Christmas Salad Recipes

A wonderful kale salad with roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts features a special vinaigrette dressing and a topping of toasted hazelnuts and Parmesan cheese. You'll be proud to serve this gourmet treat at any formal meal.

A few minutes of judicious massaging will transform bitter mustard greens into a mellow, well-balanced salad spiked with hints of lemon, garlic and Parmesan.

This salad was one of the favorites chosen from over 1,000 salad recipes for our 30th anniversary issue. In 2004, Deborah Madison waxed poetic about winter ingredients, particularly nuts. “In the chill air of winter, nuts move up to center stage as do their warming, substantial, golden oils--so good with winter salad greens and vegetables, such as shaved fennel, all of which are likely to end up in a salad together,” she says. Madison suggested using a mix of lettuces that balance each other here--a mild, tender variety, such as Boston, with a more intense and sturdy green, such as escarole, for instance.

This pear and arugula salad recipe is topped with homemade candied walnuts, which are incredibly easy to make in the oven. For a touch of heat, add a pinch of ground chipotle or cayenne to the walnuts before baking.

Crisp pears are tossed with Cheddar cheese and pecans in this delicious salad. For an Italian twist, try a good Parmesan with some toasted pine nuts or to go British use crumbled Stilton and toasted walnuts.

Roasted beets and sweet dates, tangy oranges and juicy pomegranate seeds make this quinoa salad recipe festive. It pairs beautifully with turkey or roast pork.

Apples and blue cheese are a heavenly match in this fennel and apple salad recipe dressed with a tangy cider-vinegar dressing.

Contrasting sweet grapes with savory feta cheese and crisp, colorful greens, this salad makes an elegant first course.

Quinoa is a quick-cooking whole grain with a slightly nutty flavor--a perfect partner for pears and walnuts in this fresh-tasting salad recipe. The flavor is best when the salad is at room temperature or cold. Refrigerate the salad for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Chef Jennifer Jasinski has this healthy recipe for Brussels sprout, cauliflower and radicchio salad on the menu at her restaurant Rioja for fall and winter. The balance of roasted vegetables alongside the tang of the oranges and the chewy sweetness from the apricots is a crowd-pleaser.

In this kale salad recipe, we massage dressing into the kale leaves until they're tender and coated with flavor. Topped with bold Mediterranean flavors--olives, walnuts and preserved lemons--this healthy salad is as delicious as it is nutritious. Look for preserved lemons at specialty-foods shops or online at surlatable.com. Or, to make your own, see the recipe on eatingwell.com.

This recipe for jumbo shrimp wrapped in thin strips of prosciutto and served on a lemony bed of arugula is a practically effortless dish that's sure to impress your guests. Wrap your shrimp and make the dressing ahead of time, and you'll have dinner on the table even faster. Serve with toasted whole-wheat baguette sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Besides giving this salad a nutty crunch, walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins, minerals, protein and antioxidants. For an added flavor dimension, crumble some Gorgonzola cheese over each salad.

This updated take on German potato salad is a sophisticated addition to any holiday spread. Granny Smith apples are a good choice, as they hold their shape when roasted.

In a combination of gorgeous colors, textures and tastes, this salad stars radicchio, frisee, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. It's an elegant addition to your holiday menus. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola or another creamy blue cheese for an added burst of flavor and richness.

We've dressed the classic Waldorf salad up for Christmas by swapping out the raisins for festive dried cranberries. A combination of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise makes the salad creamy while keeping it light.

This colorful salad makes a fine prelude to a hearty dinner. Walnut oil's distinctive flavor delivers a rich hit to the dressing.

Crunchy fennel and celery are combined with grapes in this delicious salad recipe.

For this elegant salad, sweet-tasting fennel bulbs are thinly sliced and tossed with salty toasted pistachios, sweet oranges and tangy lime juice. Jícama or radishes add another layer of texture and earthy flavor.

The sweetness of the roasted beets works well with tart grapefruit in this healthy beet salad recipe. Turn this beet salad into an entree by adding seared scallops or white fish, such as halibut or cod.

In this broccoli rabe salad recipe, the dressing is massaged into the leaves and florets, virtually eliminating its bitter undertones.

Grapefruit juice is the base for the tangy vinaigrette on this salad studded with grapefruit segments and dried cranberries. It serves 12 as a starter or about 6 if you'd like a large portion per person.

The famous Waldorf salad, full of apples, celery, raisins and walnuts, gets a healthful makeover with a touch of golden curry. It has nearly twice the fiber of typical versions.

With a lot of low-calorie veggies, a slimmed-down dressing, and just a sprinkling of dried cranberries and olives, this colorful tossed salad comes up a nutrition winner.