Winter Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts + Balsamic Fig Dressing (+ a big giveaway!).
Well this is different.
I have salad today…not cookies…and I am excited about it!! This is the good kind of salad guys, meaning not boring in any which way. And maybe most exciting of all?? Christmas is coming early for one of you!
YEAH!
First, let me just tell you about this winter salad.
Don’t you just love how pretty it is? Who could not want to eat these colors? My favorite.
Best part is that this is the simplest salad. It’s contains only a few key ingredients. Candied walnuts, pomegranates, cranberries, goat cheese and an incredible balsamic fig dressing that is quickly becoming my new go to dressing for all salads. It’s so good. AND it’s also healthy. Perfect way to balance all these Christmas sweets don’t cha think?
Also, I am just realizing this now, but over the last couple of days, and in the days to come, I have been – and will be, showing all my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day eats. I hope my family is getting excited because all the recipes you are seeing, I will be remaking once everyone gets here. Plus a meatloaf or two because my oldest brother is slightly obsessed with meatloaf.
This salad will be at Christmas dinner without a doubt. The colors alone make it beyond perfect for the table, but the flavors and textures make it the perfect side salad for our Christmas feast.
Cannot wait.
Ok, so that’s the salad. Let’s talk about this giveaway. I am teaming up with my very favorite Italian brand, DeLallo, to give one of you an awesome Christmas gift this year. Honestly, I want all these things, so I am thinking, you will love them too.
The giveaway is inspired by the DeLallo Fresh Salad Savors, which I used for this easy salad. They’re perfect for healthy eating in the new year.
Here is what the giveaway includes:
Oil and Vinegar Set from West Elm- Seriously? How cute are these. They would go perfect in my new kitchen. Jealous of whoever gets these!
Cascade Day Planner from Minted- Seeing as the New Year is getting closer and closer, this planner will be perfect to help you all get organized. I know I sure could use a little organization in my life.
Open Kitchen Wood Salad Bowl from Williams-Sonoma – So pretty. Love this!
Stainless Steel Salad Servers from Williams-Sonoma – To go along with the bowl!
Chambray Apron from Food 52 – Totally want and NEED this.
Shoucg a good giveaway, right? Just follow the instructions in the rafflecopter box below to enter (you may have to click through to my website if you are reading this via a subscription).
Winter Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts + Balsamic Fig Dressing (+ a BIG GIVEAWAY).
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: winter
This is the simplest salad. It's contains only a few key ingredients. It's so good. AND it's also healthy.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw walnuts
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups mixed greens I used baby kale and spinach
- 2 cups arugula
- arils from one pomegranate
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Balsamic Fig Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fig preserves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the walnuts with the maple syrup, cinnamon, crushed red pepper and salt. Bake for 15-25 minutes, stirring 2-3 time throughout cooking until the walnuts are toasted and golden. Remove from the oven and spread the walnuts in one layer. Allow to cool.
2. Add the greens to a large salad bowl. Add the pomegranate arils, cranberries, and walnuts. Gently toss the salad. Add the goat cheese.
3. To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fig preserves and salt until combined. Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Enjoy!
Ok, but now that we ate salad, can we have double the cookies? I think so.
This looks so tasty. I love love love pomegranates in salad!
Looks amazing! I have the biggest obsession with balsamic fig anything, especially when combined with goats cheese, walnuts and cranberries! I bet pecans would be mega in this as well, plus some sweet potato if you wanted to bulk it out a bit. Love the look of the giveaway, what a great selection.
Yum, this salad looks amazing (and definitely not boring) Tieghan! Pinned!
Aaaah, why is it showing my name in such a weird way? The mystery of the interwebs!
This looks lovey. I tend to forget about salads in winter and go for soup, but some days I really need a change. This looks so good: a perfect balance of sweet, salty and tangy and so beautiful to top it off!
a must for my holiday parties
Your salad looks so good. Lots of color and interest. Enjoy the time with your family.
MMMMmmmm! This looks so good and I can’t get over that dressing!
