Last Updated on December 19, 2025 by Sarah Leadon
This holiday salad looks as festive as it tastes. The peppery arugula, tender spinach, sweet bell pepper, and tangy citrus vinaigrette come together to create a salad that’s refreshing yet satisfying.
This holiday salad is ideal for Christmas dinner, holiday parties, or New Year’s gatherings. Whether you add fruit, nuts, or a different cheese, it’s a flexible salad recipe you can tailor to your party menu.
Tips For Making Holiday Salad
This salad is pretty easy to make, but these tips will help you make the perfect salad.
- Crumble your own feta. It’s better to buy a block of feta cheese and crumble it yourself. It gives the salad a fresher texture and better flavor. Pre‑crumbled feta often has anti‑caking agents that make it dry and less creamy.
- Slice the onions thinly. Use a sharp knife or mandoline to get paper‑thin slices. This makes sure the onions dont overpower the other flavors in the salad.
- Chill the salad before serving. Assemble the salad beforehand, refrigerate it, and toss it with the vinaigrette just before serving. This keeps the holiday salad crisp and refreshing.
- Fresh juice matters. Bottled juice lacks the brightness and aroma that make this dressing pop.
Variations
This salad is great on its own. But you can add other ingredients to make it even better:
- Fruit: Add segmented oranges, tangerines, or mandarins. You can also add sliced apples or pears (choose tart fruit like Granny Smith or Gala for best results).
- Pomegranate seeds: Pomegranate seeds add color and crunchy texture to the salad.
- Dried cranberries: The chewy texture and sweet but tart flavor pair perfectly with the spinach and peppery arugula.
- Candied Nuts: You can add candied pecans or candied almonds. They add a caramelized, sweet flavor and a crunchy texture.
- Cheese: You can add goat cheese, blue cheese, or even Parmesan cheese shavings.
- Dressings: Instead of a citrus vinaigrette, you can use honey mustard or creamy Italian dressing.
Serving Suggestions
This salad works beautifully as an appetizer or side dish for holiday meals. You can pair it with:
- Roasted turkey
- Roasted chicken
- Glazed ham
- Pork tenderloin
- Stuffed squash or eggplant
- Salmon or trout
- Lentil loaf
- Cranberry-glazed pork chops
Recommended Recipes:
Breaded Lemon Pepper Chicken
Cranberry Glazed Pork Chops
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Holiday Salad
6
servings10
minutes0
minutes167
kcal10
minutesThis holiday salad is a vibrant, refreshing side dish that brings together crisp greens, sweet red bell pepper, tangy red onion, and creamy feta cheese. Tossed with a bright citrus vinaigrette made from fresh lemon and orange juice, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup, it’s the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory flavor.
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Ingredients
- Salad:
3 cups spinach
2 cups arugula
1/2 medium red bell pepper, deseeded, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- Citrus Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 orange
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Place the spinach, arugula, bell pepper, red onion, and feta cheese in a large bowl.
- Place all the citrus vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl, whisk until smooth.
- Drizzle your desired amount of the vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 167kcal
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Cholesterol: 7mg
- Sodium: 527mg
- Potassium: 62mg
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 4g
- Protein: 5g
- Calcium: 103mg
- Iron: 1mg
- Vitamin D: 0mg
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