This Christmas Wreath Salad with pears and pomegranates is a stunning and delicious side dish that is perfect for holiday entertaining! It looks fancy, but is so easy to make! The ultimate winter salad to impress your guests this holiday season. {Gluten-free, vegetarian, & refined sugar-free}
I am SO excited about this recipe that we’re sharing with you today!
In my mind, there is nothing more fun than coming up with a recipe that goes along with a theme…and one of my favourite themes of all times is CHRISTMAS!
It seriously lights a fire within my soul.
Such a cheeseball, but it’s TRUE.
In the past couple of years, I’ve shared some other festive recipes like these:
- Olive & Goat Cheese Penguins
- No-Bake Reindeer Energy Bites
- No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cups
- Chocolate Mocha Snowballs
- Spiced Pomegranate Spritzers
And this year?
This gorgeous Christmas salad recipe — a Pear & Pomegranate Christmas Wreath Salad!
Why make this Christmas Salad
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 gorgeous
- Festive
- Unique
- Easy
- Has so many delicious flavours and textures
- Nutrient-packed
- A crowd-pleaser!
Really.
This salad truly is stunning. I absolutely love how the spinach forms the greenery and the pears, pomegranates, dried cranberries, nuts, and feta are like little Christmas decorations.
When putting together this salad, I felt like I was decorating my house for Christmas.
So, as another perk, if you’re into decorating, this salad will be your new best friend!
You could basically hang this masterpiece on your front door…if it wasn’t a salad, of course ;)
Pomegranate and Pear Salad Ingredients
Another thing I love along with holiday-themed recipes are simple ingredients lists!
And this recipe just happens to have a pretty straight forward list of ingredients.
- 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.
- Olive oil – The oil is used as the base for the dressing. You can also use avocado oil if preferred.
- Dijon mustard – I used smooth Dijon mustard but you can also sub in whole grain if that’s what you have in your kitchen.
- 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 Pear and Pomegranate Salad
This is the fun part! I honestly couldn’t wait to make this salad because I just had this feeling that it was 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.
Don’t be afraid to tuck some of these ingredients underneath the spinach as well to give your “wreath” more dimension.
Can you tell I love decorating? ;)
Christmas Pear Salad Recipe Tips
- This salad can also be served mixed in a large bowl if you don’t want to serve it on a platter. 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.
- 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!
How to serve Christmas Salad Recipes
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.
Christmas Salad Recipe FAQs
Can this salad be made in advance?
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!
Storage Guidelines for Christmas Salad with Pomegranate and Pear
This salad should be good in the fridge for up to three days. Just be sure to cover it with saran wrap to keep the ingredients nice and fresh.
And as recommended above, don’t put the dressing on until ready to serve for best results.
What nutrients do you find in this salad?
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.
Serving suggestions
The flavours in this salad are very versatile and go along with lots of different meals and 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 salad, one thing is for sure….it will definitely be the hit of the party!
More similar recipes
- Roasted Beet & Carrot Kale Salad
- Butternut Squash, Pomegranate & Kale Quinoa Salad
- Blueberry Walnut Salad with Lemon Dressing
- Nectarine Salad
- Spinach, Orange & Pomegranate 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 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tbsp. maple syrup
- Pinch of salt and pepper
For the salad:
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tbsp 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 bowl if you don't want to serve it on a platter. 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.
- 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 2020 to include more helpful tips.
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This is just timely. Thank you for sharing this!
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed the post! :)