Holiday Salad with Balsamic Dressing

This beautiful holiday salad is garnished with pomegranate rinds, mandarin oranges, feta cheese, candied nuts and the most delicious dressing ever.

I love having sumptuous salads in my holiday recipe repertoire.

The perfect end to any holiday meal – it looks good and tastes fresh!

holiday salad ingredients

This salad uses both mixed salad greens and romaine in its base. I like the weight and crunch that romaine gives to tender salad greens.

Delicious salad accompaniment When cute!

• pomegranate arils (can be subbed with dried cranberries or cherries)
• crumbled feta cheese (you can put another favorite cheese in the sub, such as shaved parmesan cheese)
• mandarin oranges (I use canned oranges, drained and patted dry – can be subbed to fresh mandarin oranges, segmented)
• candied pecans or walnuts (can be served with sliced ​​almonds)

As you can see, this salad is very adaptable, based on the season you make it and your taste preferences. But the way the salad looks in the post is my favorite way to enjoy it! We love tangy feta, sweet and spicy pecans, juicy oranges, and sour pomegranate arils. very good.

About Candied Pecan Nuts

My favorite recipe to use for candied pecans is this oven-baked recipe.The pecans turn out perfect every time. It’s easy and simple for everyone! Omit the cinnamon and add a dash of cayenne pepper for a sweet, spicy kick.

The skillet version of this romaine salad recipe is also good if you’re looking for an easier recipe.

Either way, pecan nuts can be made weeks in advance and stored in a tightly covered container.

balsamic salad dressing

The dressing for this holiday salad is simple and delicious.

Mel’s Tips: The dressing recipe uses light-colored vinegar! A thick balsamic vinegar overwhelms the flavor of the salad.

My preference is to use white balsamic. Fruit-Flavored White Balsamic also fits! You can also use white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.

This salad is not heavily dressed. The dressing is light and refreshing, and even a little goes a long way!

Rave reviews for this holiday salad

My kids love this salad. I recently made it for dinner with grilled chicken on the side, and my 17-year-old son was scraping every last bit of salad out of the serving bowl after the third helping.

Some of us may have challenged him to get the last dregs for ourselves, but he was a wrestler in high school and in case you didn’t know…Life Lesson #187 State that you I never have Disturb a high school wrestler and his food during high school wrestling season.

This holiday salad is incredibly quick to make (you can make the candied pecans and dressing a week in advance).

I hope you like it.

1 year ago: Pumpkin Rosemary Dinner Roll
Two years ago: Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes and Buttery Parmesan Crumbs {Make-Ahead!}
3 years ago: Pressure Cooker Lasagna Soup {+ Stovetop Cooking Instructions}
four years ago: Delicious cranberry pair crumble
5 years ago: Buttery Flaky Make-Ahead Overnight Crescent Dinner Roll {No Kneading/No Stand Mixer}
6 years ago: Skillet Honey Garlic Chicken {20 minute meal}
7 years ago: Apple and Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potato Casserole
8 years ago: Warm Russian Tea
9 years ago: Smokey corn chowder
10 years ago: Whole Wheat Blender Pancake

Holiday salad with balsamic dressing

yield: 6 -8 servings

Preparation time: twenty five minutes

total time: twenty five minutes

salad:

• 6 ounce (3-4 cups) mixed salad greens
• 6 ounce (3-4 cups) romaine chopped
• 2 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained and patted dry (see note)
• 1/2 to 1 cup crushed feta cheese (see note)
• 1/2 to 1 cup pomegranate arils (dried cranberries or cherries can be sub-dried)
• ½ to 1 cup candied pecans or walnuts (see note)

dressing:

• ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar, white or red wine vinegar (see note)
• ¼ cup Olive oil
• 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ¼ tea spoon salt

• Lightly mix all salad ingredients in a bowl (be sure to dry the tangerines well).

• Mix the salad dressing ingredients well.

• Drizzle salad dressing over salad and toss to combine.

mandarin orange: Instead of canned tangerines, you can slice 2-3 small fresh tangerines for salad.
Feta cheese: Buying crumbled feta from blocks and already crumbled feta is a game changer. It’s creamier than the world and so delicious (most grocery stores have it in their specialty cheese section).
Candy Pecan: My favorite recipe to use for candied pecans is this oven baked recipe. Easier than the skillet recipe. Omit the cinnamon and add a dash of cayenne pepper for a sweet and spicy kick. Pecan nuts can be made several weeks in advance and stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
Vinegar: My preference for salad dressing is a light colored vinegar like white balsamic or white wine vinegar (I also used fruit flavored white balsamic with great results!). increase.

Serving: 1 serving, calorie: 183kcal, carbohydrate: 14g, protein: 3g, thick: 14g, saturated fat: 3g, cholesterol: 8mg, sodium: 212mg, fiber: 2g, sugar: Teng

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