Christmas salad recipe – Love and lemons

Brighten up your holiday table with this Christmas salad! It’s fresh and colorful, made with juicy pomegranates, roasted squash and winter greens.

This Christmas salad is a fresh and festive addition to a holiday table! It features ruby ​​red pomegranates, candied pecans, shaved pecorino, and roasted squash on a bed of winter greens. My favorite apple cider vinegar dressing ties it all together.

I make a version of this Christmas salad recipe every year. I love the mix of tangy, sweet and bitter flavors and the creamy and crunchy textures. The jewel tones of winter products also look great.

If you want to add a pop of color to your Christmas side dishes, this stunning salad is the best way to do it. I’m sharing my favorite variations below, along with prep tips to help streamline your prep. Happy holidays friends!

How to prepare this Christmas salad

You can find the full recipe with measurements below, but for now, here’s a quick overview of how it’s done!

This Christmas salad has four main parts:

1. Roasted vegetables – cubed butternut squash and red onion wedges
2. Raw vegetables – kale, radicchio and chopped Brussels sprouts
3. Tasty toppings – pomegranate seeds, candied pecans and grated pecorino cheese
4. The dressing – This Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Start by roasting the squash and onion. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast until tender and golden, 20 to 35 minutes.

Next, prepare the dressing. It’s very simple to whisk with apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic, mustard and olive oil.

Next, massage the kale with a little dressing. to help the kale wilt. Add radicchio, Brussels sprouts, squash and roasted onions. Toss with remaining vinaigrette.

Finally, add the toppings and mix gently again. Season to taste and serve!

Preparation Tips

There are several ways to progress with this salad recipe:

1. Prepare the dressing up to 5 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Olive oil can solidify in the refrigerator. Don’t worry, place it at room temperature and it will soften in no time.
2. Roast the squash and onions up to 2 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the salad.
3. Dress vegetables up to 1 day in advance. These are all hardy winter vegetables, so they hold up well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, then garnish with cheese, candied nuts and pomegranates before enjoying!

Christmas salad variations

I never make this salad the exact same way twice. Here are some of my favorite variations:

• Add more fruit. Add apple slices or segments of two mandarin oranges. I love juicy oranges and pomegranates together!
• Use another dressinglike my lemon vinaigrette, my balsamic vinaigrette, or even this delicious honey mustard vinaigrette.
• Try another cheese, like crumbled feta cheese, blue cheese, or grated parmesan.
• Replace the greens. Use a mix of tender greens instead of radicchio, Brussels sprouts and kale.
• Go crazy with the nuts. Use regular toasted pecans instead of candied nuts, or add walnuts, almonds, sprinkles or sunflower seeds.
• You can even skip the squash for a simpler green salad. Use chopped raw onion to avoid roasting altogether.

Let me know what variations you try!

More Favorite Salad Recipes

If you love this holiday salad, then try one of these delicious salad recipes:

Christmas salad

Preparation time: 20 minutes minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes minutes

Total duration: 50 minutes minutes

Serves 6

This Christmas salad recipe is a simple and vibrant side dish for the holidays! It features fresh winter greens, roasted squash, candied pecans, and sweet, juicy pomegranate seeds. A zesty apple cider vinegar vinaigrette ties it all together.

• 2 cups cubed butternut squash
• ½ medium red onion, cut into thin slices
• extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ bunch kale, 4 to 6 leaves, stems, torn leaves
• Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
• ½ small chicory, thinly sliced
• 6 Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
• ¾ cup candied pecans, or toasted pecans
• ⅓ cup pomegranate arils or dried cranberries
• ⅓ cup parmesan or pecorino shavings

Cooking methodStop your screen from going dark

• Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Place the squash on one side of the baking sheet and the onion quarters on the other. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 35 minutes, or until tender and golden around the edges. Remove the onions before the squash if necessary. Separate the onion layers.

• Place the kale in a large bowl and drizzle with a little dressing. Use your hands to massage the leaves until they become soft and wilted and are reduced by about half in the bowl.

• Add the radicchio, Brussels sprouts, roasted squash, onions and remaining vinaigrette. Mix well, then garnish with pecans, pomegranates and cheese. Mix gently. Season to taste and serve.

Estimated nutritional value for 1 serving of salad without dressing

Nutrition Facts

Christmas salad

Amount per serving

Calories 141
Calories from fat 63

% daily value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated fat 1g6%

Polyunsaturated fat 2g

Monounsaturated fat 3g

Cholesterol 4 mg1%

Sodium 157 mg7%

Potassium 316mg9%

Carbohydrates 16g5%

3g fiber13%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 6230 IU125%

Vitamin C 38 mg46%

Calcium 137 mg14%

Iron 1mg6%

*Percent Daily Values ​​are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.