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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Cranberry, Pecan and Blue Cheese Salad - (Perfect Holiday Salad)

    First Published: December 2, 2021 . Last Modified: December 2, 2021 lisa5 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    Cranberry Pecan Salad with Blue Cheese is perfect for the holidays. This mesclun salad is a flavorful spring salad mix that's topped with a light vinaigrette, crunchy pecans, dried cranberries and Blue cheese. This holiday salad is perfect for your Christmas or Thanksgiving table but is really tasty all year round.

    cranberry pecan blue cheese mesclun salad

    Perfect Holiday Salad

    It's three days before Christmas and I'm still contemplating over my holiday menu. My extended family is coming to our house for lunch on Christmas Eve day, so I thought I'd do a simpler holiday spread than an elaborate five-course holiday meal.

    I know we will be having a spiral Christmas ham with fresh rolls. I also must have an antipasto and veggie tray. My daughter is a vegetarian so I will also make my easy vegetarian pasta recipe. We will be having fabulous cookies and salted caramels for dessert too. My sister makes every kind of cookie you can imagine and a few will be sitting on a plate in front of me. So much for the light lunch I thought I would make!

    So to balance out all the carbs, meat and sugar everyone will be consuming, I thought I'd put together this easy recipe for a Christmas salad which is a bit lighter but still delicious for my holiday table. It really doesn't have to be served on a holiday as I serve it year-round. But since it contains cranberries and toasted pecans, it spells festive holiday salad to me.

    ingredients: Mesclun spring salad mix, dressing, pecans, blue cheese and dried cranberries

    Ingredients For Cranberry Pecan Salad 

    • Mesclun or Spring Mix - Feel free to use other greens.
    • Dried Cranberries- Or substitute juicy pomegranate seeds.
    • Toasted pecans - Almonds or walnuts are also good.
    • Blue Cheese Crumbles - if you don't like the strong taste of blue cheese you could use feta cheese, white cheddar cheese or even creamy goat cheese.

    Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients

    • Extra-Virgin Olive oil - Or use your favorite olive oil.
    • Apple Cider Vinegar - You can also use red wine or balsamic vinegar.
    • Dijon Mustard - This gives the tangy dressing lots of zip.
    • Maple Syrup - For a touch of sweetness.
    • Salt and black pepper - to taste

    Note on ingredients:

    Everyone likes a different amount of dressing on their salad so start with a little then keep adding more. Depending on how bulky your lettuce mix is, you could need more or less. If you need a bit more, you can add a few more drops of oil and vinegar.

    What Is Mesclun Salad?

    Mesclun salad is an assorted mix of baby greens. Also called spring salad mix, the lettuce is harvested at just 3-4 weeks when the greens are still tender but is available all year round. Mesclun salad mixes can be mild or spicy and is usually indicated on the package. They are perfect to create a simple green salad or a more elegant salad for the holiday season.

    Dressing for Salad 

    The dressing on this Cranberry Pecan Salad with Blue Cheese is delicious. I made a vinaigrette using mustard and maple syrup. I found a cranberry mustard in a specialty food store which I have used to elevate things. It was wonderful however cranberry mustard is not something you can find all the time so dijon mustard works just fine.  

    Prepping the Salad in Advance

    To make this salad ahead of time, mix dressing and keep in a small airtight container in the fridge. The best way to keep this festive Christmas salad fresh is to add the dressing last minute before serving. Mix all other salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Wrap well in plastic wrap and keep chilled. Pour the dressing and mix right before serving so the salad does not get soggy.

    Variations

    The great thing about this festive salad is that you can leave out or add anything you like. Here are some ideas:

    • Vary the salad greens - Instead of using a mesclun mix, try some peppery arugula or baby spinach.
    • Salad Garnish - Add an extra garnish to this Christmas salad recipe. You could use pomegranate arils, crunchy pistachios, sunflower seeds or some thinly sliced red onion.
    • Seasonal produce - Add whatever is in season and works for you in this salad. I like fresh orange segments, shredded brussels sprouts, apple slices or thinly sliced fresh pears.
    • Main Dish Salad - If you'd like this to be a more hearty salad you can add a protein like grilled chicken. It would be a beautiful main course for a holiday luncheon.

    If you like this salad, you might also like my recipe for Crunchy Romaine Salad with Fennel.

    More Holiday Salad Ideas

    • Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Grapes and Almonds
    • Roasted Shrimp and Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
    • Strawberry Avocado Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Walnuts
    • Winter Holiday Salad from Maple and Mango

    Whether you make this for the holidays or as a refresher in the dead of summer, you will love this Cranberry Pecan Salad.

    pinterest photo for holiday salad with spring mix, cranberries, blue cheese and pecans

    If you like this spring salad mix with pecans, please leave a 5-star rating.

    RECIPE

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    5 from 6 votes

    Cranberry, Pecan and Blue Cheese Salad

    This salad is perfect for the holidays and you will just love the cranberry mustard and maple vinaigrette.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time10 minutes mins
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Fresh food
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 221kcal
    Author: Lisa Grant

    Ingredients

    • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1 ½ Tablespoons dijon mustard
    • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
    • 1 Tablespoon water
    • 6 to 8 cups baby greens
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
    • ½ cup toasted pecans chopped
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup and water. Set aside.
    • Arrange the baby greens in a salad bowl. Top with the cranberries and blue cheese.
    • Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad and toss. Sprinkle with pecans.
    • Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 212mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 548IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 1mg

    Thanks for stopping by! Subscribe to Jersey Girl Cooks if you would like more recipes and cooking tips sent to your email. You can also order my Super Easy Cookbook for Beginners and follow me on social media - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

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    Comments

    1. Valerie says

      December 02, 2021 at 11:35 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds super flavorful! This is a nice side, and if there were leftovers add some chicken which would go well with the cranberry.

      Reply
    2. Kristen Wood says

      December 03, 2021 at 2:51 am

      5 stars
      This was so very tasty! I absolutely can't wait to make it again!

      Reply
    3. Dannii says

      December 03, 2021 at 2:53 am

      5 stars
      I love blue cheese in a salad and the addition of cranberries and pecans is delicious.

      Reply
    4. Katherine says

      December 03, 2021 at 7:10 am

      5 stars
      This is such a gorgeous winter salad! Yum!

      Reply
    5. Slsm says

      August 13, 2023 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      Really good! I used a premade glazed pecan, pepito and dried cranberry topper from Costco. Thank you!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Lisa

    I love creating recipes and cooking for my family and friends. It's great to bring everyone to my kitchen to talk, laugh and eat. I also like to spread my love for cooking to others. So grab an apron and let's do it together. I promise my recipes will be easy and delicious!

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