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
Scale
- 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.