Description
A festive and vibrant Christmas Salad featuring fresh baby spinach, toasted pecans, tangy dried cranberries, juicy mandarin oranges, creamy goat cheese, and pomegranate arils, all tossed in a zesty honey-lime Dijon dressing. Perfect for holiday gatherings or a refreshing side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 large lime, juiced freshly
Salad Ingredients
- 6 oz baby spinach
- 1 cup pecan halves, toasted, some finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 3 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
- 1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils or more
Instructions
- Make the salad dressing: Combine the extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, and freshly squeezed lime juice in a mason jar or small bowl. Whisk vigorously with a fork until the mixture is well emulsified and smooth. Adjust with more lime juice to taste if desired.
- Arrange the salad: For individual servings, place baby spinach evenly into salad bowls. Top each with dried cranberries, mandarin orange segments, crumbled goat cheese, toasted pecan halves (reserving some finely chopped for topping), and pomegranate arils.
- Dress the salad: Drizzle the salad dressing evenly over each arranged salad bowl just before serving to keep the greens fresh and crisp.
- Optional assembly alternative: In a large serving bowl, combine baby spinach, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, and goat cheese. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to combine. Finally, sprinkle toasted pecan halves (some finely chopped) and pomegranate arils on top for added texture and presentation.
Notes
- Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned to enhance their flavor.
- For a vegan version, substitute the honey with maple syrup and the goat cheese with a plant-based cheese alternative.
- Use fresh lime juice rather than bottled for the best bright and tangy flavor.
- Prepare the salad dressing ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 2 days to allow flavors to meld.
- Gently toss the salad after dressing to avoid bruising the delicate spinach leaves if using the combined method.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 7 mg
