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.

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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:

• 1/2 cup honey (raw preferred for better texture)
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts
• salt (to taste, generous pinch)
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (raw, unsalted)
• chili flakes (red pepper flakes, adjust to taste)

For the salad:

• 2 avocados (ripe but still firm, sliced just before serving)
• 2 cups pomegranate seeds
• 1.5 cups blue cheese (crumbled, about 6 oz)
• 6 cups salad greens (spring mix or baby lettuce)
• 2 apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, thinly sliced)
• 2 cups endive

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil (extra virgin, mild flavor works best here)
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp fig preserves
• 2 tsp orange zest (finely grated, from unwaxed oranges)
• black pepper
• 3 tbsp orange juice (fresh squeezed preferred)
• 2 tbsp honey
• pinch of kosher salt

Step 1: Prepare the Candied Nuts and Seeds

• 1 1/2 cups walnuts
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
• salt

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

In a bowl, combine the walnuts, pumpkin seeds, honey, chipotle powder, and a generous pinch of salt, mixing until the nuts and seeds are evenly coated with the honey and spices.

Spread the mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through to ensure even toasting.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet—this allows them to crisp up as they cool.

I prefer to let them sit for at least 10 minutes so they become truly crunchy and the flavors deepen.

Step 2: Make the Honey Mustard Dressing

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fig preserves
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 3 tbsp orange juice
• salt
• black pepper

While the nuts toast, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, fig preserves, orange zest, and fresh orange juice in a jar or bowl.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Whisk or shake vigorously until the dressing is well emulsified and the fig preserves are fully incorporated, which helps create a smooth, cohesive sauce.

Set the dressing aside at room temperature until you’re ready to dress the salad.

Step 3: Prepare the Fresh Salad Components

• 6 cups salad greens
• 2 cups endive
• 2 apples

Wash and thoroughly dry your salad greens and endive, then slice the endive into 1-inch pieces and add both to a large salad bowl.

Thinly slice the apples and add them to the bowl as well—I like to slice apples just before assembling to minimize browning, but if you’re concerned about oxidation, you can toss them lightly with a bit of lemon juice.

Have your avocados, blue cheese, and pomegranate seeds ready nearby but don’t add them to the bowl yet, as the avocados will be added last to prevent bruising.

Step 4: Assemble and Dress the Salad

• candied nuts and seeds mixture from Step 1
• 2 cups pomegranate seeds
• 1.5 cups blue cheese
• 2 avocados
• honey mustard dressing from Step 2

Once the candied nuts and seeds from Step 1 have cooled completely, add them to the salad bowl along with the pomegranate seeds and most of the crumbled blue cheese, reserving a small handful for garnish.

Slice the avocados just before adding them to the salad to keep them fresh and prevent browning.

Pour the honey mustard dressing from Step 2 over the salad and gently toss everything together until well coated, being careful not to crush the avocado slices or the delicate greens.

Step 5: Finish and Serve

• reserved blue cheese crumbles
• chili flakes

Transfer the salad to a serving platter or individual plates.

Top with the reserved blue cheese crumbles and finish with a light sprinkle of red chili flakes for a hint of heat and festive color.

Serve immediately while the nuts are still crispy and the greens are cold and fresh.

Pomegranate Christmas Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

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

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Calories 3450 kcal

Ingredients

  

Candied nuts and seeds

• 1/2 cup honey (raw preferred for better texture)
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts
• salt (to taste, generous pinch)
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (raw, unsalted)
• chili flakes (red pepper flakes, adjust to taste)

Salad

• 2 avocados (ripe but still firm, sliced just before serving)
• 2 cups pomegranate seeds
• 1.5 cups blue cheese (crumbled, about 6 oz)
• 6 cups salad greens (spring mix or baby lettuce)
• 2 apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, thinly sliced)
• 2 cups endive

Dressing

• 1/3 cup olive oil (extra virgin, mild flavor works best here)
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp fig preserves
• 2 tsp orange zest (finely grated, from unwaxed oranges)
• black pepper
• 3 tbsp orange juice (fresh squeezed preferred)
• 2 tbsp honey
• pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a bowl, combine the walnuts, pumpkin seeds, honey, chipotle powder, and a generous pinch of salt, mixing until the nuts and seeds are evenly coated with the honey and spices. Spread the mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through to ensure even toasting. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet—this allows them to crisp up as they cool. I prefer to let them sit for at least 10 minutes so they become truly crunchy and the flavors deepen.
• While the nuts toast, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, fig preserves, orange zest, and fresh orange juice in a jar or bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Whisk or shake vigorously until the dressing is well emulsified and the fig preserves are fully incorporated, which helps create a smooth, cohesive sauce. Set the dressing aside at room temperature until you’re ready to dress the salad.
• Wash and thoroughly dry your salad greens and endive, then slice the endive into 1-inch pieces and add both to a large salad bowl. Thinly slice the apples and add them to the bowl as well—I like to slice apples just before assembling to minimize browning, but if you’re concerned about oxidation, you can toss them lightly with a bit of lemon juice. Have your avocados, blue cheese, and pomegranate seeds ready nearby but don’t add them to the bowl yet, as the avocados will be added last to prevent bruising.
• Once the candied nuts and seeds from Step 1 have cooled completely, add them to the salad bowl along with the pomegranate seeds and most of the crumbled blue cheese, reserving a small handful for garnish. Slice the avocados just before adding them to the salad to keep them fresh and prevent browning. Pour the honey mustard dressing from Step 2 over the salad and gently toss everything together until well coated, being careful not to crush the avocado slices or the delicate greens.
• Transfer the salad to a serving platter or individual plates. Top with the reserved blue cheese crumbles and finish with a light sprinkle of red chili flakes for a hint of heat and festive color. Serve immediately while the nuts are still crispy and the greens are cold and fresh.