Not only a beautiful salad but a super easy recipe.
This week in my CSA box I had arugula, mixed greens, a pomegranate and walnuts….so this is the perfect salad to put together with ingredients I have on hand……can’t wai to try it!
Hm, the rafflecopter doesn’t say what kind of comment to make unless I totally misread something which I probably did at 5:50 a.m. But I will say the apron? Seriously cute! The pictures of the salad? Beautiful!
I absolutely love candied walnuts. Definitely making this one!
You are amazing and I will be making this salad!!!
You mentioned this once before and I searched for it locally and I’m glad I did not only for the toppings but also the pastas–they’re so good.
We eat a lot of salads Christmas week so we can enjoy all the goodies.
Have a good Sunday.
Love a great salad when company comes. Looks delish!
This salad looks amazing. Thanks for the giveaway
yum! this looks totally delicious. and that apron! oh my gosh.
Mmmmm…. You had me at candied walnuts! Can’t wait to try this salad.
Beautiful salad. I’m sure it tastes even better than it looks!
Holy awesome! Love the salad and love the giveaway!!
Looks delicious! I actually crave salads along with all the holiday indulgences. It balances things out, tight? Thanks for giveaway.!
The salad and giveaway look fab!
Omg, I’m drooling. Looks amazing
This is perfect, and will definitely be on our Christmas table! I love your usual over-the-top recipes, but it’s always good to have a reminder of balance at this time of the year. Thank you!!
I made almost this exact salad for Thanksgiving – it was a hit!
I just bought my first pomegranate the other day. I sat it next to a big salad last night so people could get what they wanted. Thanks for a chance to win.
Great salad idea. Love making my own salad dressing. So this could be one to add to my recipe box!
This salad looks so good. I love anything with pomegranates!
Lovely flavors and lovely things!
The salad looks delicious!
I could totally eat this year-round. Love. love all the ingredients!
This looks great! I think it will be making an appearance at our Christmas table also!
The colors of this winter salad warmed me the moment I saw it. The dressing is amazing and the addition of the walnuts, pomegranate seeds, cranberries and goat cheese are so bright…I love the salad kits…so easy after a long day at work!
Made this with French Onion soup and bread I’d made over the weekend and froze and thawed…this will be on my menu often…..and the baby kale was perfect! Thanks for the inspiration Tieghan.
Love that salad dressing! Going to make it tonight! And thst serving bowl is to die for, love that it is paired with stainlss tongs
Oh my goodness… that salad is absolutely beautiful and I’m loving pomegranate lately!
Such a yummy salad- love the nuts and pomegranates! Thanks for the chance to win!
Beautiful salad!
A great salad and a lovely giveaway. Thanks for the chance to win.
This looks tasty!
The colours on that salad are beautiful, and I bet the flavours are insane!!
I am seriously loving the colors of this salad. What an awesome giveaway, too!
What a great giveaway! And the salad looks wonderful!
Looks great! Pomegranates have become one of my favorite salad toppers!
Thanks for all you share and for a nice giveaway
I just bought some fig-balsamic vinegar… now I know what I’m making tonight!
You’re right – the colors alone make this perfect for the Christmas table. Delicious!
Tieghan, this salad is gorgeous and I love that balsamic! The winner of the giveaway will need to feature this salad pronto in their new gear! I’d love to make this winter salad for Christmas dinner.
We have arugula and pomegranates growing in the back yard waiting for this salad. I’ve already candied pecans from our 3 pecan trees in the back, and have fig preserves I made (my husband, thankfully, likes to grow things). I love ALL your recipes, and this will be on my table tonight!
Gorgeous salad! I love poms!
This looks similar to a salad I made all the time, although the addition of fig is genius! And I’m slowly becoming a goat cheese fan, so I will be making this very soon!
I’ve been looking for more winter salad recipes. I’ll be making this one for sure!
Ummm this makes me want salad for breakfast.
Pomegrates, goat cheese & candied walnuts??? Looks fantastic!
Looks awesome! Will definitely be trying this!
