A Festive Salad to Freshen Up Christmas Dinner🎄
To me, there is nothing more special than sitting around the Christmas dinner table with my family and a beautiful holiday spread. It’s one of the things I look forward to most this magical time of year. ✨
Since classic Christmas menus often center around rich and indulgent main dishes, like a cheesy Christmas Lasagna or a juicy Garlic and Herb Prime Rib, I always love bringing a touch of freshness to the table.
That’s exactly where this veggie-loaded Christmas Pomegranate Salad enters the equation.
This texture-loaded holiday salad delivers on all that and more thanks to 4 festive components:
- A base of delicate hand-shaved Brussels sprouts and peppery arugula
- Crunchy, candied nuts roasted with warm holiday spices and pancetta for extra wow-factor
- The cutest bejeweled goat cheese balls (ahem, “ornaments” 🥲) coated in juicy pops of pomegranate seeds
- A generous drizzle of tangy-sweet maple mustard vinaigrette
This Christmas salad recipe is pure JOY and everyone will ooh and ahh over its festive presentation. But the way the fresh flavors balance out dinner is really what this stunning side salad is all about. Consider it your gift to everyone this year! 🎁
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Buy Now → How to Make the Best Christmas Salad: 4 Key Components
This easy recipe uses many of seasonal ingredients – like warm spices, toasted nuts, and pomegranate – to a hearty Christmas salad consisting of 4 holiday-themed components.
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
Delicate Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Tender Arugula
After testing this recipe with a few different greens, I landed on using a blend of tender, peppery arugula and hearty shaved brussels sprouts. The contrasting textures are so delicious!
While store-bought bags of pre-shredded brussels sprouts are convenient, I highly recommend shaving them yourself when you’re prepping a brussels sprouts salad. Hand-shaving creates a super delicate, light, and fluttery texture that feels extra elegant.
How to shave raw brussels sprouts? ⇢ It is easy to shave whole raw brussels sprouts using a knife or a mandolin. A knife allows you to thinly slice fine pieces but the mandolin creates an even thinner, delicate shave. Just be sure to trim off the tough root end before prepping!
Make It Ahead!
Feel free to prep your shaved brussels sprouts up to 1 week ahead of your Christmas dinner. They store beautifully in the fridge! Check the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance.
Zingy Mustard Vinaigrette
I went through a few iterations of homemade vinaigrettes that could stand up to the heartiness of this Christmas salad with pomegranate. I didn’t want it to be too sweet but needed a flavor that popped – tangy mustard was the answer!
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
To make this simple salad dressing, just whisk together all the ingredients – olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, maple syrup, and garlic – until the mixture is smooth and emulsified. Easy!
Make It Ahead!
This zingy mustard vinaigrette keeps well for up to 1 week. The dressing may separate and solidify as it sits in the fridge, but a good shake smooths it right out – check the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance!
Salty-Sweet and Crunchy Pancetta Spiced Nuts
These are not your average candied nuts! Inspired by my popular Spiced Candied Nuts with Bacon, these toasty nuts are rich, salty, sweet, and spiced, and they add the perfect crunch to this Christmas salad recipe.
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
Roasting walnuts and pecans with salty pancetta creates especially rich and savory flavor, which is balanced by the littlest bit of pure maple syrup for sweetness, a dash of cayenne pepper for heat, and warm spices for holiday flare. I like to use pumpkin spice here, since it’s an easy shortcut made with classic baking spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
To toast the spiced nuts, combine everything on a baking sheet and let the oven do the rest of the work – easy! They’re perfect after about 10 minutes, when the pancetta is crisp and the nuts are candied with the sticky-sweet coating.
Make It Ahead!
Toasted spiced nuts will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. I highly suggest prepping a double batch – they’re a great holiday snack and an even better hostess gift!
The Cutest Fruity Christmas Salad “Ornaments”
It makes perfect sense to make a Christmas salad with pomegranate since the fruit comes into season just in time for the holidays. While pomegranate arils are gorgeous as-is, I am obsessed with bejeweling them around goat cheese “ornaments” 🤩. It’s a sparkly, super-festive finishing touch that makes this salad scream Christmas!
