Description
A festive and flavorful Christmas Side Dish Salad featuring crisp Romaine lettuce, peppery baby rocket, sweet dried cranberries, crunchy candied almonds, creamy blue cheese, and fresh apple cubes, all tossed in a tangy honey Dijon dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 8 large lettuce leaves (Romaine)
- 30 g baby rocket
- 60 g dried cranberries
- 60 g candied almonds
- 30 g blue cheese
- 1 apple, cut into cubes
Dressing
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 50 ml olive oil
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Emulsify the dressing: Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuously whisking to create a smooth and emulsified dressing.
- Prepare the salad base: Reserve some of the salad ingredients that are not leaves (such as cranberries, candied almonds, apple cubes, and blue cheese) for garnish.
- Toss the salad: In a large bowl, combine the Romaine lettuce and baby rocket with the remaining salad ingredients and half of the dressing. Gently toss to coat everything evenly.
- Assemble and finish: Transfer the salad to a serving dish, top with the reserved ingredients, and drizzle with the remaining dressing for extra flavor and presentation.
Notes
- For a nut-free version, substitute candied almonds with toasted pumpkin seeds or omit entirely.
- Blue cheese can be replaced with feta or goat cheese if preferred.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor in the dressing.
- Serve immediately to maintain crispness of the lettuce and freshness of the apple cubes.
- This salad pairs well with roasted meats and makes a vibrant holiday side dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