Looks amazing! Easy is the best this time of year. Thanks!
This looks wonderful. The photos are beautiful.
I agree with you – this salad is lovely. Last year my local grocer sold containers of pomegranate seeds but I haven’t seen them yet this year. I’m making this salad for Christmas dinner. Thanks for the giveaway – it looks fabulous.
The fig preserves in the dressing sounds amazing. Very beautiful presentation!
Yum! Salad dressing looks amazing!!
This looks delicious! I love goat cheese and walnuts in a salad 🙂
Yum!
I love that wooden salad bowl! And everything else!
Love Love Love all your recipes! This salad will definitely be on my holiday menu.
My mouth is watering just looking at the photos. I love a proper salad!
the salad looks really yummy and i love the giveaway prizes you picked out!
Looks like the perfect Christmas salad
This salad does look almost as good as a Christmas cookie!
This is an awesome giveaway opportunity! Thank you! I am in love with that wood salad bowl! 🙂
the salad looks awesome! you had me at candied walnuts 🙂
what a yummy sounding salad!
Thanks for the mouthwatering salad and the fantastic giveaway!
Yummmmmm. I am a salad fanatic and this looks awesome. Loving the goat cheese 🙂
I love poms!!
Tieghen this salad looks gorgeous and a big THANK YOU for hosting this amazing giveaway!! Hoping to win!
A total Christmas eve salad!!!
That salad looks delicious!
Looks beautiful! So obsessed with pomegranates this year.
Yum! The salad looks great!
Tieghan, you have done it again! My family sees a Beautiful dish that taste’s amazing on our table and says, ” Half Baked Harvest?”… My response.. YES!
Nuts and goat cheese , yummy ! Pretty ,too.
I need a salad right now after all these Christmas cookies I’ve been scarfing down all month! And this one looks delicious!
This looks so festive and delicious.
This looks AMAZING!
I’ve been looking for a new salad recipe for Christmas dinner… this looks perfect!
Looks delish! I’m a little intimidated by pomegranates but I’m inspired to give this a try!
I love everything balsamic! That dressing looks incredible.
This looks incredible!! Definitely making this sometime this week!
I am obsessed with goat cheese-this salad looks divine!
Looks so pretty and good!
Looks scrumptious as always, and the giveaway is the best! Fingers crossed…
This salad is made of all my favorite things! Never thought to use fig preserves, I’m always crying when it isn’t fig season! This sounds delicious.
Gorgeous!
You’re writing and photography are inspiring, your recipes beautiful, healthy and attainable!
Looks great! I’m always looking for new salad ideas.
Yum! I have always loved this combination of flavors, this is very similar to the type my grandma used to make all the time! I love your blog by the way, I decided about a year ago at 15 to make dinner every night for my family, and after discovering your blog a couple of weeks ago I went a whole week and half where I only cooked dinners using your recipes! 🙂
Looks delish – your pics are always so colorful!
The salad looks so good and seems perfect against the heavier holiday foods!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Omg I NEED that salad bowl!
I love salads and this one looks delicious!
I love your blog and recipes. You really have a gift for combining unique ingredients and flavors. Thanks for sharing your talent with us….you are a blessing.
This salad looks so delicious + festive–perfect for the holidays! <3 I definitely need to try this out!
I love pomegranate in winter salad! And I am totally crazy for your dressing spoon. 🙂
Trish
Such a pretty salad! Fresh, light and festive, a perfect addition to any holiday table!
Lovely salad. I bet that candied walnuts add such an awesome texture to this salad. Yumm!
So happy you posted a salad today! I have been craving salad, but unsure of what to make! This is definitely going on my grocery list 🙂
This is my kind of salad. I absolutely love all the flavors mixed in here and the seasonally-fresh pomegranates!
This looks really good, love figs all year round, and I bet i have some preserves in my fridge. Honestly though, your food always looks good.
I love colorful food! This salad looks delicious!
That salad looks so delicious I’m salivating. Great winter salad.
I LOVE your idea to add maple candied walnuts to this salad. I bet those taste awesome!
