Description
A festive and refreshing Christmas Salad featuring baby spinach, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, goat cheese, and pomegranate arils, all tossed in a tangy honey lime Dijon mustard dressing. Perfect for holiday gatherings or a light, vibrant side dish.
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 flavor by adding more lime juice to taste.
- Assemble individual salads: Arrange the salad in individual bowls for presentation. Add baby spinach to each bowl, then top evenly with dried cranberries, mandarin orange segments, crumbled goat cheese, toasted pecan halves (some chopped finely), and pomegranate arils. Drizzle with the salad dressing.
- Alternatively, toss salad: In a large serving bowl, combine baby spinach, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, and goat cheese. Add the salad dressing and toss gently to combine. Top with toasted pecan halves (some chopped) and pomegranate arils before serving.
Notes
- To toast pecans, simply heat them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Use fresh lime juice for the best flavor in the dressing; bottled lime juice can alter the taste.
- If you prefer a vegan version, substitute the goat cheese with a plant-based cheese alternative or omit it altogether.
- Dried cranberries can be replaced with dried cherries or raisins based on your preference.
- Pomegranate arils can be added generously for extra color and flavor.
- Salad can be assembled shortly before serving to keep spinach fresh and crisp.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 7 mg
