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Home » Type » Salads » Leafy Green Salads » Festive Christmas Salad Recipe

Festive Christmas Salad Recipe

December 24, 2018 by Faith 1 Comment

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This festive Christmas Salad recipe is all decked out in red and green with gorgeous fruits, or what I like to think of edible ornaments, with a balanced sweet and savory flavor profile and a variety of different textures.

Close Up Front View of Festive Christmas Salad Recipe on Wooden Table

In my family we don’t really have one dish in particular that we make every Christmas. Christmas Eve dinner is a smorgasbord of appetizers and Christmas dinner is usually something easy like roast chicken or pot roast with all the fixings. A salad of some kind is usually on the table, but it’s rare that it’s festive red and green. I think I might change that! It’s just so colorful and pretty.

This Festive Christmas Salad has a nice balances of sweet and savory flavors. Kale is the nutrient-rich base and then just like you’d decorate your home for the holidays, I decked out this salad in festive colors. Also, I used fruit that resembles pretty baubles: cape gooseberries and pomegranate arils.

Honeycrisp apple adds sweet/tart crunch, toasted pecans add nuttiness, red onion adds color and a bit of savory flavor, and coconut flakes add texture, color, and a little bit of whimsy (coconut flakes are almost like a little sprinkling of snow). To dress this Christmas Salad, I whipped up an easy vinaigrette with apple cider vinegar, maple, and cinnamon to make it even more festive.

Close Up Top View of Christmas Salad

Traditional Holiday Foods

In This Article

  • Thanksgiving Foods…What’s a Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner?
  • What Foods Are Eaten on Christmas?
  • What is a Traditional New Year’s Meal?
  • What Are Gooseberries?
  • Gooseberries Nutrition Information
  • Pomegranate Health Benefits
  • Pomegranate Nutrition Information
  • Festive Christmas Salad Recipe

Thanksgiving Foods…What’s a Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner?

The most important component of Thanksgiving dinner is roast turkey. The side dishes vary from family to family, but mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, some form of squash, and cranberry sauce are all common. Dessert is often pie, commonly pumpkin pie, apple pie, and/or pecan pie.

What Foods Are Eaten on Christmas?

As far as Christmas dinner, roast turkey or some other type of poultry, such as roast chicken or roast goose, roast beef, or roast pork are all common main dishes. The side dishes depend on the meat that’s served, but often include mashed potatoes and gravy, winter squash, and root vegetables. Dinner might include a festive red and green Christmas salad. Dessert may include pumpkin pie, mince pie, plum pudding, etc.

Here are a few other festive Christmas foods and flavors that are eaten throughout the holiday season in general:

  • Eggnog
  • Gingerbread
  • Peppermint
  • Fruitcake
  • Yule log cake
  • Christmas cookies

What is a Traditional New Year’s Meal?

There are different traditions across the world that involve eating a certain food that’s believed to bring luck or fortune in the New Year. In the Southern US, a traditional New Year’s meal contains cornbread, collard greens, and black-eyed peas.

Overhead View of Festive Christmas Salad

Gooseberries

What Are Gooseberries?

Gooseberries are a species of plant related to currants known as Ribes. They are small, firm berries with lots of edible seeds. Some varieties of gooseberries are translucent and some are ribbed. You can read more about gooseberries on Food Facts Presented by Mercola.

Cape Gooseberries

I used cape gooseberries in this Festive Christmas Salad, which are a gorgeous orange color. Cape gooseberries are surrounded by a paper-thin husk that falls off as it dries. This type of gooseberry is opaque instead of translucent, and fairly firm even when ripe.

What Do Cape Gooseberries Taste Like?

Gooseberries are a very interesting, complex, sweet/tart flavored fruit. They have flavor notes of apricot, mango, pineapple, kiwi, as well as lemon.

Gooseberries Nutrition Information

According to the National Nutrient Database, 1 (100g) serving of raw gooseberries has the following nutrition information:

  • 44kcals
  • .88g protein
  • .58g fat
  • 18g carbohydrates
  • 3g fiber
  • 25mg calcium
  • 27mg phosphorous
  • 198mg potassium
  • 7mg vitamin C

Pomegranate

People often ask how to eat a pomegranate! However daunting they may look, pomegranate is fairly easy to eat. You can cut it in half and scoop out the arils, or drink it in juice form.

Pomegranate Health Benefits

Pomegranate arils and pomegranate juice have quite an impressive list of health benefits! This fruit is high in antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation and help remove free radicals. Pomegranate juice is high in immune-boosting vitamins C and E, and is also a good source of vitamin K, folate, and potassium. It also has anti-viral and antibacterial properties. Read more about the health benefits of pomegranate on HealthLine and Medical News Today.

Pomegranate Nutrition Information

According to the National Nutrient Database, 1/2 cup (87g) of pomegranate arils has the following nutrition information:

  • 72kcals
  • 45g protein
  • 02g fat
  • 27g carbohydrates
  • 5g fiber
  • 89g sugars
  • 9mg calcium
  • 10mg magnesium
  • 31mg phosphorous
  • 205mg potassium
  • 9mg vitamin C

More Beautiful and Festive Christmas Salad Recipe Ideas:

  • Detox Roasted Delicata Squash, Pardina Lentil, and Kale Salad with Maple-Pear Balsamic Vinaigrette from An Edible Mosaic
  • Holiday Honeycrisp Salad from Five Heart Home
  • Christmas Wreath Salad with Citrus-Champagne Vinaigrette from Two Healthy Kitchens
  • Jicama, Apple, and Pomegranate Salad with Raspberry Dijon Vinaigrette from An Edible Mosaic

Festive Christmas Salad Recipe on White Platter on Wooden Table

Close Up Front View of Festive Christmas Salad Recipe on Wooden Table

Festive Christmas Salad Recipe

By: Faith Gorsky
This festive Christmas Salad recipe is all decked out in red and green with gorgeous fruits, or what I like to think of edible ornaments, with a balanced sweet and savory flavor profile and a variety of different textures.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people
Calories 214 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Vinaigrette:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Salad:

  • 8 cups chopped kale
  • 1 cup cape gooseberries also called golden berries, husks removed
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1 sweet/tart crisp apple such as Honeycrisp cored and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup pecans toasted
  • 1/4 small red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup coconut flakes

Instructions
 

For the Vinaigrette:

  • Whisk together all ingredients and set aside.

For the Salad:

  • Arrange the kale on a large platter, and arrange all remaining ingredients on top. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top.
  • Serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Festive Christmas Salad Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 214 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 94mg4%
Potassium 563mg16%
Carbohydrates 21g7%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 9110IU182%
Vitamin C 112.9mg137%
Calcium 146mg15%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Christmas Salad
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

Festive Christmas Salad Recipe with Description

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!

Filed Under: Christmas, Leafy Green Salads, Vegan Tagged: Cape Gooseberries, Christmas Foods, Christmas Salad, Holiday Foods, Honeycrisp Apple, Kale, Pecans, Pomegranate, Red and Green Foods, Salads, Sweet and Savory Salads

Comments

  1. Megan says

    February 13, 2019 at 2:12 pm

    That salad looks super delicious!

    Reply

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Hello and welcome to An Edible Mosaic! This is my recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. Here you’ll find a focus on real foods that sustain body and mind, bring people together, and make a house a home.

 

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I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

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affiliate disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

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