This Christmas Salad with pomegranate, pear and cranberries is a stunning, light and delicious side dish that is perfect for holiday entertaining! It looks fancy, but is so quick and easy to make! The ultimate red and green themed winter salad to impress your guests this holiday season. {Gluten-free, vegetarian, & refined sugar-free}
Christmas Wreath Salad
Like it? Save for later!If you’re looking for the ultimate Christmas salad recipe to add to your menu — this pear and pomegranate Christmas Wreath Salad makes such an elegant and tasty centrepiece for your holiday spread!
This salad is not only vibrant and stunning, but the flavours are also so refreshing and mouthwatering too!
I absolutely love how the spinach forms the greenery, and the pears, pomegranate arils, dried cranberries, nuts, and feta are like little Christmas decorations. The red and green theme makes it so festive!
When putting this salad together, I always feeling like I’m decorating for Christmas! You could basically hang this masterpiece on your front door…if it wasn’t a salad, of course ;)
The best part is, it’s a total crowd pleaser and always gets rave reviews!
Serve it up for a crowd on Christmas day or save it for a party or potluck, either way it’s a healthy, quick and easy make-ahead dish to serve up at those holiday gatherings!
For more easy christmas salad recipes, be sure to check out this Spinach Orange Salad with Pomegranates and Almonds or this Roasted Beets and Carrots Salad.
Why we love this recipe
So I’m sure just by looking at it, you can probably guess some of the many reasons why we LOVE this salad!
But let’s just reiterate.
- It’s colourful
- Festive
- Unique
- Simple
- Has so many delicious flavours and textures
- Nutrient-packed
- A crowd-pleaser!
Best Christmas Salad EVER!
Ingredient notes
Another thing I love when choosing holiday-themed recipes are simple ingredients lists!
And this recipe just happens to have a pretty straight forward list of ingredients.
For the salad:
- Baby Spinach – You could also sub in Spring mix or arugula if that’s what you have on hand.
- Bartlett pears – The pears add a nice pop of sweetness to the salad. You could also sub in Bosc pears or apple slices.
- Fresh pomegranate arils – The pomegranate arils add such a pretty pop of colour to the salad. Use fresh pomegranate arils if possible. If you’re short on time, you can often find the arils already removed from the pomegranate in the produce department.
- Dried cranberries – The cranberries incorporate a burst of sweetness. Look for dried cranberries that are lower in sugar or naturally sweetened if possible.
- Feta cheese – The feta cheese compliments the sweet flavours of the fruit and dressing so nicely! You can also sub in goat cheese if desired.
- Pecans – The pecans add a crunch and some healthy fats. You can also sub in walnuts or sliced or slivered almonds.
For the dressing:
- Olive oil – The oil is used as the base for the dressing. You can also use avocado oil if preferred.
- Apple cider vinegar – The vinegar is added to the dressing for a pop of flavour. Sub in red or white wine vinegar if that’s what you have.
- Maple syrup – The maple syrup adds a bit of sweetness to the dressing. You can also use honey instead.
How to make Christmas salad – Step by step instructions
This is the fun part! I’m always so excited to make this salad because I know that it’s going to turn out both gorgeous and yummy.
Perfect combo.
So let’s get started.
- In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Next, heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pecans and maple syrup and cook for 5-8 minutes or until maple syrup has evaporated. Be sure to stir the mixture frequently so that the nuts don’t burn. Set aside to allow the nuts to cool.
- Next, get out your large circular platter or tray. Place the bowl or ramekin with the dressing in the centre of the platter. Carefully arrange the spinach around the bowl so that it resembles a wreath.
- Arrange the pear slices, pomegranate arils, dried cranberries, pecans, and feta cheese on top of the spinach.
“Be sure to tuck some of the salad ingredients underneath the spinach as well to give the “wreath” more dimension.”
Recipe Notes:
- This salad can also be served mixed in a large salad bowl if you don’t want to serve it on a platter or if you’re not looking for a Christmas-themed salad. It’s a tasty salad for any time of year! Mix the dressing in just before serving to prevent the salad from going soggy.
- I like to use pears that are on the firmer side so that they keep their shape when sliced. Overly ripe pears may be too mushy and will affect the taste and presentation of this salad.
- To save time when making this salad, purchase some of the containers of pomegranate arils that are usually found in the produce department. That way, you don’t have the hassle of trying to get the seeds out of the pomegranate.
- When assembling the salad on the large plate or tray, be sure to tuck some of the pears, pomegranates, pecans, cranberries and feta in between the layers of spinach as well for more dimension and to ensure the ingredients are all evenly distributed.
