Best Side Salads for a Christmas Feast
Do you like to keep your Christmas Day dinner traditional? But it would be nice to have just a little something new?
The one dish that is the easiest to vary is the side salad. Freshen up your festive feast with a tangy chopped salad, hearty roasted butternut squash salad, or sweet and savoury pear and blue cheese salad.
Chopped Salad with Apple, Pomegranate and Lime
Serves 4 as a side
Cooking time 15 min
Ingredients:
1 small red beetroot
2 large carrots
1 green apple
1 pomegranate
12 fresh mint leaves
Dressing:
1 lime
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp honey (or maple or agave syrup)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Method:
1. Peel beetroot and carrots. Cut to very thin slices, then to very thin sticks. Slice the apple. Separate the pomegranate seeds. Combine in a salad bowl and add mint leaves.
2. Juice the lime. Mix the juice with the rest of the dressing ingredients. Spoon on the salad and let marinate for about 5–10 minutes, then serve.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pine nuts
Serves 4 as a side
Cooking time 40 min
Ingredients:
1/2 butternut squash
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
For salad:
120g baby spinach
60g parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
Dressing:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 225C. Peel the halved butternut squash and cut to very thin slices. Coat with olive oil and season with salt. Roast in the oven for 25–30 minutes until nicely browned.
2. Wash and dry baby spinach leaves. Shave parmesan to thin slices. Lightly roast pine nuts on a hot pan without oil and set aside for a while to cool.
3. Combine all the dressing ingredients.
4. Lay the spinach on a serving dish. Top with roasted butternut squash, parmesan shavings and pine nuts. Spoon the dressing on top, or serve the dressing separately.
Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Walnuts
Serves 4 as a side
Cooking time 10 min
Ingredients:
2 ripe pears
150g mixed lettuce leaves
80g rocket
100g blue cheese
1/2 pomegranate
40g walnuts
Dressing:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Method:
1. Thinly slice pears. Wash and dry lettuce and rocket. Separate the pomegranate seeds. Chop walnuts.
2. Combine all the dressing ingredients.
3. Assemble the salad to a serving plate. Spoon the dressing on top, or serve the dressing separately.
