Holiday Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Name: Holiday Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6 -8 servings
Ingredients: 6 ounces (3-4 cups) mixed salad greens; 6 ounces (3-4 cups) chopped romaine; 2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained and oranges patted dry (see note); ½ to 1 to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (see note); ½ to 1 to 1 cup pomegranate arils (can sub dried cranberries or cherries); ½ to 1 to 1 cup candied pecans or walnuts (see note); ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar (see note); ¼ cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or honey); 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; ¼ teaspoon salt

User Reviews

5.0

63 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
25 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings
6 -8 servings
Course
Salad
Cuisine
American

Holiday Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Iris Warren

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A versatile and tasty recipe that’s quick to prepare and easy to enjoy.

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Ingredients

Servings

Salad:

6 ounces (3-4 cups) mixed salad greens
6 ounces (3-4 cups) chopped romaine
2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained and oranges patted dry (see note)
½ to 1 to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (see note)
½ to 1 to 1 cup pomegranate arils (can sub dried cranberries or cherries)
½ to 1 to 1 cup candied pecans or walnuts (see note)

Dressing:

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar (see note)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or honey)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Lightly toss all the salad ingredients together in a bowl (make sure the mandarin oranges are dried well).
Whisk or blend the salad dressing ingredients together until well-combined.
Drizzle the salad dressing over the entire salad and toss to combine OR serve the dressing on the side for individual servings.

Notes

Mandarin Oranges: in place of the canned mandarin oranges, you can slice and segment 2-3 small fresh mandarin oranges for the salad.
Feta Cheese: crumbling feta cheese from the block vs buying already crumbled feta is a game changer. It is worlds creamier and super delicious (most grocery stores carry it in the specialty cheese section).
Candied Pecans: my favorite recipe to use for the candied pecans is this oven-baked recipe - it is more foolproof than skillet recipes. I omit the cinnamon and add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a sweet/spicy kick. For a skillet version, I use the one from this romaine salad recipe. The pecans can be made a couple weeks in advance and stored in a tightly covered container.
Vinegar: my preference for the salad dressing is a light-colored vinegar like white balsamic or white wine vinegar (I've used a fruit-flavored white balsamic, too, with great results!). Red wine vinegar will also work.

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1 serving Calories 183kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 14g (5%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 8mg (3%) Sodium 212mg (9%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 10g (20%)