- You can make the dressing in advance and store it in the fridge so that you have some ready to go. That way you just have to assemble the salad when ready to serve!
Recipe FAQs
It’s a festive salad that you can serve up on Christmas Eve or day, that generally consists of seasonal produce such as pomegranates and cranberries, and a red and green theme to go along perfectly with your holiday menu. The flavours also tend to pair well with traditional holiday entrees like turkey or ham. This particular salad is shaped like a Christmas wreath, so it’s especially festive and perfect for serving up during the holidays!
Yes, that’s one thing I love about this salad! You can make it the day before and it still looks great!
Expert tip: Be sure to hold off on putting any dressing on the salad until right before (or a few hours before) serving to avoid the spinach from going soggy. No one wants to eat a soggy Christmas wreath salad. We want it to be fresh and crisp!
I recommend using a large circular platter for best results so that it mimics a Christmas wreath and to ensure that there is enough room for all of the salad ingredients. If you don’t have a plate, you can always toss the ingredients into a large bowl and serve it that way as well.
Who says holidays can’t be healthy? With recipes like this one, you’ll not only feel satisfied, but also obtain a whole host of nutrients!
Nutrients we find in this salad:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Fibre
- Potassium
- Healthy fats
- Zinc
Most nutritious Christmas wreath EVER.
How to serve
Dish out some of the salad onto a plate and drizzle with desired amount of dressing. Toss to make sure that every component of the salad is coated evenly in the dressing.
What pairs well with pear and pomegranate salad?
The flavours in this salad are very versatile and pair perfectly with turkey or ham and lots of different sides.
Here are some ideas to try along with this salad:
- Cranberry & Pistachio Stuffed Turkey Breast
- Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Maple Glazed Walnuts
- Sweet Potato Coconut Mash
- Squash Apple Cranberry Bake
- Cranberry Meatballs
- Walnut Crusted Salmon
No matter how you choose to serve up this yummy salad, one thing is for sure….it will definitely be the hit of the party!
Recipe variations
- Different base: Use arugula or Spring mix instead of baby spinach.
- Switch up the fruit: Sub in thinly sliced apple for the pear.
- Nuts: Try walnuts or slivered almonds instead of pecans.
- To make nut-free: Use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds instead of pecans.
- Cheese: Use goat cheese instead of feta or leave the cheese out of the salad altogether if you want to make the salad dairy-free.
More similar recipes
- Quinoa Salad with Cranberries, Pomegranates and Roasted Butternut Squash
- Blueberry Walnut Salad with Lemon Dressing
- Nectarine Salad
- Kale Salad with Cranberries
- Green Bean Almondine Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Christmas Wreath Pear Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Pinch of salt and pepper
For the salad:
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 8 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 Bartlett pear ripe but firm, cored and thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, Dijon, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and salt.
- Next, heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pecans and maple syrup and cook for 5-8 minutes or until maple syrup has evaporated. Be sure to stir the mixture frequently so that the nuts don’t burn.
- Get out your circular platter or tray. Place the bowl or ramekin with the dressing in the centre of the platter. Carefully arrange the spinach around the bowl so that it resembles a wreath.
- Next, arrange the pear slices, pomegranate arils, dried cranberries, pecans, and feta cheese on top of the spinach. You can tuck some underneath the spinach as well to give it more dimension.
- To serve, divide the salad among the individual plates. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing and toss to combine.
Notes
- This salad can also be served mixed in a large salad bowl if you don’t want to serve it on a platter or if you’re not looking for a Christmas-themed salad. It’s a tasty salad for any time of year! Mix the dressing in just before serving to prevent the salad from going soggy.
- I like to use pears that are on the firmer side so that they keep their shape when sliced. Overly ripe pears may be too mushy and will affect the taste and presentation of this salad.
- To save time when making this salad, purchase some of the containers of pomegranate arils that are usually found in the produce department. That way, you don’t have the hassle of trying to get the seeds out of the pomegranate.
- When assembling the salad on the large plate or tray, be sure to tuck some of the pears, pomegranates, pecans, cranberries and feta in between the layers of spinach as well for more dimension and to ensure the ingredients are all evenly distributed.
- You can make the dressing in advance and store it in the fridge so that you have some ready to go. That way you just have to assemble the salad when ready to serve!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted November 2019 and was updated December 2021 to include more helpful tips.
This is just timely. Thank you for sharing this!
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed the post! :)