I love the idea of Salad Savors – would be so easy to prep for lunches! Also, in love with the salad bowl and servers!
This salad looks delicious!
Packaged toppings? Cool!
Enjoy looking at your photography and trying out your recipies. You have a good mix of foods and tastes.
This will be on our Christmas dinner table, for sure. Looks so fresh and delicious.
This looks so delicious. I’m thinking if I eat this for dinner it will cancel out eating that Crazy Delicious Dessert you posted yesterday, I can’t stop thinking about it!
I’ve never owned a apron, but seriously need one. & Luv the wood bowl.
I love this Salad!! Anything with Walnuts, Pomegranate & Goat Cheese…count me in…thanks for the recipe!
Looks great! I love pomegranates, and I can’t wait to make it
This is totally my favorite kind of salad. Beautiful too.
Definitley making this for Christmas!!
I guess I need to get over my fear of cutting open a pomegranate! It looks delish.
This salad looks so festive! It will definitely be showing up at our holiday dinner as well!
This salad looks delicious, I love the colors!
I love pomegranate. This salad looks delicious. Thanks for the giveaway!
You had me at candied walnuts…
that looks delicious! love pomegranates!
Awesome giveaway! I would love to win!! 🙂
Such a delicious salad!
This salad looks fantastic! Thanks for the giveaway.
Always so impressive! Looks amazing!
I make a similar salad and love it! Will definitely try the dressing, sounds delicious! I just use boring vinaigrette! Pinned!
Whoa, this salad was made for me! It has all of my favorite flavors, plus it’s so festive-looking; perfect for a holiday meal!
This salad looks really delicious. I am definitely going to try. Thanks for this beautiful recipe and for the great give away.
A beautiful salad!
Like all your other recipes, this one looks delicious too!
Definitely am going to try this salad! looks amazing!
This salad looks delicious
This salad looks delicious!
The second I saw the picture, I knew this was going on my “to-make” list for an easy meal next semester. Thanks so much for a yummy dinner/lunch idea!
Sounds like a delicious combination!
This salad looks very Christmasy and delicious.
The salad sounds like a delicious combination and love the giveaway!
I’d love this!
Amazing looking salad and giveaway!
This looks amazing, like all your recipes! This will be a great salad for my family’s Christmas Eve dinner!
What a coincidence this crops up after I decide to have a week of creative salad dinners!
Perfect for a vegetarian and makes the pomegranate totally worth the work!!
This is the prettiest salad and I love the balsamic dressing, so good!
That is one gorgeous salad. Balsamic Fig dressing sounds delish. A must try on the top of my list
I love the simplicity but the amazing flavors at the same time… especially the dressing!!!
Note to self: find fig preserves. Quick.
Yum. These are my fave kind of salads!
This salad looks amazing! Full of some of my favorite ingredients!
This salad looks delicious and BEAUTIFUL! Also, gives me a great idea on a new salad dressing I want to try making.
I love everything and anything with pomegranate so thanks for the new salad idea!!
Very festive! I’ll definitely be making this soon.
Looks delicious! Definitely want this on the table for Christmas dinner.
This looks absolutely delicious! And easy – perfect for a go to salad!
My favorite type of winter salad!!
Oh, Tieghan, that bowl is beautiful…I love it!! Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
I love how pretty this salad is, some of my favorite winter flavors. Serving it out of that bowl at Christmas would be amazing!
this salad looks unbelievably delicious!
Such a fun giveaway – thanks Tieghan!! And love, LOVE this salad — absolute beauty!!
This looks divine! I love winter salads like this.
Gorgeous winter salad – looks so yum!
Tigehan, your salad is gorgeous! What a fun way to stay healthy even in these chilly winter months.
def going to make this…looks amazing. !
Your salad is so lovely. I’ve become obsessed by those pomegranate pips and have just given in and bought them already freed from the skins in the little salad boxes. This is not because it is that hard to break apart a pomegranate, but because I really, really like them and want them to keep being sold in the store. What does that make me I wonder?
