Description
A fresh, festive One Pot Christmas Salad featuring a sweet and tangy honey poppyseed dressing tossed with fresh spinach, crunchy pecans, and dried cranberries. This quick and easy salad is perfect for holiday gatherings and can be prepared in just 20 minutes with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp dried mustard powder (or Dijon mustard)
- 2 tsp poppy seeds (adjust according to your preference)
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
Salad
- 1 bag spinach (16 oz. bag)
- 3/4 cup pecans (roughly chopped)
- 3/4 cup cranberries (dried, sweetened)
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a large salad bowl, combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, finely chopped onion, dried mustard powder, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper. Whisk vigorously for at least 1 minute until all ingredients are thoroughly blended and fragrant.
- Toss the spinach: Add the entire bag of fresh spinach leaves to the salad bowl with the dressing. Toss gently but thoroughly to ensure all the spinach is evenly coated with the dressing.
- Add the toppings: Sprinkle the roughly chopped pecans and dried sweetened cranberries evenly over the dressed spinach. Toss lightly one more time if desired to distribute toppings.
- Serve: Serve the salad immediately to enjoy the fresh textures and vibrant flavors. It makes a delightful side dish or light main for holiday meals.
Notes
- This salad is best served fresh to enjoy the crispness of the spinach and crunch of the pecans.
- You can substitute dried cherries or raisins if cranberries are unavailable.
- For a vegan version, replace honey with maple syrup or agave nectar.
- The dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated; just whisk again before tossing with salad.
- Add feta or goat cheese for a creamy element if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 118 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
