Description
A vibrant and festive winter salad featuring mixed baby greens, fresh citrus, creamy avocado, crunchy pomegranate seeds, salty feta cheese, and candied spiced nuts, all tossed in a sweet and tangy cranberry balsamic dressing. Perfect as a refreshing side or a light main course during the holiday season.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 10 ounces mixed baby greens
- 2 oranges, rind removed and cut into segments
- 1 avocado, sliced or chopped
- Seeds from 1 pomegranate
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup candied spiced nuts (or toasted nuts such as pecans)
Cranberry Balsamic Dressing
- 1/4 cup cranberry sauce
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the salad base: Place the mixed baby greens in a large salad bowl or divide them evenly among individual serving bowls as your salad base.
- Add the toppings: Arrange the orange segments, sliced or chopped avocado, pomegranate seeds, crumbled feta cheese, and candied spiced nuts evenly over the greens.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Dress and serve: Drizzle the cranberry balsamic dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine, or serve the salad as-is with the dressing on the side.
Notes
- This salad highlights the flavors of winter with fresh seasonal citrus, sweet-tart cranberry dressing, and crunchy nuts, making it ideal for holiday gatherings.
- For a nut-free option, substitute candied nuts with roasted chickpeas or omit entirely.
- Make the cranberry balsamic dressing ahead and refrigerate for up to 3 days for convenience.
- To make the salad more filling as a main course, consider adding grilled chicken or chickpeas.
- For extra texture, lightly toast the nuts before candied or use spiced pecans to enhance flavor complexity.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 505 kcal
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 575 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
