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 zesty honey Dijon lime dressing. Perfect for holiday gatherings or as a 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. Add more lime juice to taste.
- Assemble the salad: Arrange the salad in individual bowls for presentation. Add spinach to each bowl and top with dried cranberries, mandarin orange segments, crumbled goat cheese, toasted pecan halves (some chopped finely), and pomegranate arils.
- Dress the salad: Drizzle the salad dressing over each individual salad bowl.
- Alternative tossing method: Alternatively, combine spinach, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, and goat cheese in a large serving bowl. Add the dressing and toss to combine thoroughly. Then top the salad with toasted pecan halves and pomegranate arils before serving.
Notes
- To toast pecans, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Fresh pomegranate arils can be substituted with more dried cranberries if unavailable, though it will alter the texture and flavor.
- If lime juice is unavailable, fresh lemon juice can be used as a substitute for the dressing.
- The salad can be prepared ahead of time by storing dressing separately and adding just before serving to keep spinach fresh and crisp.
- For a nut-free option, omit pecans and substitute with roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 8 mg