******************
{in the contest I am Margot Core on the Rafflecopter}
I would like this and hope i have the chance to try
Looks yummy!!
This is my kind of salad, we love balsamic vinegar so much, that we don’t have any other dressings in our fridge ( store-bought). And I’ve been obsessed with pomegranate since i tried your salad with pumpking and pomegrante dressing ( have been making it every week for the last month!), so definitely making this!
This looks incredible!
Mmm this looks like my kind of salad!
Oh my goodness this looks delicious! I’ve lost 30 pounds this year and if this salad can keep me away from sweets I might just have a chance of keeping it all off this holiday season!
This looks absolutely stunning! I love your site!
This salad looks so good! My mom and I are always looking to try out new salads… this will have to be served at my birthday brunch in January, for sure :).
This looks stunning! I love simple salads!
I love this salad, and thank you for the giveaway.
Would love to see more recipes like this on the blog! The sweets and treats are great, but I’m more likely to take to the interwebz in search of entrees and creative, healthy side dishes.
What a great giveaway!
This salad looks great, but I’m also super excited to see your decadent Christmas recipes too 🙂
The perfect winter flavors. Totally recommending this to my family for Christmas dinner!!
Yum–that salad looks fab!
What a lovely looking salad for the holidays. I am going to add it to my meal plan.
Your blog has quickly become one of my favorites! Would love to win a give-away! I just pinned the Prime Rip, it’s like you were reading my mind.
Oh yum! Looks so Christmas-sy. Great photos as usual!
Sooo excited for this recipe! Goat cheese my absolute fave!
I am in love with that bowl. It is so gorgeous! I love to have wood serving pieces as accents.
I don’t know if there is anything I love more than candied walnuts!? This salad looks amazing!
This salad looks delicious! I love how obsessed you are with pomegranate 🙂
Your photography just keeps getting better and better. I seem to be craving salad lately, and want to dive right in here. It looks like layers of jewels with the candied walnuts and the pomegranate seeds. Thanks!
Definitely going to make this and add chicken- instant healthy dinner! Yum!
This salad look SO good and festive! May add this to the menu this week along with that coffee rubbed roast you posted today!
Hej, i just wanted to say that i will make you the deal– will give apron to you if i win 🙂 Joking.. but wanted to say that the box that enables you to enter additional entries disappeared after i left a comment.. would so share this on Facebook.
This looks amazing!
I think my mom would love this salad!
This salad looks amazing! All those colours, it definitely shouts “Christmas”!
I love salad kits for the holidays, so yummy and easy!
this salad is so pretty! and it sounds delicious 🙂
Oh my! This salad looks so delicious! I think I just found what I am making for our Christmas potluck at work!
Looks delicious!
I am definitely making this salad!
Yummy!
I think I just made my Christmas dinner menu. 🙂 Your prime rib and this salad!
Oh my gosh! Another reason to buy fig jam. Thank you! Looks amazing.
Totally making it this week 🙂 Might add some chicken (mustard marinated? herb roasted?) to make it more meal-like. Great recipe idea, Tieghan!
We love to make and prepare foods , this would be great and all of the items will definitely be used . Love all of the items I must say.
Maple candied walnuts are my fave!
this looks amazing! pinned it to include in my holiday meal making
This looks so delicious! I’m always on the lookout for new salad recipes
This salad looks incredible. I love love love the addition of maple candied walnuts.
Incredible photos as always..
Whoa… this salad.
Yummy!
This salad looks like the perfect way to wash down some cookies! 🙂
This recipe looks amazing as per usual! My girlfriend will love it 🙂
What a gorgeous salad! Excited to try out the dressing with the fig preserves currently in my fridge.
This looks so yummy. I wish I could find DeLallo in stores near me.
The salad looks absolutely delicious!
This is a beautiful winter salad. Love all the flavors going on.
Such a pretty salad!
Can I just say that I love your blog..I come here at least once a week and maybe more to check for updates. Always such delicious food that I find myself trying at home as well!
brilliant dressing! thx for the chance
Yummy!
