Juicy Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Growing up, holiday salads at our house always meant the same thing – a bowl of iceberg lettuce with cherry tomatoes and ranch dressing. That’s just how mom did it. When anyone suggested something different, she’d say “why mess with tradition?”

But here’s the thing about traditions – sometimes they need a little update. This Christmas salad combines the fresh crunch I loved as a kid with sweet and tangy flavors that make it special enough for the holiday table. And that honey mustard dressing? It’s so simple to make, you’ll wonder why you ever bought the bottled stuff.

What Kind of Salad Greens Should I Use?

For this festive salad, you’ve got lots of options when it comes to your greens base. A mix of different lettuce varieties will give you the most interesting texture and flavor – think butter lettuce, baby spinach, arugula, or spring mix.

The recipe already includes frisée, which adds a nice peppery crunch, so you might want to balance it with softer, milder greens. Just avoid iceberg lettuce since it doesn’t bring much flavor to the party and can get soggy quickly under the honey mustard dressing.

Make sure to wash your greens well and dry them thoroughly (a salad spinner works great for this) – dry leaves help the dressing stick better instead of pooling at the bottom of your bowl.

Options for Substitutions

This festive salad is super adaptable and you can easily swap ingredients based on what you have:

Dressing ingredients: You can swap apple cider vinegar for the balsamic, maple syrup for the honey, and any fruit jam for the fig jam. No orange? Use lemon zest and juice instead. The mustard adds body to the dressing, but whole grain mustard works too.

Nuts and seeds: Not a fan of walnuts? Try pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts instead. Sunflower seeds work great in place of pumpkin seeds. Just make sure to keep the honey coating step the same for that sweet-spicy crunch.

Greens: Any leafy greens will work here! Try arugula, spinach, or mixed baby greens if you can’t find frisée. Just avoid iceberg lettuce as it’s too watery for this salad.

Fruit: No pomegranate? Try dried cranberries or cherries. For the apples/pears, feel free to use any crisp fruit – even persimmons or fresh figs work well when in season.

Cheese: The cheese is totally flexible – try gorgonzola, manchego, or even white cheddar if you’re not into strong-flavored cheeses. For a dairy-free option, try adding extra avocado.

What to Serve With Christmas Salad?

This festive salad works perfectly as a side dish, but you might want to turn it into a complete meal with some tasty additions.

Try serving it alongside some warm, crusty sourdough bread or a batch of homemade dinner rolls to soak up that honey mustard dressing.

For protein, grilled chicken breast or roasted turkey slices work really well with the sweet and tangy flavors of the salad.

If you’re keeping things vegetarian, a warm quinoa pilaf or roasted butternut squash would make excellent companions to round out the meal.

Just remember to serve the salad right after assembling it to keep those greens crisp and fresh!

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	15 minutes
Total Time	25-30 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2400-2700
• Protein: 40-50 g
• Fat: 200-220 g
• Carbohydrates: 200-230 g

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups walnuts, raw and unsalted
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, unshelled
• 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 6 cups salad greens
• 2 cups frisée leaves
• 1-2 apples or pears, diced
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 2 cups pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup crumbled cheese (blue, feta, or goat cheese)
• 1/3 cup virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic or apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon fig jam
• 2 teaspoons orange peel zest + 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Chili flakes

Step 1: Prepare and Toast the Nuts

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, toss the walnuts and pumpkin seeds with honey or maple syrup, chili powder, and salt until evenly coated.

Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet and place it in the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once during the cooking process, until the nuts are toasted and fragrant.

Once done, remove from the oven and spread the nuts in one layer.

Sprinkle with flaky salt and set aside to cool.

Step 2: Assemble the Salad

In a large salad bowl, combine a generous amount of greens.

Add thinly sliced or chopped apple, diced avocados, and pomegranate seeds to the greens.

Liberally sprinkle the cooled nuts and your choice of cheese over the salad mixture.

Gently toss the salad to ensure even distribution of ingredients.

Step 3: Make the Dressing

For the dressing, take a glass jar and add all dressing ingredients.

Secure the lid tightly and shake the jar vigorously until the ingredients are well combined.

This creates a harmonious mixture ready to coat your salad.

Step 4: Dress and Serve the Salad

Just before serving, drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad.

Gently toss once more to ensure the dressing coats all salad components evenly.

Your delicious, nutty, and fresh salad is now ready to enjoy!