'Tis the season to gather around the table, sharing holiday cheer and wonderful meals with family and friends.
If you're a foodservice professional, it's an opportunity to develop special dishes for dining room guests.
At home or the restaurant, now is the time to fire up your culinary talents.
Consider the season's primary colors, red and green. Now, imagine adding these joyful hues to a classic side dish. It's easy when you craft new salad recipes around nutritious leafy veggies.
All you need are simple ingredients, creative holiday salad ideas and a few insider tips. You'll find it all right here. Read on, and let us serve you with our seasonal best.
7 Essential Holiday Salad Ingredients
As a home chef, you and a restaurant professional have several things in common:
You both love to cook, appreciate time-saving ideas and keep the pantry and fridge well-stocked.
You probably have several salad essentials on hand. If not, add a few of these items to your shopping list.
Think of them as inspiring ingredients for making your own memorable holiday salad recipes.
1. Classic Leafy Greens
Every perfect salad starts with a perfect base. These flavorful leafy greens are available during the holidays, and each boasts a very nutritious profile.
Romaine lettuce leaves and hearts
Napa cabbage, kale and arugula
Loose leaf, butterhead and baby iceberg lettuce
2. Green Vegetables and Herbs
Layer extra shades of green in your salads with an assortment of healthy vegetables. Be sure to explore the tasty potential of fresh herbs too.
Green beans, Brussels sprouts and avocados
Basil, lemon balm, parsley and chives
3. Brightly Colored Veggies
Presentation counts when you're planning a festive dinner, so brighten up your options with a bounty of fresh colors.
Garnish leafy greens with multihued vegetables that double as holiday salad decorations.
Red peppers, red onion and Chioggia beets
Kabocha squash, carrots and cherry tomatoes
4. Sweet Holiday Fruits
Festivities and fruits make a delicious pairing, especially when you're building an original holiday dish.
These ingredients give your salads a delicate sweetness and an ornamental touch.
Pears, persimmons and apples
Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
5. Toppers With Texture
Complement the fresh crunch of your salad greens with toppings that add different textures.
The contrast livens up every bite, and the toppers contribute extra taste to the recipe.
Walnuts, almonds and candied pecans
Homemade croutons and bacon bits
Sunflower, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds
6. Flavorful Cheese Options
A garnish of cheese on your salad puts a trifecta in the bowl. You enjoy a variety of textures, extra nutrition and flavors ranging from sweet and mild to smoky or nutty.
Parmesan, mozzarella and feta
Swiss, cheddar and blue cheese
7. Favorite Salad Dressings
Whether you prefer creamy or vinaigrette, dressing is a time-honored essential for green salads. It's also an opportunity to celebrate holiday cooking by blending your very own.
Red wine, raspberry or balsamic vinaigrette
Creamy ranch or thousand island dressing
Tangy Caesar, Russian or blue cheese dressing
15 Delicious Holiday Salad Ideas
From family Christmas dinners to New Year's Eve festivities, there's a holiday salad for every type of celebration.
Graze through these 15 delicious recipes that brighten up casual and elegant get-togethers.
1. Romaine Lettuce and Apple Salad
Pair crisp romaine wedges with sliced honeycrisp apples, and you have a crunchy combination that's sure to impress holiday guests.
Garnish with festive candied walnuts, and finish with a rich, homemade blue cheese dressing.
2. Winter Wedge Salad With Pears
Baby iceberg lettuce heads are just the right size for individual winter wedge salads.
Poached pears, toasted pine nuts and balsamic vinaigrette give the recipe special holiday flavors.
3. Christmas Kale Salad
Showcase the season's colors with a salad of deep greens and beautiful reds.
Decorate a bed of fresh kale with red Swiss chard, sliced beets and dried cherries.
Serve with a warm honey and red wine vinaigrette.
4. Raw and Roasted Purple Brussels Sprouts Salad
This colorful dish brings out the best in Brussels sprouts.
You enjoy the nutty taste of roasted purple brussels sprouts and the irresistible crunch of shredded raw sprouts.
The salad is lovely enough to grace your table as an edible centerpiece.
5. Romaine Hearts and Pear Salad
Serve a bountiful honey-dressed salad starring seared pears, toasted pumpkin seeds and bite-sized slices of fresh romaine hearts.
Adding seared chicken easily resizes the recipe into a holiday entree.
6. Grilled Napa Cabbage Salad
Warm up a special meal with a festive salad of grilled Napa cabbage and radicchio.
