This Festive Harvest Salad is one of my favorite winter salad recipes because it’s light and balances all the heavy comfort foods. It’s simple to make and ready in just 15 minutes, which makes it great for holiday salads, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas side dishes, and even New Year’s Eve gatherings.
The crisp apples, juicy pears, and toasted walnuts pair so well with the tangy blue cheese, and the spicy citrus vinaigrette ties everything together.
Serve them with my Butternut Squash Soup and Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham!
Ingredients you’ll need for the salad
Ingredients you’ll need For the Spicy Citrus Vinaigrette
Step by Step Guide
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and cayenne. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking until the dressing comes together. Season with salt and black pepper.
2. In a large bowl, add mixed greens, pears, apples, walnuts, and blue cheese.
3. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss gently so everything is lightly coated.
Serve and Enjoy!
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Large bowl for serving salad
Important Recipe Notes
- Use ripe but firm fruit – Choose pears and apples that are sweet and crisp so they hold up well in the salad.
- Toasting the walnuts gives your salad that extra crunch.
- If you don’t want the vinaigrette too spicy, reduce the cayenne pepper or leave it out.
- You can make the vinaigrette a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Just whisk it before serving.
- Toss the salad right before serving so the greens stay fresh and crisp.
Festive Harvest Salad with Blue Cheese & Spicy Citrus Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 6 cups mixed greens arugula, spinach, and baby kale work great
- 2 –3 ripe pears thinly sliced
- 1 crisp apple thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup walnuts toasted
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
For the Spicy Citrus Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and cayenne. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking until the dressing comes together. Season with salt and black pepper.
- In a large bowl, add mixed greens, pears, apples, walnuts, and blue cheese.
- Dress it up: Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss gently so everything is lightly coated.
- Serve right away.