Holiday Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
Fresh and beautiful, this Christmas Salad impresses with tender greens, mandarins, pomegranate, feta, and nuts. Perfect with any holiday main.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 small shallot optional
- 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges drained (see recipe notes for using fresh oranges)
- 5 ounces baby spinach or mixed greens
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese
- ¼ cup candied walnuts or toasted walnuts, almonds, or pistachios
For the Champagne Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup champagne vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Shallot. Peel and thinly slice one small shallot. Place in a shallow bowl and cover the slices with cold water. Let soak for 10 minutes and then drain.
- Prepare Champagne Vinaigrette. Combine ⅓ cup champagne vinegar, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a small jar. Whisk or shake to combine.
- Toast Nuts (If not Using Candied Nuts) Place untoasted whole nuts in dry skillet and and toast over medium-low heat for 2-4 minutes, tossing regularly. Remove from skillet and let cool and then chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble Salad. Toss baby spinach or mixed greens with ¼ cup of the prepared dressing in a large serving bowl or platter. Top with drained mandarin oranges, prepared shallot slices, pomegranate arils, nuts, and crumbled feta cheese. Serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side.
Notes
Mixed Greens: Any tender mixed greens. baby spinach, or combination of baby greens, work well.
Champagne Vinegar: If you do not have champagne vinegar, use white wine vinegar in its place.
Use Fresh Oranges: Cut the top and bottom off 2 seedless navel oranges. Carefully cut between a segment and the membrane to the center or the orange, give it a gentle twist to remove the segment.
Swap dried cranberries for the pomegranate arils. Adds a similar texture and sweet-tart flavor.
Using a Whole Pomegranate: Cut the top off the fruit. Lightly score the red exterior into 6 to 8 sections (think orange wedges), but don't cut through the flesh. Fill a large bowl with water and and pull the scored pomegranate apart under the water. Gently rub the seeds free, and let soak for a couple minutes. The white parts will float, the arils will sink. Simply skim off the floating pieces and then drain to save those arils.
This holiday salad is best assembled immediately before serving. However, some of the components can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance.
- Make the champagne vinaigrette and store in the refrigerator. Let the dressing come to room temperature and then shake well before dressing the greens.
- Toast or candy the nuts. Once cool, chop and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- If needed, wash and dry the spinach or mixed greens and store in an airtight container lined with paper towels in the refrigerator.
- If needed, remove pomegranate arils from a whole pomegranate and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Thinly slice the shallot and place in a small airtight container or jar. Cover with water and store in the refrigerator. Drain right before assembling the salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 274mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3382IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg
