Delight your holiday guests with this stunning, red, white and green, Christmas wreath salad for dinner. This easy and quick recipe offers a refreshing salad in the shape of a wreath so your guests can serve themselves while they admire your artistic flair.
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A Festive & Delicious Holiday Salad
Resembling a traditional Christmas wreath with greens as the base, the pecans represent the pine cones, the pomegranate seeds the lights and the goat cheese appears to look like snow.
A reddish-orange pomegranate vinaigrette adds a dash of red and contrasts with the green salad, completing the Christmas look. Serve this salad on a holiday plate for an extra festive touch.
When you serve dinner on Christmas Eve, main courses such as juicy roasted chicken or hearty bison chuck roast need light, refreshing courses on the side and this salad is just that.
Start with this Christmas salad made from fruit, nuts, lettuce and cheese that whets your guests' appetites without making them full before the main event. Plus, a vegetable dish gives your guests a little nutrition before they move on to other courses.
You can check out more of my holiday recipes for your Christmas menu here.
Ingredients
- pomegranates - you will need pomegranate juice for the vinaigrette and pomegranate seeds for the salad
- sugar - to sweeten the vinaigrette (can substitute with honey or agave nectar if desired)
- canola oil - for the vinaigrette
- lemon and orange juice - for the vinaigrette (freshly squeezed)
- mixed salad greens - can be a mix of baby lettuces, Swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, spinach etc.
- goat cheese - crumbled
- toasted pecans - for some nuttiness and crunch
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
How to Make a Christmas Wreath Salad
It only takes about 10 minutes to whip up this elegant holiday salad. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Whisk. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pomegranate juice, orange juice, lemon juice and sugar.
Step 2: Drizzle. Slowly drizzle the canola oil into the mixture while constantly whisking so that it combines well. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
Step 3: Assemble. On a large serving plate, place a small circular serving dish in the middle (it will hold the vinaigrette). Scatter the mixed greens around the small serving dish in the shape of a wreath.
Step 4: Add Toppings. Top the greens evenly with the crumbled goat cheese, toasted pecans and pomegranate seeds.
Chef's Note: Depending on the size of your serving plate, you may have to adjust the topping amounts slightly.
Step 6: Serve. Pour the vinaigrette into the small serving dish in the center of the Christmas wreath salad. Serve!
Serving Suggestions
- You could drizzle the vinaigrette over the Christmas dinner salad, but placing it in a serving dish helps the salad hold its "wreath" shape and prevents the lettuce from getting soggy.
- The vinaigrette holds up well in the fridge so you can use it for leftover salads and other dishes.
- If you have vegetarian guests coming over, this dish allows them to take part in the festivities. Remove the cheese to the side to provide a dish for vegans.
- Serve it with these Christmas-inspired main dishes: beef tenderloin with bourbon mushroom sauce or skillet pork tenderloin with white wine sauce.
- As for drinks, this pomegranate mojito mocktail complements the salad nicely. This Brandy Alexander drink combines the sweetness of chocolate liqueur with fresh cream in a martini glass, creating a comforting, winter holiday drink.
Make Ahead Tips
- For the Christmas wreath salad: Although this salad is easy to assemble in a pinch, the individual salad ingredients can be prepped a day in advance--throw it together before your guests arrive (without the vinaigrette), then stick it in the fridge until you're ready to eat. Cover the salad with plastic or place it in a container to preserve the freshness.
- For the vinaigrette: The Christmas salad dressing can be made in advance as it stores in the fridge for up to one to two weeks. Make sure to shake it well before pouring it into the serving dish.
More Holiday Recipes to Consider
If you tried this Christmas Wreath Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Christmas Wreath Salad
Ingredients
For the Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- ½ cup pomegranate juice
- 2 tablespoons orange juice - freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed--or to taste
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- salt and pepper - to taste
For the Salad
- 6 cups mixed salad greens
- ¾ cup goat cheese - crumbled
- ½ cup pecans - toasted
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
For the Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pomegranate juice, orange juice, lemon juice and sugar.
- Slowly drizzle the canola oil into the mixture while constantly whisking so that it combines well. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
To Assemble the Salad
- On a large serving plate, place a small circular serving dish in the middle (it will hold the vinaigrette). Scatter the mixed greens around the small serving dish in the shape of a wreath.
- Top the greens evenly with the crumbled goat cheese, toasted pecans and pomegranate seeds.
- Pour the vinaigrette into the small serving dish in the center. Serve!
Notes
- Nutrition information does not include the vinaigrette. Each tablespoon has approximately 60 calories and 5 grams fat.
- Depending on the size of your serving plate, you may have to adjust the topping amounts slightly.
- The vinaigrette can be made in advance as it stores in the fridge for up to one to two weeks. Make sure to shake it well before pouring it into the serving dish.
- If you have vegetarian guests coming over, this dish allows them to take part in the festivities. Remove the cheese to the side to provide a dish for vegans.
- Although this salad is easy to assemble in a pinch, the individual salad ingredients can be prepped a day in advance--throw it together before your guests arrive (without the vinaigrette), then stick it in the fridge until you're ready to eat. Cover the salad with plastic or place it in a container to preserve the freshness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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