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
Inspired by our fan favorite Savory Goat Cheese Truffles, making these edible ornaments is as easy as rolling balls of goat cheese in pomegranate arils for a pop of fruitiness and a beautiful, bejeweled look.
A few tips and tricks…
Use whatever kind of goat cheese you love. I like using plain goat cheese to ensure the juicy-sweet flavor of the pomegranate seeds shine, but herbed or honey goat cheese work well too!
It’s much easier to shape the goat cheese when it’s cold! Pull it from the fridge, then use your hands to roll the cheese into small balls.
It’s easiest to bejewel your goat cheese by rolling each ball into handful of pomegranate arils. You may need to press down a little bit to help everything adhere, but the pomegranate seeds should stick to the soft cheese, coating it in beautiful red “jewels.”
Make It Ahead!
Feel free to shape the pomegranate goat cheese ornaments up to 2 days in advance. Keep them in the fridge until it’s time to decorate the tree – erm, I mean salad. 😉
Serving Suggestions
Assembly. ⇢ Once you’ve prepped all of the components, assembling an elegant Christmas pomegranate salad is as easy as tossing them all together. Simply layer the greens in a serving bowl, toss with mustard vinaigrette, then top with crunchy nuts and goat cheese ornaments. So simple, but it’s such a fun side dish for Christmas!
Serving Suggestions. ⇢ This salad is the perfect fresh balance to any decadent holiday dinner entrée. If you’re still planning your Christmas menu, be sure to check out these popular PWWB recipes:
- Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- Individual Beef Wellington
- Citrus and Maple Glazed Ham
- Lemon Herb Roasted Turkey
- Salmon en Croute
I can’t wait for you to try this Christmas Salad with Pomegranate Goat Cheese “Ornaments” and Spiced Nuts! It’s such a festive side and brings a welcomed bit of freshness to any holiday dinner table. Everyone will be obsessed!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
Print
Christmas Salad with Bejeweled Pomegrante Goat Cheese “Ornaments” and Pancetta Candied Nuts
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: serves 6-8 1x
- Category: Entree Salads & Bowls, Side Dish Recipes
- Method: Roasted, No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Since classic Christmas menus often center around decadent main dishes, I always love bringing a touch of freshness to the holiday dinner table in the form of an especially festive salad. This Christmas Salad recipe is my personal favorite!
This texture-loaded holiday salad consists of 4 easy-to-prepare components:
- Greens. I’m partial to a combination of hearty Brussels sprouts and peppery arugula, but feel free to use whatever greens you love.
- Homemade maple Dijon vinaigrette, for the perfect tangy-sweet zing.
- Spiced candied nuts roasted with pancetta for extra crunchy-crispy pops of flavor.
- Goat cheese “ornaments” bejeweled in juicy pops of pomegranate seeds.
Like any over-the-top salad, there’s a bit of prep involved in getting all of the components ready, but this recipe is very make ahead friendly. Be sure to check out the blog post, above, for meal prep tips. ♡ Merry Christmas!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces finely shaved brussels sprouts (approx. 3 heaping cups)
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- ½ lemon, juiced
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- maple dijon vinaigrette (below)
- candied pancetta spiced nuts (below)
- bejeweled pomegrante goat cheese “ornaments” (below)
for the candied pancetta spiced nuts:
- 4 ounces diced pancetta
- ½ cup chopped walnuts and/or pecans
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- optional: pinch cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
for the bejeweled pomegranate goat cheese ornaments:
- 4 ounces cold goat cheese
- 1 ½ cups pomegranate arils (about 1 large pomegranate fruit, see Recipe Notes)
for the maple dijon vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Prepare the candied pancetta spiced nuts: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up. Place the pancetta and chopped nuts on the baking sheet. Drizzle maple syrup over top and season with pumpkin pie spice, (cayenne pepper (if using), heaping ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Toss to combine well. Spread the mixture into an even layer.
