This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Bright, fresh, sweet and delicious: this elegant Christmas Salad includes juicy clementine oranges, pomegranate, sweet candied pecans, and feta cheese with fresh spring greens all wrapped in the best honey mustard dressing. The best salad for Christmas dinner!
Now that we’re in the season of tasty sweets like Christmas Crack, Rolo Pretzels and Christmas Puppy Chow, it might be hard to find a way to work salad in… until today. I’m sharing this delicious ‘n easy Christmas Salad recipe that tastes just as good as those goodies, but happens to work in some fresh green magic!
The Best Easy Christmas Salad Recipe
You’ll absolutely love this Christmas pomegranate salad recipe! It’s sweet, tangy, fresh—and bursting with fruit. In this holiday salad recipe, you’ll find great balance with sweet ‘n tangy oranges and pomegranates, savory feta cheese, and delicious honey mustard dressing, all topped with crunchy candied pecans. And it pair perfectly with my easy Creamy Chicken Dijon Recipe.
Christmas Salad Ingredients
- Homemade honey mustard dressing – my from-scratch recipe for the perfect dressing to deliciously coat and complement this Christmas Eve Salad!
- Mixed Greens – spring mix is best since it has a delightful combination of mild greens like baby lettuce and spinach as well as peppery/lightly bitter arugula which pairs well with the sweet fruits & nuts in this Christmas salad.
- Mandarin Oranges – peel the oranges and separate into segments for the salad.
- Pomegrante – it’s super easy to buy a store-bought, ready-to-use cup of pomengrate arils (the kernels), but you can do it yourself if you’d like the exercise. 😉
- Nuts – I highly recommend using candied nuts like candied walnuts and candied pecans, the sweetness and crunch really pop in this salad.
- Cheese – Feta cheese is best, but you can use a crumbly one like blue cheese
How to Make Christmas Salad
It takes just 3 steps to make this Christmas Salad with fruit that’s packed fulled of juicy, fresh oranges and pomegranate, tangy cheese, fresh greens, crunchy nuts, and a beautiful dressing.
First, make a batch of honey mustard dressing. Refrigerate until needed. I recently shared this recipe and absolutely love using it on everything. It goes really well with this salad!
Second, create a foundation of mixed greens like spring mix into the base of your salad bowl. Top with mandarin oranges, pomegranate arils, feta cheese, and candied nuts such as candied pecans or candied walnuts.
Third, pour salad dressing over the Christmas salad and gently toss to combine. That’s it!
Looking for more? Try this sweet Snickers Salad Recipe, this beautiful 7 Layer Salad, and these party-ready Caprese Skewers. Or, for more nutty goodness, check out my Buttery Snowball Cookies with Walnuts or Pecans.
What Dressing Should I Use to Make This Christmas Pomegranate Salad?
The most amazing salad dressing for the Christmas Salad is this honey mustard dressing. The sweet, tart, tanginess of honey and mustard complement the sweet ‘n tart flavors of this salad. Highly recommend!
Christmas Salad Ideas for Variations
- Fruits: Swap mandarin oranges and pomegranate for pineapples or sliced apples and dried cranberries for a sweet twist in this Christmas green salad.
- Nuts: I love using candied pecans or candied walnuts for this recipe, but you can use anything you’d like, or even a combo with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
- Cheese: swap feta cheese with shaved parmesan, cotija cheese or blue cheese.
- Greens: Spring mix is best for this salad recipe, but you can try massaged kale (so it’s not too tough in texture), spinach, and more.
- Dressing: I highly recommend trying this Christmas Spinach Salad at least once with my homemade honey mustard dressing, however you can switch things up with another sweet dressing like lemon poppyseed dressing or asian salad dressing.
Happy Holidays!
Thank you for sharing in the seasons’ cheer, recipe-making, and festivities with us! For more delicious recipe ideas, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. If you’ve tried this recipe, take a pic and tag us on Instagram using #beamingbaker. We can’t wait to see it!
Sending you all my love and maybe even a Christmas dove, xo Demeter ❤️ 🎄
More Salad Recipes!
Christmas Salad
Ingredients
- 1 batch Honey Mustard Dressing, or 8-10 tablespoons store-bought
- 6 cups mixed greens, packed (but not enough to dent your veggies) – Spring is a good choice
- 1 cup mandarin or clementine orange segments, about 3-4 oranges
- 1 cup pomegranate arils or ½ cup dried cranberries
- 2/3 cup glazed or candied nuts — try candied pecans, candied walnuts, etc.
- ½ cup feta cheese
Instructions
- Make one batch of honey mustard dressing. Refrigerate until needed.
- In a large salad bowl, add greens, then top with oranges, pomegranates, nuts, and cheese.
- Pour dressing over Christmas salad. Gently toss to combine. Enjoy!
- ★ Last Step: If you made this recipe, leave a comment and review. It truly helps our small business keep running and it helps readers like you!
This was a huge hit at our Christmas dinner party! The recipe was so easy to follow, and everyone absolutely loved it. Thank you!
Woohoo! That’s so wonderful to hear, Ahmad. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
This was such a hit at our Christmas dinner party! Thanks for such an easy to follow recipe. Everyone really loved it!
Oh, I’m so happy to hear it, Nora! 😊 Glad I could be a part of your holiday celebrations.