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This Christmas Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing is festive, fresh, and full of color. Juicy mandarin oranges, tart pomegranate seeds, and crunchy candied pecans come together for a side dish that is as beautiful as it is delicious.
A Festive Christmas Salad Everyone Loves
This Christmas Salad is a holiday tradition at my house. I love how the vibrant greens, pops of red, and creamy white feta crumbles just scream “Christmas!” It’s not only beautiful but also light and refreshing. It brightens up the dinner table and is a nice balance to heavier holiday foods. And that creamy poppy seed dressing? You might just find yourself licking the spoon.
The best part? It’s quick and easy to put it together. It’s sure to bring a little extra cheer to your holidays.
❤️ Echo
“What a light and delicious salad! So colorful with the perfect balance of flavor! Delish!”
– Beth P.
“This salad was absolutely delicious! My family loved it! I made the poppyseed dressing with splenda and it turned out fantastic, thanks was so good.
-Sandra B.
Ingredients Needed
For the Salad:
- Spring Mix
- Mandarin Oranges
- Dried Cranberries
- Pomegranate Seeds
- Feta Cheese
- Candied Walnuts or Pecans
For the Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing:
- Mayonnaise
- Greek Yogurt
- Sugar
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Poppy Seeds
How to Make Christmas Salad
- Prepare the dressing: Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Whisk the ingredients together until smooth, then store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Prepare the salad: Layer the Spring lettuce mix in the bottom of a large bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients over the lettuce and toss.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss again.
- Serve on salad plates.
Make It Your Own
One of the reasons I love this salad is how easy it is to customize. Here are some ideas to switch things up:
- Add fruit: If pomegranate seeds aren’t in season, try strawberries, raspberries, or diced apples.
- Add veggies: Oven roasted beets or pickled beets can also be a beautiful and flavorful addition!
- Swap the cheese: Goat cheese, blue cheese, or mozzarella are all great options.
- Go nuts: Almonds, sunflower seeds, or pistachios are yummy alternatives to candied walnuts or pecans.
- Boost the greens: Toss in some baby spinach or arugula for even more color and nutrients.
- Make it a meal: Add shredded pork, grilled chicken or steak, or even crispy bacon on top.
- Dressing: If Poppy Seed Dressing is not your favorite try our Cranberry Vinaigrette, Strawberry Balsamic Dressing, or Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing.
- Toppings: Top with some seasoning or shake on a little salt and pepper. Try adding a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice or orange juice or a drizzle of honey.
Fun Ways to Serve This Salad
- Wreath Style: Arrange the salad on a platter in the shape of a wreath and place the dressing in a bowl in the center. So festive!
- Buffet-Ready: Set up a little salad bar with all the toppings in separate bowls so guests can build their own perfect salad.
- Simple Elegance: Place the salad bowl inside a decorative Christmas wreath on your table. It’s such an easy way to make it feel extra special.
Frequency Asked Questions
Yes! There is no gluten in this salad.
Yes, goat cheese or blue cheese can be added for a stronger cheese flavor. For a milder flavor, use mozzarella pearls.
Pomegranate seeds can be hard to find sometimes, but no problem! Raspberries, strawberries, or diced apples also look and taste great in this salad.
Definitely! You can prep the salad ingredients and dressing separately and store them in the fridge. Just combine everything right before serving to keep it fresh and crisp.
Use all Greek yogurt instead of half mayonnaise and half yogurt. It’s still creamy and delicious, but with fewer calories.
More Christmas Salad Ideas
We have so many gorgeous salad recipes that are perfect for Christmas dinner. If you are a fan of this Christmas Salad, try a few of our other favorites:
Did you make this Christmas Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Please leave a comment and star rating below. It helps others find the recipe and adds a little holiday cheer to my day. 🎄
Festive Christmas Salad
Video
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 5-6 cups spring mix lettuce
- 1/2 cup mandarin oranges
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/3 cup Feta cheese
- 1/2 cup candied pecans or walnuts
For the Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Instructions
For the Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing:
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Whisk until smooth. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
For the Salad:
- Place the Spring Mix in a large bowl.
- Top with remaining ingredients.
- Toss salad together.
- Serve with dressing on the side or top with dressing right before serving.
Notes
Recipe Tips:
This Christmas Salad is so versatile! You can add or subtract as many ingredients as you wish. Here are some ideas of how you can switch it up:- If you don’t love Pomegranate seeds try strawberries, roasted beets, red onions, or raspberries for pops of red color.
- Add diced red or green apple slices for more crunch, color, and flavor!
- Turn this Christmas Salad into a summer supper with pineapple and sliced grilled chicken on top.
- Toss in a handful of baby spinach leaves for more greenery.
- Substitute the feta cheese for goat cheese, cubed mozzarella, blue cheese, or ricotta cheese for a different taste.
- Slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, or cashews would be a delicious substitute for walnuts or pecans.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe?
We want to hear from you! Please leave a review.
Let’s Make This Holiday Extra Delicious!
I hope this Christmas Salad becomes as much a part of your holiday traditions as it is ours. It’s so easy, so pretty, and so delicious—I just know your family and friends will love it. I’d love to see how you make it your own! Comment to tell us below. 🙂
Looking for more holiday inspiration? Check out my Ultimate Christmas Dinner Guide for even more festive recipes. Happy holidays and happy eating!
Awesomeness
Would avocado go well with this salad?
Yes! That would be delicious!
I usually substitute yogurt for mayo in recipes. Would the dressing work with double the yogurt and no mayo?
Thanks!
Yes, the dressing may be a little thinner, but it will still taste great. Thanks for asking!
One of my favorite salads to make during Christmas! Can’t wait to make this again! My family loves this salad! So delicious and yummy!
Yummy, healthy and fresh!! JUST what I crave over the holidays after all the treats and rich foods.
So delicious! The perfect salad to have with my Thanksgiving Turkey! Perfect proportions of sweet and salty and creamy, and bright!
Hi there,
Do you ever make the dressing a day ahead? Or is it best to make it day of?
You can make it a day or even up to a week ahead. Thanks for asking!
I have bought this dressing. I can’t wait to make my own.
What a light and delicious salad! So colorful with the perfect balance of flavor! Delish!
I love everything about this salad, especially this creamy dressing! I want to put it on everything!
This is such a colorful & beautiful salad! Love all these ingredients combined & the dressing is amazing!
This Christmas salad is light, easy and delicious!
Would you be able to use tin mandarins??
Hi Charmaine, I’m not sure if canned mandarin oranges are what you are referring to by “tin” mandarins. If it is, then answer is yes. You can use 1/2 cup of drained oranges from a can or tin. Thank you for asking!
Do you toss the salad and the dressing before serving or do you serve the dressing on the side? The recipe looks delicious!!
You can do it either way! Usually if I’m feeding a large group, I like to toss it with the salad, just to make things easier.
Help! The recipe won’t show up!
Could you please specify how many this would feed?
Thank you
As a side dish or starter salad, this will serve 6 people. Thanks for asking!
This salad was absolutely delicious! My family loved it! I made the poppyseed dressing with splenda and it turned out fantastic,thanks was so good.