Pomegranate Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

If you ask me, a good Christmas salad is the perfect break from all those heavy holiday dishes.

This festive side brings together crisp winter greens and seasonal touches that make your holiday table feel special. The honey mustard dressing adds a sweet and tangy kick that balances out all the rich foods.

It’s loaded with crunchy nuts and dried cranberries that give every bite some texture. Fresh herbs and a mix of greens help cut through the heaviness of turkey and stuffing.

It’s an easy dish that adds some freshness to your holiday spread, and honestly, your guests will thank you for it.

What Kind of Mixed Greens Should I Use?

For this Christmas salad, you can use any bagged mixed greens from the grocery store, or create your own blend with whatever looks fresh. A spring mix or baby greens blend works great since they have a mild flavor that won’t compete with all the other ingredients. If you want something with a bit more bite, try adding some arugula or baby spinach to your mix. The key is to choose greens that are crisp and fresh – avoid anything that looks wilted or has dark spots, as those won’t hold up well under the weight of all those toppings and dressing.

Options for Substitutions

This festive salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps – here are some easy substitutions:

• Walnuts and pumpkin seeds: Feel free to use pecans, almonds, or sunflower seeds instead. You can even mix and match whatever nuts and seeds you have on hand.
• Frisée: If you can’t find frisée, arugula, endive, or even more mixed greens work perfectly fine. The goal is just to add some texture variety to your salad base.
• Pomegranate arils: Dried cranberries, fresh cranberries, or even sliced grapes make great substitutes. If using dried fruit, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes to plump them up.
• Blue cheese, feta, or goat cheese: Any creamy cheese works here – try ricotta, fresh mozzarella, or even skip the cheese entirely for a dairy-free version.
• Fig preserves: Apricot jam, orange marmalade, or even a touch of maple syrup can replace the fig preserves in the dressing.
• Apple cider vinegar: White wine vinegar or regular white vinegar work just as well. You might want to add a pinch of sugar if using plain white vinegar to balance the acidity.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making this festive salad is adding the dressing too early, which causes the delicate greens to wilt and turn soggy – always dress the salad right before serving to keep everything crisp and fresh.

Another common error is not properly toasting the walnuts and pumpkin seeds, so make sure to watch them closely in the oven since they can go from golden to burnt in just a minute or two.

To prevent your avocados from browning, slice them at the very last moment and give them a quick squeeze of lemon juice if you need to prep them ahead of time.

Finally, don’t overdress the salad – start with half the dressing and add more as needed, since you can always add more but you can’t take it away once those greens are coated.

What to Serve With Christmas Salad?

This festive salad is pretty hearty on its own with all those nuts, cheese, and avocado, but it pairs beautifully with roasted chicken or turkey – especially during the holidays. I love serving it alongside a simple roasted pork tenderloin or even grilled salmon for a lighter option. The sweet and tangy flavors in the salad also work great with crusty dinner rolls or garlic bread if you want something to round out the meal. Since it’s already packed with so many flavors and textures, you really don’t need much else to make it a complete and satisfying dinner.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This salad is best enjoyed fresh, but you can prep the components ahead of time. Store the candied walnuts and pumpkin seeds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Keep the honey mustard dressing in the fridge for up to 5 days – just give it a good shake before using.

Prep Ahead: You can wash and dry your greens up to 2 days ahead and store them in the fridge wrapped in paper towels. The pomegranate arils will keep in the fridge for about 3 days, and you can crumble your cheese a day or two in advance too.

Assemble: Wait to slice your apples, pears, and avocados until right before serving to prevent browning. If you need to prep them ahead, toss the fruit with a little lemon juice and store in the fridge for just a few hours. Once dressed, this salad should be eaten right away since the greens will wilt.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3300-3600
• Protein: 50-65 g
• Fat: 240-270 g
• Carbohydrates: 270-320 g

Ingredients

For the candied nuts and seeds:

• 1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves
• 1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup honey or pure maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
• Kosher salt
• Chili flakes, to taste

For the salad:

• 6 cups assorted salad greens
• 2 cups curly endive (frisée)
• 1 to 2 apples or pears, chopped
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 2 cups pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup crumbled cheese (blue, goat, or feta)

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fig preserves
• 2 tsp grated orange zest
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• Freshly ground black pepper

Step 1: Candy and Toast the Nuts and Seeds

• 1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves
• 1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup honey or pure maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
• kosher salt
• chili flakes, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, toss the raw walnut halves and hulled pumpkin seeds with the honey or pure maple syrup, chipotle powder, a generous pinch of kosher salt, and chili flakes to taste.

Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the nuts and seeds are fragrant and toasted.

Remove from the oven, spread out in a single layer, and sprinkle immediately with flaky salt.

Allow to cool completely.

Step 2: Assemble the Salad

• 6 cups assorted salad greens
• 2 cups curly endive (frisée)
• 1 to 2 apples or pears, chopped
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 2 cups pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup crumbled cheese (blue, goat, or feta)
• candied walnuts and pumpkin seeds from Step 1

Place the assorted salad greens and curly endive (frisée) in a large salad bowl.

Add the chopped apples or pears, sliced avocados, and pomegranate seeds.

Sprinkle the crumbled cheese over the top.

Add the cooled candied walnuts and pumpkin seeds from Step 1.

Gently toss the salad to combine all the ingredients.

I like to layer the ingredients for a prettier presentation before tossing.

Step 3: Make the Orange Balsamic Dressing

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fig preserves
• 2 tsp grated orange zest
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

In a glass jar or small bowl, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic or apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, fig preserves, grated orange zest, orange juice, a generous pinch of kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Seal the jar and shake vigorously until the dressing is smooth and emulsified, or whisk well if using a bowl.

For a little extra brightness, I sometimes add a touch more orange zest.

Step 4: Dress and Serve the Salad

Just before serving, drizzle the prepared orange balsamic dressing over the tossed salad from Step 2.

Gently toss everything together so the greens and toppings are evenly coated.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Pomegranate Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Delicious Pomegranate Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 3450 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the candied nuts and seeds:

• 1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves
• 1/2 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup honey or pure maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
• kosher salt
• chili flakes, to taste

For the salad:

• 6 cups assorted salad greens
• 2 cups curly endive (frisée)
• 1 to 2 apples or pears, chopped
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 2 cups pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup crumbled cheese (blue, goat, or feta)

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fig preserves
• 2 tsp grated orange zest
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, toss the raw walnut halves and hulled pumpkin seeds with the honey or pure maple syrup, chipotle powder, a generous pinch of kosher salt, and chili flakes to taste. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the nuts and seeds are fragrant and toasted. Remove from the oven, spread out in a single layer, and sprinkle immediately with flaky salt. Allow to cool completely.
• Place the assorted salad greens and curly endive (frisée) in a large salad bowl. Add the chopped apples or pears, sliced avocados, and pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle the crumbled cheese over the top. Add the cooled candied walnuts and pumpkin seeds from Step 1. Gently toss the salad to combine all the ingredients. I like to layer the ingredients for a prettier presentation before tossing.
• In a glass jar or small bowl, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic or apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, fig preserves, grated orange zest, orange juice, a generous pinch of kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Seal the jar and shake vigorously until the dressing is smooth and emulsified, or whisk well if using a bowl. For a little extra brightness, I sometimes add a touch more orange zest.
• Just before serving, drizzle the prepared orange balsamic dressing over the tossed salad from Step 2. Gently toss everything together so the greens and toppings are evenly coated. Serve immediately and enjoy!