves. I hope you love this recipe!
Happy Holidays!
Looks like a great salad for Christmas. I have 22 people to feed. This would be a side salad. It indicates this is for 8 people but is that for a main course? Should I just double the recipe?
Thanks and happy holidays!
Hey Bonnie,
Thanks so much!! Yes, I would recommend doubling this recipe for 22 people, that will be perfect!
I hope you love this salad! Happy Holidays!🎁🎄
Hi Tieghan,
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful recipe. I haven’t made it yet but will for christmas. Can i roast the nuts 2 hrs before i assemble the salad? Or do they loose crunch?
Cheers and merry christmas, Syphra
Hey Syphra,
Totally, that will be perfectly okay for you to do!
I hope you love this salad! Merry Christmas!
Very nice recipe, but could baking the nuts 375 for 15 minutes result in black, burned nut topping! yikes! I should have trusted my gut. I will have to redo this pricey step. You might add a warning about checking them for certain color in your recipe?
Hi Sue,
Happy Monday! I love to hear this recipe turned out well for you! Thanks for making it:)
So sorry to hear about the nuts, I will take a look at that step again!
Happy Holidays!
I had the same issue with the nuts at 375 for 14 minutes in my gas oven. I repeated and only cooked them for 12 minutes and they turned out perfect. Both times I made sure to stir them halfway thru and the second time I rotated my pan as an added measure.
Could I do this with a garlic dressing? I am not sure how it would work with the fruit…
Hey Anne,
I think the honey mustard dressing works really nicely here, but you could always do another dressing that you enjoy.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Planning on making this for Christmas dinner. This will be a first for using pomegranate ariels. Looks delicious!
Blessings to you and yours 🎄
Sarah
Thanks so much, Sarah! I hope your family loves this recipe!
Happy Holidays!