Description
A festive and vibrant Christmas Salad featuring baby spinach, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, goat cheese, and pomegranate arils, all tossed in a tangy honey-lime Dijon mustard dressing. This refreshing salad is perfect for holiday gatherings or as a light, colorful side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Dressing
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 large lime juice freshly squeezed
Salad Ingredients
- 6 oz baby spinach
- 1 cup pecan halves toasted, some chopped finely
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 3 mandarin oranges peeled and segmented
- ⅓ cup goat cheese crumbled
- ⅓ cup pomegranate arils or more
Instructions
- Make Salad Dressing: Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Whisk well with a fork until emulsified. Adjust the lime juice to your taste to balance the acidity and sweetness.
- Assemble Salad: Arrange spinach evenly into individual bowls. Distribute dried cranberries, mandarin orange segments, and crumbled goat cheese over the spinach. Drizzle each salad with the prepared dressing.
- Add Nuts and Pomegranate: Top each salad with toasted pecan halves—some chopped finely for texture—and sprinkle with pomegranate arils to add a burst of color and flavor.
- Alternative Tossed Method: Alternatively, combine spinach, dried cranberries, mandarins, and goat cheese in a large serving bowl. Toss gently with the dressing. Then, sprinkle toasted pecans and pomegranate arils on top before serving for a mixed presentation.
Notes
- Toast pecans lightly in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant to enhance their flavor.
- Adjust the sweetness by varying the amount of honey in the dressing to suit your preference.
- For a vegan option, omit the goat cheese or substitute with a plant-based cheese alternative.
- The salad is best served fresh but can be prepared up to 1 hour in advance and refrigerated; add dressing just before serving to keep the spinach crisp.
- Use fresh, ripe mandarins for the juiciest and sweetest segments; clementines or tangerines are good substitutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 8 mg
