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This Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing is my go-to “house” salad. I make it on repeat all winter long, but especially over the holidays. Mixed greens, avocado, juicy pomegranates, sweet and spicy maple-roasted walnuts, and plenty of crumbled cheese. All tossed together with a delicious honey mustard dressing. It’s simple to put together, healthy, and pairs perfectly with just about any meal. You’ll never tire of this beautiful winter salad.
You all, I really was torn on just what recipe to share today. It’s the Friday before Christmas Eve and I was stumped on what everyone might be looking for the most. Yet another appetizer? A holiday side dish? Something sweet to snack on?
I had plenty of ideas, but in the end, my mom and I decided on my Christmas salad. This is the salad I make almost nightly over the next 2 weeks. It’s never made the exact same way twice, but the base is almost always the same.
Plenty of fresh greens, avocado, pomegranate arils, and a really delicious dressing.
Throughout the winter months, dinners get especially cozy, which means vegetables are not usually the main focus. It’s always nice when we have people in town to prepare a simple salad for everyone’s plate.
It’s something they can easily take or leave. But I’m not going to lie, the salad almost always disappears by the end of dinner.
We love a side of garlic bread, but we also love a good side salad too! This salad really has been my staple for years. I can make it in just minutes and everyone will always enjoy it as long as there are greens, avocado, and cheese.
We’re big avocado people…and even bigger cheese people.
Details
I always start off my salads with nuts and seeds. Usually, I’ll make more than the salad will require so I can have extra on hand.
My favorite combination is walnuts, pumpkin seeds, maple, smoked paprika, and chili powder. That spicy, sweet, salty, flavor is one that everyone really enjoys.
They add crunchiness and a really nice spicy, smoky flavor to the salad.
For the salad itself, I almost always do a mix of spring greens with arugula or Frisée. I can’t always find Frisée, so that’s when I’ll use arugula.
Then apples, because I always have them. Avocado because my family can’t do a salad with them. And pomegranates, because I personally think they’re one of the best additions to a green salad you can use.
And that’s it, just add the cheese. I love to use a crumbled blue, but will also use goat cheese and or feta. Our favorite is blue cheese, then goat, then feta. Use what you and your family love most though.
Finally, the honey mustard dressing. It’s a tangy, creamy, honey mustard with dijon, balsamic, or sometimes I’ll switch it up and use apple cider vinegar. I always add honey, fig preserves, and chili flakes.
Add a bit of orange zest + juice for tang. You can use lemon too. But I love using orange in the winter.
And that completes my Christmas Salad. As I mentioned, it kind of changes nightly, but this is my favorite “variation”. And I think it’s my family’s too.
It’s simple, but full of just the right amount of sweet and tangy flavors, perfect!
Looking for other winter salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Winter Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
Super Green Sun-Dried Tomato Herb Salad
Citrus Avocado Salad with Orange Tahini Vinaigrette
Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas
Lastly, if you make this Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 511 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw walnuts
- 1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup honey or maple
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 2 cups Frisée
- 1-2 apples or pears, chopped
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 2 cups pomegranate arils
- 1 cup crumbled blue cheese, feta, or goat cheese
Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic or apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon fig preserves
- 2 teaspoons orange zest + 2 tablespoons orange juice
- kosher salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the walnuts and pumpkin seeds with the honey/maple syrup, chili powder, and salt. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once throughout cooking, until the walnuts are toasted. Remove from the oven and spread the walnuts in one layer. Sprinkle with flaky salt.2. Add the greens to a large salad bowl. Add the apple, avocados, and pomegranate. Sprinkle on the cheese and nuts. Gently toss the salad.3. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Enjoy!
Delicious! Served Feta on the side. Served with Christmas Dinner.
Hi! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Hope you have a wonderful New Year! 🙂 xT
Made it for Christmas Eve and it is my new favorite and I will forever make it every Christmas ❤️🎄.
Hi! Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! xT
Not sure what happened when I made this but the lettuce was completely soggy and wet before I added any dressing. Should I have dried the pomegranate seeds ?
Fabulous!
Thank you so much Steph! xT
It’s really easy to burn the nuts. (I did) 15 minutes is too long. Keep a close eye on them!
I will cut the balsamic back a little too, it overpowered the other flavors in the dressing.
375 for 15 minutes is waaaaay to long. I burned the nuts. Try 350 for 7-10 minutes and watch carefully
Hi Connie! Thank you for this input, I really appreciate it! xT
Hi,
Can I use just the red chilesltm powder if I can’t find chipotle?
How much smoked paprika do you use? I didn’t see that listed under the ingredients.
Thank you!
This salad is delicious and colorful! Everyone asked for the recipe.
Thank you so much Lisa! Love to hear that! xT
Could I make the nuts ahead of time (day before) or will the texture change?
I’ve made them days in advance and kept them in the fridge!
Hi Chelsea! Yes, you can definitely make the nuts ahead of time! xT
Wonder if apple butter would work as a replacement for fig preserves?
I can’t find those.
Hi Erin! Yes you can definitely use apple butter as a sub for fig deserves! xT
This salad is amazing! I’ve brought it to 2 parties, and everyone wants the recipe. Couldn’t find pomegranate seeds or fig jam, but substituted fresh raspberries and raspberry preserves, and it was fabulous. The nut topping is ESSENTIAL and addictive.
Thanks so much for trying out the recipe! Have a wonderful holiday season! xT
My boss’s wife made this salad for the company Christmas dinner tonight. It was fantastic!
Couldn’t wait to get home and find the recipe. Thank you!
Thank you so much Susan! So glad you loved this salad! xT
Hi! I will be attempting this salad this weekend and traveling a bit with it. Can I make the dressing and nut mixture ahead of time! Thanks!
Hey Sarah! Yes you can definitely make the dressing and the nuts ahead of time and then just assemble to serve! 🙂 xT
Made this last night, exactly as written, except I had to sub raspberry preserves since we didn’t have fig preserves. AMAZING combination of flavors and textures! Highly recommend trying this. It’s a new family favorite 👍🏼.
Thank you sooo much for giving this recipe a try! Have an awesome week 🙂 xT
How much smoked paprika do you typically use? I didn’t see that listed in the ingredient measurements.
Thanks!
Is there another cheese you recommend besides bleu cheese?
Hey Amanda,
Goat cheese would also be a great option! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Would almonds be a good substitute for walnuts for allergy purposes?
Hi Lindsey,
Sure, almonds would be great to use! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it turns out well for you! xT
This salad was delicious for a large Christmas gathering. Everyone enjoyed it. I added some thinly sliced fennel bulb as well.
Thank you so much Annalisa! xT