MY GO-TO HOLIDAY SALAD | easy winter salad recipe

This beautiful and festive holiday salad with apple cider dressing is my go-to salad for the fall and winter. This easy salad recipe is made with mixed greens, fresh pears, dried cranberries, pepitas and goat cheese; all tossed in an apple cider dressing. A fresh and colorful salad option that pairs wonderfully with chicken, fish and pork. Perfect for the holidays or any day!

This is a very flexible salad. Feel free to experiment and try some of the following swaps:
*Add a boost of protein with chickpeas or chicken breast.
*Make it vegan and/or paleo by simply omitting the cheese or using a sprinkle of dairy free cheese. *Be sure to also use maple syrup instead of honey for the dressing.
*Mix up your toppings with walnuts, pomegranate seeds and apple slices!

MORE HEALTHY SALAD RECIPES:

Chapters;
0:00 Intro
0:24 Pepitas Prep
1:14 Vinaigrette Prep
3:12 Combining Salad

MY GO-TO HOLIDAY SALAD RECIPE
5 ounces mixed baby greens
1 large pear, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup pepitas (raw green pumpkin seeds)
2 ounces chilled goat cheese (about 1/3 cup)
Apple Cider Dressing
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons raw honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Apple Cider Dressing
In a spouted cup or mason jar, combine crushed garlic, olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk or shake well.

Salad
In a medium-sized skillet, toast the pepitas over medium heat, stirring often. You will know they are done when they begin to make popping noises and turn golden brown around the edges. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.

Place your greens in a large serving bowl. Top with chopped pears, dried cranberries and toasted pepitas. Use your fingers to crumble the goat cheese over the top of the salad.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss it all together. Serve and enjoy!

NUTRITION INFO
Serving: 1side salad | Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 376IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: product links may include affiliate links.
#holidaysalad #wintersaladrecipe #greensaladrecipe

[CleanandDeliciousDani]

Happy Holiday salad! This is my go-to salad recipe all through the autumn and winter months. It's easy and beautiful and works for both busy weeknights and festive family meals. Enjoy!

[VictoriaMartin-jh]

This is salad perfection. Healthy eating never looked so beautiful!

[cristinaaristizabal]

This is the most delicious, easy and beautiful salad I’ve ever done before. I did it for Christmas and it was a big success! I’m going to repeat it for new year (different people), and I’m very sure It will be a success again. Thanks for the recipe and greetings from the north of Spain.

[poweredbycinnamonmocha]

Your recipes are so easy, healthy, and GOOD! I honestly think you are one of the most practical and accurate youtube food guide out here. The recipes REALLY WORK. I come here for new meal preps n healthy desserts that are crowd pleasers!

[fishfootface]

That looks Really tasty. Love that you suggest lots of different options to the ingredients. Fun.😁

[darcyferrigno]

I LOVE THIS. I used to be so much more creative with salads but have lately gotten in a rut. Will make a store run today for a few of these items. I also appreciate that with the exception of the baby greens, most of these ingredients last a long time which is a plus.

[namotenashi]

It's a very appetizing and delicious salad! The sweetness and sourness of raw fruits and the gentle sweetness of honey are soothing. It goes well with fruits other than pears and is very wonderful! I love this!

[mysonruns]

This salad looks so refreshing! Now i'm craving pears! This is so easy too!

[maggieparr]

I’ve literally been trying to find a good winter salad for a few weeks now. This was perfect timing!

[markie]

I don’t comment often but do use your recipes. My favorite is the pumpkin oatmeal muffins. I make a double batch and freeze them, set a couple out at night to thaw or pop them in microwave. Yum!

I want to thank you so much for how easy, adaptable and delicious your recipes are. I have diverticulosis and have had diverticulitis and allergic to the common antibiotics prescribed for this condition. It can be mild to serious. Am trying to ward off surgery (and cancer). I had eaten pretty clean recently but had dined out at a Mexican restaurant and the heavy meal didn’t set well. I just happened to pick up Bragg Vinegar for the salad in this video and know it is recommended for digestive issues. I downed about a 1/4 cup quickly and in about 20 minutes the attack stopped. Had I not seen this recipe I would not have had the Bragg’s on hand and most likely would have ended up at emergent care. Thank you so much from a forever subscriber!

[Zulma]

Excited to try this out! Love your kale/cranberry/walnut salad so I’m sure this one is just as good.

[jademichel]

I just made this for a late lunch and it was fantastic!! I have a bunch of pears and this is such a great way to use them. I also made the vinaigrette to go along with it and it was so yummy. Thank you!

[rabiarafiq]

I have tried this salad a couple of times excluding mustard sauce. Every one loved it. Making for the 3rd on.this year Thanksgiving.

[cheryllynn]

This looks so delicious! Pecans are my fav thing in the world so I will absolutely be adding those! That dressing sounds amazing, I can't wait to try!!

[roxannezaragoza]

This salad is the best!! A new staple in our home!!

[PassionfruitArts]

I love all of the seasonal toppings you suggest to create a salad that is hearty for the winter! This looks so delicious and nourishing. Looking forward to trying it and I may even add some roasted butternut squash cubes. Yummy!

[crabbycake]

LOVE anything with goat cheese...this looks amazing!

[hasna]

I love your kale salad with pomegranate seeds from last years, and I am sure this one is going to be another excellent salad to add to my favorites! 😋😋😋

[Desired_Pieces]

Oh.my.word. Awesome salad! Thank you Dani!

[courtneybracey]

I just happened to watch this before making dinner and had most of these ingredients ... so I whipped this up and sliced some leftover pork chops on top. Would probably use chicken if I do this again but it was delicious! And the 1 to 1 - vinegar to oil ratio for the dressing is a winner!! 😋