Amidst the rich, hearty dishes that grace our Christmas tables, there’s a real need for something bright, fresh, and vibrant to cut through the indulgence. That’s where this festive Christmas Salad comes in. It’s more than just a bowl of leaves; it’s a beautiful mosaic of colour, texture, and flavour that truly sings of the season. With sweet, juicy pomegranate seeds that look like little jewels, crunchy toasted pecans, and a sharp, tangy clementine vinaigrette, it provides a welcome and elegant contrast to roast potatoes and gravy.

Friends always ask me for this recipe after trying it at dinner parties. It looks incredibly impressive, with its festive red and green colours, yet it’s wonderfully straightforward to assemble. The magic is in the combination of simple, high-quality ingredients. The salty, creamy feta crumbles beautifully against the peppery rocket, and the dressing brings everything together with a zesty, festive kick that is unmistakably Christmassy.

This salad is ideal for your main Christmas Day feast, a Boxing Day buffet, or any festive gathering where you want to add a touch of freshness. It complements roasted meats wonderfully, but it’s also substantial enough to be enjoyed on its own for a lighter meal. It’s the dish that balances the whole menu, ensuring the meal feels special but not overwhelmingly heavy.

Recipe Overview

This Christmas Salad balances sweet, savoury, and tangy notes with a delightful mix of textures. You’ll find creamy feta, crisp greens, crunchy nuts, and bursting pomegranate seeds, all tied together with a zesty clementine vinaigrette. After testing several citrus fruits, I found that clementines offer the perfect level of sweetness and festive aroma that really makes this dressing special.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Servings: 6-8 people as a side
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Christmas Salad

• Genuine Flavour: The sharp, zesty clementine vinaigrette is the star, beautifully cutting through the sweetness of the pomegranate and the earthy flavour of the toasted pecans. The salty feta adds a creamy counterpoint that makes each bite interesting.
• Comes Together in About 25 Minutes: With minimal cooking required (just a quick toasting of the nuts), this salad can be assembled relatively quickly, freeing you up to focus on other dishes.
• Flexible Recipe: You can easily adapt this to your taste. Swap the pecans for walnuts or toasted almonds. If you’re not a fan of feta, a creamy goat’s cheese or even shaved Parmesan works beautifully. For extra fruitiness, add some thinly sliced pear or apple.
• Great for Festive Occasions: Its red, green, and white colours make it a showstopper on a Christmas dinner table. It’s also great for New Year’s gatherings or any winter dinner party where you want to impress.
• Family Tested: My family adores this fresh addition to the festive spread. Even my niece, who is usually hesitant about salads, loves the sweet pomegranate seeds and crunchy nuts. It always gets compliments.

Christmas Salad

⏱️ 15 min prep  •  🍳 5 min cook  •  👥 4 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For a salad this simple, using fresh, good-quality ingredients is key. For the dressing, I always use a good, robust extra virgin olive oil as its peppery notes really shine through. The combination of fresh clementine juice and a touch of maple syrup creates a perfectly balanced sweet and tangy flavour.

• For the Salad:
• 120g mixed salad leaves (I like a mix of rocket, spinach, and watercress)
• 1 large pomegranate, seeds only (about 150g of seeds)
• 100g pecans, roughly chopped
• 150g feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• For the Clementine Vinaigrette:
• 80ml extra virgin olive oil
• 60ml fresh clementine juice (from 2-3 clementines)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Sara’s Tip: To de-seed a pomegranate without staining your kitchen red, cut it in half, hold it cut-side down over a large bowl, and firmly tap the back with a wooden spoon. The seeds will fall right out!

How to Make This Christmas Salad

The process for this salad is all about preparation. We toast the nuts to deepen their flavour, whisk together a vibrant dressing, and then combine everything at the last minute to ensure the leaves stay crisp and fresh.

1. Toast the Pecans: Place a dry, medium-sized frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped pecans and toast for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently until they are fragrant and slightly darkened in colour. Be sure to watch them closely as they can burn quickly. Once toasted, remove them from the pan immediately and set them aside to cool completely.
2. Prepare the Greens: Gently wash and dry your salad leaves. A salad spinner is excellent for this. Place the dry leaves in a large salad bowl.
3. Slice the Onion: Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, slice the red onion as thinly as you possibly can. Thinner slices will give you a mild onion flavour without overpowering the other ingredients.
4. Make the Vinaigrette: I find that the best way to make a dressing is to combine all the ingredients in a clean jam jar. Add the extra virgin olive oil, fresh clementine juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to the jar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds until the dressing is creamy and well emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
5. Assemble the Salad: Just before you are ready to serve, add the cooled toasted pecans, most of the pomegranate seeds (save a few for garnish), the thinly sliced red onion, and most of the crumbled feta to the salad bowl with the greens.
6. Dress and Serve: Give the dressing one last shake. Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the salad and gently toss everything together using your hands or salad servers until all the leaves are lightly coated. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with the remaining pomegranate seeds and feta, and serve immediately.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Room Temperature Dressing: For the best emulsion, make sure your olive oil and clementine juice are at room temperature. Cold ingredients don’t combine as easily.
• The Secret Step: I learned that adding the Dijon mustard is crucial. It’s not just for flavour; it acts as an emulsifier, helping to bind the oil and juice together to create a stable, creamy dressing that won’t separate.
• Make-Ahead: You can be very efficient with this recipe. The clementine vinaigrette can be made and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days (just shake well before using). The pecans can be toasted a day or two in advance and stored in an airtight container. Prepare the pomegranate seeds and slice the onion ahead of time too. Then, it’s just a 5-minute assembly job.
• Storage: This salad is best eaten immediately after being dressed. If you have leftovers, it’s best to store the undressed salad components separately in the fridge. The mixed greens will last for a day.