The flavors of Asian pears and roasted almonds complement the radicchio's spicy bite.
Give this one extra thumbs-up for quick prep.
7. Fattoush and Romaine Hearts
Torn pita bread and chopped romaine hearts form the base for a holiday take on a Mediterranean classic.
Start a new Christmas tradition with a delicious salad that includes Persian cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta.
8. Kale, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad
Liven up the dinner table with a salad decked out in holiday reds and greens. Crunchy kale provides the perfect background for tart, crimson cranberries, fresh or frozen.
The quinoa adds flavorful nutty undertones.
9. Napa Cabbage Hearts and Avocados
Put some California sunshine in your holiday salad with hearts of Napa cabbage and sliced avocados.
Incorporate the sweetness of sugar snap peas and the citrus tang of oranges, and you have a bright new recipe for wintertime meals.
10. A Very Vegan Caesar Salad
Gift your guests with a sophisticated Caesar salad that can also serve as a delicious vegan entree.
Skewered grilled radishes on a bed of romaine hearts give the dish a dramatic presentation and add wonderful root vegetable flavors.
11. Crunchy Brussels Sprout Salad
Enjoy a recipe that puts to rest any doubt about the wonderful taste and texture of raw Brussels sprouts.
Shave a chiffonade of sprouts, toss with sliced almonds and white cheddar, and decorate with sweetened dried cranberries.
12. Broccoli Salad With Cashews
Not every salad for the holidays starts with leafy greens.
This fresh broccoli salad is an appetizing example.
Simply garnish raw broccoli florets with crunchy cashews, chewy raisins and chopped red onion.
A mayonnaise, cider vinegar and sugar dressing brings it all together.
13. Baby Iceberg Lettuce Stacks
Don't be surprised when guests pause to photograph these beautiful stacked salads.
If you can build a club sandwich, you can create iceberg baby stacks with layers of cucumber, fried chickpeas, heirloom tomatoes and kalamata olives.
14. Chopped Napa Cabbage Salad
Toss together Napa cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale and sweet apple slices, and you've made a festive dish that's delicious and nutritious.
Add a drizzle of garlic dill dressing, and you're ready to serve up a new holiday salad tradition.
15. Purple Napa Cabbage Salad
Ring in a very happy New Year by topping this elegant salad with a champagne vinaigrette.
Purple Napa cabbage, radicchio and watermelon radish layer multiple shades of holiday color onto every plate.
Guests enjoy generous portions of fresh flavors and healthy ingredients.
7 Tips for Perfect Holiday Salads
It's fun to fine-tune recipe ideas and build original holiday salads. Make it easier and safer too with these seven tips that make your salads perfect for special occasions.
1. Buy Fresh Ingredients
Know what to look for when you shop for produce. A fresh fragrance and firm feel are always good signs.
Avoid vegetables with colors that seem off or leaves that appear wilted.
2. Practice Safe Storage Strategies
Always wash fresh produce before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.
Most produce will keep for a week to 10 days when stored in sealed bags or plastic containers.
3. Be Careful With Pre-Prep
Once you've sliced, chopped or quartered leafy vegetables, use them as quickly as you can.
Pre-prepped produce should last for two to three days in the refrigerator.
4. Explore Different Flavors
Get creative with different ingredients and how well they pair with leafy greens.
For example, try adding thinly sliced carrots to a kale chiffonade or fresh mushrooms to a baby iceberg salad.
5. Build With Layers
Start with a base of leafy vegetables. Drizzle on a little dressing, and layer crunchy nuts or seeds.
Follow up with a sprinkle of cheese.
Repeat the layers, and enjoy enticing tiers of texture and taste.
6. Always Season Last
Don't start seasoning the salad until all the ingredients are assembled.
This is especially important if you're adding a cooked ingredient.
Go slowly to avoid over seasoning.
7. Embrace Homemade Dressings
Dressings from the grocery store are convenient and tasty, but treat holiday salads to something made from scratch.
Even basic dressings are better when you make them yourself.
Sending You Our Holiday Wishes
We enjoy sharing ideas that inspire your culinary talents, especially during this festive season.
Whether you're cooking at home or directing a busy restaurant kitchen, it's our pleasure to help with new recipe ideas and timeless tips.
Everyone here at Hitchcock Farms sends our warmest holiday wishes your way. We look forward to serving you this season and year-round with the freshest premium produce straight from our fields to your table.
