This Christmas Salad is full of festive colors, delicious flavor and perfect for your holiday table! Made with massaged kale, arugula, shaved Brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes, crunchy pecans and pomegranate arils with a homemade vinaigrette. Naturally vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and easily low, carb, keto, paleo and Whole30 compliant.
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Easy Christmas Salad Recipe
Looking for a festive green salad to add to your Christmas dinner for the holidays? This festive Christmas Salad is loaded with beautiful colors, cozy winter flavors and the perfect addition to your Christmas table or any holiday dinner!
It’s made with massaged kale, caramelized roasted sweet potatoes, sliced Brussels sprouts, arugula, crunchy nuts, sweet pomegranate seeds. Not only is this stunning salad packed with flavor, it’s a healthy side dish that is also naturally gluten-free, vegan, paleo, low carb, dairy-free and can easily be Whole30-friendly.
Ingredients you need
The best part about making winter salads like this is that you can customize them with whatever you have on hand. This festive kale salad uses:
- Chopped Kale: The base of this holiday salad. Lacinato kale, dinosaur kale or curly kale all work. Be sure to remove the stems and give it a good massage.
- Red Cabbage: Adds a pop of color and crunch.
- Brussels sprouts: About 10 oz, washed, dried with the ends trimmed.
- Roasted sweet potatoes: You can roast them in the oven or your air fryer.
- Toasted pecans: For that added crunch.
- Sweet pomegranate arils: Adds a festive pop of color and sweetness.
Optional for topping:
- Vegan Feta: Adds a hint of savory saltiness. We love this brand but regular feta or even goat cheese work too if not dairy-free.
Dressing ingredients
For this homemade vinaigrette, you are going to need:
- Avocado oil: or extra-virgin olive oil.
- Dijon mustard: tahini works great as well.
- Apple cider vinegar: white wine vinegar or coconut vinegar work too.
- Lemon: fresh lemon juice works best.
- Pure maple syrup: you can sub with any liquid sweetener. You can use Lakanto sugar free maple syrup for lower sugar / lower carb or orange juice for Whole30.
- Fine sea salt: to taste.
- Freshly ground black pepper: to taste.
How to make Christmas Salad
- Prepare the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400F. Peel and cut sweet potato into 1-inch chunks. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, salt and pepper to taste and roast for 20-25 minutes until soft and tender. Once done, remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
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- Make the vinaigrette: Add the dressing ingredients to a bowl or a jar. Whisk or shake until combined.
- Prep and massage the kale: Remove and discard the hearty stems and tear or chop the kale leaves into thin piece and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little bit of dressingt and use your hands to massage until the leaves start to soften and wilt.
- Prepare the Brussels sprouts: Remove any loose leaves on the Brussels sprouts. Use a sharp knif to cut the into thin slices. You can also use a mandolin or a food processor with the slicing attachment and pulse until the brussels sprouts are thinly sliced.
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- Combine the greens: Add the sliced sprouts to the bowl along with the arugula and sliced cabbage. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently.
- Assemble: Place all the greens in a large serving bowl or divide the salad into bowls. Arrange the roasted sweet potatoes on top. Sprinkle with pecans, pomegranate arils and feta, if using.
- Serve: Once you’re ready to serve, drizzle the dressing lightly over the salad, toss, and serve immediately.
Variations
- Roasted sweet potatoes: Swap the potatoes for air fryer roasted butternut squash or acorn squash.
- Cheese: Instead of vegan feta, you can use goat cheese or halloumi if not dairy-free.
- Apples: Add some chopped apples for some sweetness and crunch.
- Pomegranate: Swap with dried cranberries for sweetness.
- Nuts: Instead of pecan, you can swap with walnuts, sliced or slivered almonds, shelled pistachios or cashews.
- Seeds: Add some pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or hemp seeds.
Serving Suggestions
This Christmas salad would be delicious on it’s own or perfect as a healthier side to Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday potluck.
We like to serve as part of our Christmas dinner with our Thanksgiving Turkey, Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Vegan Mashed Potatoes.
Can I make this ahead of time?
The great thing about kale is that it lasts much longer than traditional salad greens so it works great for meal prep.
You can prep the kale ahead of time and store it in a resealable bag or container for up to 5 days.
How to store this kale salad
Store this winter kale salad in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1-3 days.
More healthy salad recipes you might like:
Fall Salad with Kale and Delicata Squash
This Christmas Salad is full of festive colors, delicious flavor and perfect for your holiday table! Made with massaged kale, arugula, shaved Brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes, crunchy pecans and pomegranate arils with a homemade vinaigrette. Naturally vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and easily low, carb, keto, paleo and Whole30 compliant.
- 1/2 cup avocado oil OR extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider
- 1 teaspoon good quality grainy mustard or Dijon mustard
- 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup OR Lakanto maple syrup for low carb OR orange juice for Whole30
- fine sea salt + freshly cracked black pepper , to taste
- 1 large sweet potato , peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes. For low carb or keto, sub with roasted pumpkin or any roasted vegetable of choice
- 5 oz kale , stems removed and finely chopped (5–6 cups)
- 1 cup arugula , (or 2 handfuls)
- 4 oz red cabbage
- 10 oz Brussels sprouts , washed, dried and ends trimmed
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans , roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/4 avocado , cubed
- 4 oz vegan feta , for garnish - regular feta or goat cheese works too if not dairy-free
Preheat the oven to 400F. Peel and cut sweet potato into 1 inch chunks. Drizzle in oil, salt and pepper and roast for 20-25 minutes until soft and tender. Once done, remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
Add the dressing ingredients to a bowl or a jar. Whisk or shake until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings.
PREP & ASSEMBLE GREENS: Remove and discard the hearty stems and tear or chop the kale leaves into thin pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with a little bit of dressing and use your hands to massage until the leaves start to soften and wilt.
Remove any loose leaves on the Brussels sprouts. Use a sharp knif to cut the into thin slices. You can also use a mandolin or a food processor with the slicing attachment and pulse until the brussels sprouts are thinly sliced.
Add to the bowl along with the arugula and sliced cabbage. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently.
DIVIDE: Place all the greens in a large serving bowl or divide the salad into bowls.
Arrange the roasted sweet potatoes on top. Sprinkle with pecans, pomegranate arils and feta, if using
Once you’re ready to serve, drizzle the dressing lightly over the salad, toss, and serve immediately.
How to make ahead
You can prep the kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage ahead of time and store it in a resealable bag or container for up to 4 days.
How to store
Store this salad in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1-3 days.
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