Sometimes we need a Christmas Side Dish Salad that more than a complete meal is just a good compliment to the main event. This salad is perfect with almonds, cranberries, apple and blue cheese. It’s also prepared quickly and easily.
The function of this Christmas Side Dish Salad
I’m a sucker for a good salad. I do enjoy a simple salad made with good ingredients. However, I’m the happiest when I have a complex salad with different flavours, colours and textures in front of me. Now, sometimes it happens that when we have lots of options to choose from on a table, like at Christmas, we don’t want an overcomplicated salad. It shouldn’t be a salad that you can eat as a meal on its own but rather complement the rest of the dishes on the table. This is that side dish salad! It’s easy to make and really delicious.
Ingredients for the salad
This Christmas Side Dish Salad has simple ingredients. Among them, we have flavours that go together each other well like sweet, bitter and the funk from the blue cheese. These are the ingredients you will need to make it:
- Lettuce: Lettuce is a really good base and I would stir away from bitter leaves that would compete with the rocket. In my case, I went for romaine lettuce.
- Baby rocket: These bitter and peppery leaves are perfect as a complement to the lettuce and the combination prevents the bitterness from becoming too overpowering. In the perfect amount, it adds a good level of bitterness and spiciness.
- Dried cranberries: I love this ingredient this time of year, you must have noticed by now! It’s the raisin that everyone loves!
- Candied almonds: I love this ingredient and you can easily make them at home with my candied almonds recipe. If you don’t like almonds you can use the same technique with pecans, pistachios, walnuts, etc.
- Blue cheese: This is an ingredient that needs to be used with caution. I love it but in the right amount so that it doesn’t take over all the other flavours of this Christmas Side Dish Salad.
- Apple: The apple adds an acidity factor, it’s also refreshing and crunchy. Ideally, you want to cut it up right before serving so that it doesn’t oxidise.
Other Christmas salads
If you’re still shopping for a Christmas Salad, of course here on the blog I have more options for a Christmas Side Dish Salad. Here are a few you can choose from depending on your preference:
Other dishes to pair with this Christmas Side Dish Salad
You must be thinking “Lorena, OK, but what dishes would this salad work with?” To that, I say “Don’t worry, I got you.” This Christmas Side Dish Salad goes really well with most rice dishes and proteins. It has so many flavours in it that one of them ought to pair nicely. Still, here you will find dishes that I think you will love in combination with it. If you need more inspiration, check out the Christmas Recipes section of the blog.
Christmas Side Dish Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 8 large lettuce leaves I used Romaine
- 30 g baby rocket
- 60 g dried cranberries
- 60 g candied almonds
- 30 g blue cheese
- 1 apple cut into cubes
For the dressing
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- 50 ml olive oil
Instructions
For the dressing
- Use a whisk to mix the mustard with the honey, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Drizzle in the olive oil while constantly whisking to emulsify the ingredients.
To assemble the salad
- Reserve a bit of the ingredients that aren't leaves.
- Mix the lettuce with the rocket and the rest of the ingredients (except the ones we reserved) as well as with half the dressing.
- Finish the salad with the ingredients we reserved and the rest of the dressing.