- Toast the candied pancetta spiced nuts: Once preheated, transfer the spiced nuts to the oven. Toast 5 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir the nut mixture well. Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes longer, until the nuts are toasted and the pancetta is crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for salad assembly or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prepare the bejeweled pomegranate goat cheese ornaments: Meanwhile, as the nuts toast, prepare the bejeweled goat cheese balls. Divide the goat cheese into 16 pieces, rolling each portion into a small ball. Place a heaping tablespoon of pomegranate arils in the palm of your hand, place one goat cheese ball in the middle, and use your hand to gently squeeze the pomegranates into the cheese. Repeat with remaining goat cheese balls. Set aside for salad assembly or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prep the maple dijon vinaigrette: Add all listed ingredients to a small bowl or jar. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Whisk or shake to combine well. Set aside or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Christmas salad assembly: Place the shredded brussels sprouts and arugula in a large bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over top and season with a good pinch of salt. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of the maple dijon vinaigrette over top. Toss to combine well. Top with the candied pancetta spiced nuts and bejeweled pomegranate goat cheese ornaments. Serve immediately, drizzled with maple dijon vinaigrette as desired. Merry Christmas!
Notes
- Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Shaved brussels sprouts: I highly suggest buying whole brussels sprouts and shaving them by hand for this salad recipe. Trim off the root end, remove and discard any tough outer leaves, then very thinly slice into fine pieces. Alternatively, you can use a mandolin to very finely shave the trimmed brussels sprouts – just be sure to use the guard that came with the mandoline to keep your fingers away from the sharp blade.
- How to de-seed a pomegranate: As convenient as it can be to buy pre-seeded pomegranates at the store, learning to seed a pomegranate yourself is easy and much more cost-effective. Buy a whole pomegranate and slice it in half, exposing the beautiful seeds on the inside. Then prepare a bowl of cool water. Submerge the pomegranate in the bowl of water and use your hands to delicately pop the seeds loose from the peel and inner membrane. De-seeding a pomegranate this way helps prevent fruity splatter as you work! The seeds will also sink to the bottom, making it easier to collect them later.
- Easy recipe variations for dietary restrictions: For a vegetarian Christmas Salad, omit the pancetta and toss the nuts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil instead.
- Portions: As written, this recipe yields a large salad, suitable for feeding 2-3 as a main dish (perhaps with another add-in) or 6-8 as a side dish. To feed a larger crowd at a fall dinner party or Christmas celebration, feel free to double or triple as needed.
- Storage & Make-Ahead:
- Storage: While best enjoyed fresh, Christmas Salad leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Enjoy leftovers cold or at room temperature.
- Make-ahead instructions: This Christmas salad is best enjoyed shortly after assembly. If you’d like to make it further ahead of time, for meal prep or party prep, I suggest prepping the components in advance. Shred the brussels sprouts, prep the candied nuts, make the goat cheese “ornaments,” and prep the maple Dijon vinaigrette. Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. At dinnertime, simply toss together as directed in Step 5, above.
Recipe and Food Styling by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by Rachel Cook, Half Acre House.
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This salad was gorgeous and mainly very easy to put together on such a busy day. The “bejeweled” ornaments were such a creative and lovely aspect to such a yummy and unique salad base. I did accidentally put them in the fridge before compiling it and wish I hadn’t, as they were a bit too firm to easily break apart upon initially digging in.
Thanks so much for the inspo, Jess!
P.S. Our pecan/pancetta mix took twice the time in the oven ( likely just the difference in ovens).
Hi Laura! So glad you loved this salad and thank you for sharing your experience, we’re so glad you loved it as much as we do & it was a festive addition to your Christmas dinner!
Merry Christmas Jess!! I truly don’t know how you perfectly balance all of your recipes but especially your salads!! They always have the exact right acid to sweet, creamy to crunchy, flavorful in every bite and so much depth to those flavors while also being very simple to create!!!! Thank you we loved this dish!!
Merry Christmas to you too, Brittany! I am SO glad you loved this salad as much as we do. I agree, the balance in flavor and texture is spot on. 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. xoxo!