Equipment You’ll Need

• Large salad bowl or platter
• Small frying pan
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Small jar with a tight-fitting lid for the dressing
• Salad servers
• Salad spinner (optional, but very helpful)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Dressing Too Early: The biggest mistake is adding the dressing long before serving. The acid in the vinaigrette will wilt the delicate salad leaves, leaving you with a soggy salad. Always dress it just before it heads to the table.
• Not Tasting the Dressing: Don’t just pour the dressing on! Taste it after you shake it. It might need a little more salt to bring out the flavours, or a touch more maple syrup if your clementines were particularly tart. Adjusting it is key.
• Using Cold Ingredients: Trying to make a vinaigrette with olive oil straight from a cold pantry and juice from a fridge-cold clementine can cause it to separate. Let them sit on the counter for 20 minutes first for a much smoother result.

Delicious Variations to Try

While this recipe is wonderful as it is, it’s also a fantastic base for customisation. Feel free to play around with the ingredients to suit your taste or what you have available.

• Add a Little Spice: For a gentle warmth, add a pinch of dried chilli flakes to the clementine vinaigrette.
• Make it Vegan: This salad is easily made vegan. Simply swap the feta cheese for a good-quality plant-based feta alternative and ensure you are using pure maple syrup.
• Add Some Protein: To turn this festive side into a more substantial main course, ideal for a light Boxing Day lunch, add some shredded leftover turkey. It would also be lovely with some pan-fried halloumi or even a simple grilled Juicy Chicken Recipe.

What to Serve With This Christmas Salad

This salad is designed to complement the rich flavours of a festive meal, providing a much-needed fresh element. It’s far more interesting than a simple green salad and less filling than a heavy side like Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe.

• Roast Meats: It is the perfect partner for a traditional roast turkey, glazed ham, or a rich roast beef, as its acidity helps to cut through the richness.
• Creamy Potato Dishes: Serve it alongside a dauphinoise or scalloped potatoes. The freshness of the salad is a wonderful contrast to the creamy, cheesy potatoes.
• Drink Pairing: A crisp, dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio works beautifully. For a non-alcoholic option, a sparkling elderflower pressé or a cranberry and rosemary spritzer would be wonderfully festive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Christmas Salad

A vibrant and festive salad featuring pomegranate seeds, toasted pecans, and feta, all tossed in a bright clementine vinaigrette. Perfect for holiday gatherings.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Calories: 495

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Salad

• 120 g mixed salad leaves I like a mix of rocket, spinach, and watercress
• 1 large pomegranate seeds only (about 150g of seeds)
• 100 g pecans roughly chopped
• 150 g feta cheese crumbled
• 1 small red onion very thinly sliced

For the Clementine Vinaigrette

• 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 60 ml fresh clementine juice from 2-3 clementines
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

 

1. Toast the Pecans: Place a dry, medium-sized frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped pecans and toast for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently until they are fragrant and slightly darkened in colour. Be sure to watch them closely as they can burn quickly. Once toasted, remove them from the pan immediately and set them aside to cool completely.
2. Prepare the Greens: Gently wash and dry your salad leaves. A salad spinner is excellent for this. Place the dry leaves in a large salad bowl.
3. Slice the Onion: Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, slice the red onion as thinly as you possibly can. Thinner slices will give you a mild onion flavour without overpowering the other ingredients.
4. Make the Vinaigrette: I find that the best way to make a dressing is to combine all the ingredients in a clean jam jar. Add the extra virgin olive oil, fresh clementine juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to the jar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds until the dressing is creamy and well emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
5. Assemble the Salad: Just before you are ready to serve, add the cooled toasted pecans, most of the pomegranate seeds (save a few for garnish), the thinly sliced red onion, and most of the crumbled feta to the salad bowl with the greens.
6. Dress and Serve: Give the dressing one last shake. Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the salad and gently toss everything together using your hands or salad servers until all the leaves are lightly coated. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with the remaining pomegranate seeds and feta, and serve immediately.

Notes

The clementine vinaigrette can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just shake well before using.

I truly hope this beautiful Christmas Salad brings a touch of brightness and elegance to your festive table this year. It’s a recipe I come back to again and again, and one that never fails to get rave reviews. If you make it, I would love to hear how it went for you! Please leave a comment and a rating below.
Happy cooking,
Sara