What a delicious idea!!! 🙂
Salad looks fantastic
This salad looks amazing. I need more salad and less cookies in my life right now… at least for one day.
Perfect for our Christmas party on Friday!
This is such a festive salad! Perfect for a holiday dinner party : )
Such a pretty salad! I can’t wait to try the dressing.
Such a pretty salad! The dressing looks so good.
What a delicious salad! Fig and goat cheese is always a winner
Love your recipes. Huge follower of you on Pinterest. This salad looks amazing!
The Christmas gathering is at my home tomorrow, all day, this will be the HIT of the meal
I am making this salad tonight! 😀
Looks delicious!!
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
I LOVE fancy salads. This one is going to be a must-try! Looks delicious!
Those are the perfect colors for a Christmas salad!
Am making this for Christmas Dinner for the fam! It’s beautiful and delicious sounding
This looks so good! Adding to my Christmas dinner recipe list now 🙂
Everything I love in one salad. Gimme please and thanks. You are so great, I feel like we should hang. mmmmk? 🙂 Have a great Christmas!
This salad looks amazing, especially with the fig dressing, yum!
What a visually stunning salad! I love the textures and flavors…I could almost taste it. Definitely going to save this to my favorites to make soon.
Gorgeous salad, great give away!
A beautiful combination of ingredients! I should eat more lentils,
this salad would be a great way to add them to my diet.
You should be a part of a contest for one of the best websites online.
I most certainly will highly recommend this
web site!
Awe! THANK YOU!
I made this for lunch today and, to make it more substantial, I marinated chicken breasts in some extra dressing and roasted them, before shredding them. It worked really well. The candied walnuts are awesome!
Would love to be added to your email list.
Hey Melinda! I just added you! You should have a confirmation email in your inbox now. Let me know if you have any problems! Happy Holidays! 🙂
Made tonight for holiday gathering without using those salad packs as I had ingredients on hand. Added 1/2 tsp Dijon with tarragon for a little bite, skipped cheese for allergy reasons and it was AWESOME! I’m planning to eat it with grilled chicken for dinner tomorrow. Thank you for sharing!
So happy you loved it! Merry Christmas! 🙂
AMAZING is the word I have for this salad. I was checking out new recipes for Christmas Dinner 2015 and came upon your website. We’re not big salad eaters here, but thought the “extras” would entice. Not only did they entice, the salad was devoured and has been requested since. 10 out of 10 – we’d do it again 😉 Who knew home-made dressing could be so delicious, yet so easy? Thank you, Tieghan!!
YEAHHH!! This is awesome, so happy the salad was a hit! THANKS! 🙂
Fig preserves? Do you mean fig jam?
Either or will work great. Hope you love this salad!
I made this salad this weekend for a dinner party, was a huge success!!! Going to another party in 2 weeks, will bring it there as well! Def a keeper!
SO happy it was a hit!! Thanks Vickie!
This was a fantastic salad! I just made last night for Christmas dinner and got rave reviews! I used a baby kale mix and arugula which worked well. The walnuts are DELICIOUS – I left about a handful out just to have as snack. A MUST TRY RECIPE
Made this salad 3 times within two weeks because it’s so delicious. It was also a huge success at a baby shower. Thank you so much for sharing it with us! Greetings from Germany.
Awh yay! So happy it was a hit!! Thank you Anja!
I made this last weekend for a party. Absolutely delicious! I used a thick aged balsamic that I had on hand. Everyone loved it!
Sounds amazing! I am so glad yo and your guests love this! Thank you Leslie!
What’s the serving amount on this recipe please?
This will serve about 6. Hope you love the salad!
The recipe says “or 2 walnuts”…. I am assuming that should read: “or 2 CUPS of walnuts??
Please advise.
Judy Lynch
jaslyn@comcast.net
So sorry, yes it is 2 cups walnuts. Recipe is all fixed. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s 🎄 🙂
I added some cubed honey crisp apple and a good salad got even better. Delicious.
Thank you so much Janet!