I love me a good bowl of healthy vegetables and just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean you can’t still have a good salad! This easy Winter Salad is full of fresh apples, pears, red onion, pomegranate seeds and all of the ingredients are seasonally friendly to winter making it super fresh. We top it off with an orange cinnamon fig dressing for the ultimate bowl of winter salad goodness.
Winter Salad Recipe
What is a winter salad? It’s a salad that features seasonally available produce found in the winter time. This winter salad recipe has an arugula and spinach base. It features apples, pears, pomegranate seeds, chopped dates, bacon, red onion, and shredded parmesan cheese. The flavors make for a tangy, salty and sweet combination your guests love!
Ingredients & Prep: Winter Salad
This is a pretty easy recipe to prep! All of these ingredients are pretty easy to find in the colder months. I’ll also give some substitution ideas below. You can really customize this to make it your own.
- Salad Base: I like spinach and arugula. Arugula has a peppery taste that goes so well with the sweet fruits of this salad.
- Apples: I like to chop them in large slices for a rustic feel.
- Pears: Again, large slices. I’ve used canned pears in this recipe as well and they’re also delicious!
- Pomegranate Seeds: You can buy a whole pomegranate, or just the seeds. Here’s a tutorial on how to slice if you go the whole pomegranate route!
- Dates: I loved the sweet addition of chopped dates in this salad. You could also use dried figs, dried cranberries, raisins, etc. Dates can be a bit sticky, so just make sure you separate the pieces as you toss the salad.
- Bacon: Who doesn’t love bacon?!
- Red Onion: If you don’t like onions, try chives.
- Pecans: Candied or regular. Don’t like nuts? Skip them!
- Cheese: I used a Quattro Formaggio blend from Trader Joes out of convenience. Use something with some bite to offset the sweetness of the fruit, goat cheese or feta cheese would also be delicious.
Tips for Making Christmas Salad
This is a great recipe for holiday get togethers. Sometimes I just call it ‘Christmas Salad’ because that’s what my family knows it as!
- If you’re making this salad ahead of time wait to dress it so it doesn’t get soggy. Simply put the dressing in a mason jar and bring it with you. Shake it up before dressing as it will likely separate.
- I’d also encourage you to wait to chop the apples and pears until just before serving because they can brown if they’re left out too long.
- Place the salad base at the bottom of the bowl, and layer the ingredients on top for presentation. Cover with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
- If you can’t wait to chop the apples and pears, place them in a small plastic bag with a little bit of lemon juice to prevent browning. Bring them with in the plastic bag and layer before serving.
Christmas Salad Dressing
A big part of why I love this salad so much is the dressing! It’s a homemade dressing with fig butter (you can also just fig jam), vinegar (apple cider or balsamic) with some orange zest, a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. If you were to guess what a Christmas time salad dressing would taste like, it’s this. It even smells like Christmas! The cinnamon goes so perfectly with the apples and pears and the orange zest is that little zing it needs to taste super fresh.
In a small bowl or dressing container, mix together the dressing ingredients. Whisk with a fork until fully combined.
Once the salad is dressed, it’s time to toss it! Give it a good toss, and serve immediately.
Here’s a few more Winter and Christmas recipes we love!
- Bacon Wrapped Carrots
- Stuffed Pork Loin with Cranberry & Pecans
- Fondant Potatoes
- Fresh Garden Salad
- Winter Italian Salad
- Fresh Cranberry Sauce
What do you think about this recipe? Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics!
Winter Salad
Ingredients
Winter Salad Ingredients
- 3 cups arugula
- 3 cups spinach
- 1 cup sliced apples (about 1 medium sized apple)
- 1 cup sliced pears (about 2 small- medium sized pears)
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped dates
- 1/2 cup chopped bacon
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (Quattro formaggio, goat, or feta)
Fig dressing
- 3 tbsp fig butter (or fig jam)
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp orange zest (equivalent to 1 orange)
- 2 tbsp orange juice (equivalent to 1 orange)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients. Layer as desired.
- Mix dressing: in a small bowl or mason jar, combine dressing ingredients. Taste test for desired sweetness; add more fig butter/jam if desired.
- Stir/shake dressing before serving.
- Drizzle dressing over salad and toss immediately. Serve directly after tossing.
- Enjoy!
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