Description
A festive and refreshing Christmas Salad featuring baby spinach, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, goat cheese, and pomegranate arils, dressed with a tangy honey Dijon lime dressing. Perfect as a vibrant side or light meal during the holiday season.
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 of them 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 with more lime juice to taste for preferred acidity.
- Assemble the salad: Arrange baby spinach evenly into individual serving bowls for a nice presentation. Top each with dried cranberries, mandarin orange segments, crumbled goat cheese, and pecans (reserving some for garnish).
- Dress the salad: Drizzle the prepared salad dressing over each bowl just before serving to keep greens fresh and crisp.
- Optional toss method: Alternatively, combine all salad ingredients except pecans and pomegranate arils in a large serving bowl, add the dressing, and gently toss to combine. Then top the salad with toasted pecan halves and pomegranate arils for added crunch and color.
Notes
- Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant to enhance their flavor.
- Use fresh lime juice for the best bright and tangy dressing.
- You can substitute goat cheese with feta cheese for a similar creamy texture.
- To make this recipe vegan, replace honey with maple syrup and omit goat cheese or use a vegan cheese alternative.
- Prepare salad dressing up to 1 day in advance and store in the refrigerator; whisk again before using.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
