Description
A festive and fresh Christmas Side Dish Salad featuring crisp Romaine, peppery baby rocket, sweet dried cranberries, crunchy candied almonds, tangy blue cheese, and fresh apple cubes, all tossed in a honey-Dijon vinaigrette dressing. Perfect for holiday gatherings to add a bright and flavorful complement to your meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 8 large lettuce leaves (Romaine)
- 30 g baby rocket
- 60 g dried cranberries
- 60 g candied almonds
- 30 g blue cheese
- 1 apple, cut into cubes
Dressing
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 50 ml olive oil
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Use a whisk to mix the Dijon mustard with honey, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until well combined. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing, creating a smooth and well-blended vinaigrette.
- Prepare the salad ingredients: Reserve a small portion of the ingredients that aren't leaves, such as some cranberries, candied almonds, and apple cubes, to use as garnish later.
- Combine the greens: In a large bowl, gently mix the Romaine lettuce leaves with the baby rocket, ensuring the leaves are well distributed throughout the bowl.
- Add salad components and dressing: Add the blue cheese, most of the dried cranberries, candied almonds, and apple cubes to the greens. Drizzle half of the dressing over everything and gently toss to coat the ingredients evenly with the dressing.
- Finish and serve: Transfer the tossed salad to a serving bowl or platter. Top with the reserved cranberries, candied almonds, and apple cubes for added texture and visual appeal. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top before serving.
Notes
- For a nut-free version, substitute candied almonds with roasted pumpkin seeds or omit them entirely.
- Blue cheese can be replaced with feta or goat cheese if preferred for a milder flavor.
- To make this salad vegan, replace honey with maple syrup and use a plant-based cheese alternative or omit cheese.
- Prepare the dressing in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days to save time.
- Serve immediately after dressing to keep the greens crisp and fresh.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
