When the holidays roll around, we tend to think of the luxurious and the celebratory—from epic hams to foie gras and champagne. But every feast needs a little something green. Check out these exciting, seasonal salads. They pair perfectly with your favorite holiday mains, and they can even hold their own as the center of attention.
"Wonderful! I used an imported blue cheese from Spain and a Granny Smith apple. The vinaigrette was great. I really liked the toasted sunflower seeds in this (a new one for me)."
-CJAY8248
"I absolutely love this and I made it for a dinner party with my friends and got the most rave reviews! It was the hit of the weekend and I had to make everyone copies of the recipe to take home. I would give this 10 stars!"
-Thymestudio
"This bowl is delicious. I did take some shortcuts (putting the tofu and mushrooms in one pan and frying it) but the flavor profiles are fantastic. The vinegar in the mushrooms makes all the difference."
-Banks
With its filling bread and savory Italian bacon, this rustic salad is perfect both as a side or as the main event.
"This is a salad for embracing the fall. The ingredients seem to be made for each other with their earthy flavors. I love to combine both raw and cooked thinly sliced beets because the textures are so different but complement each other so well. If you manage to find some pretty Chioggia beets (those 'candy stripe' ones), this is a great way to display their stunning interiors."
-Izy Hossack
"It's interesting that the recipe origin is from a microbrewery—why do they always have the best food? For me, it was all about the pecans, since I had never tried caramelizing nuts before."
-FLKeysJen
"Made this for our family reunion. It was a hit! Several people wanted the recipe. I also added pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Will make this again and again!"
-bodivo
"This was a delicious and sweet side dish! I brought it to a friend's house for dinner last night, and he couldn't stop complimenting me about it! The spices gave it a great flavor."
-Kree6528
With crispy sage leaves, apple, pomegranate seeds, chopped pecans and sautéed Brussels sprouts, this warm sprout salad is perfect for the season.
Is it a casserole, or is it a hot potato salad? You be the judge of this rich, cheesy masterpiece!
"I made this for a birthday party. Instead of using a dressing, I caramelized onions and added caramelized almonds. It was a big hit and was the only salad that was demolished."
-Wendys Kitchen
"This is so very yummy! I took this to a small birthday party this weekend, and it was a huge hit! The dressing is awsome, to say the very least! I used a combintion of romaine and spinach. I will be making this again, that is for sure!"
-Sassy Sandra
"Step up your Caesar salad game with this dark green version, studded with roasted cherry tomatoes and cheesy croutons."
-norasingley
"Easy and yummy. I used roasted beets, which I happened to have on hand, but I think that canned beets would also taste good. I toasted my walnuts. The layers are a nice touch."
-alvinakatz
"This is such a tasty and quick salad. It came together in no time and was even better the next day. It's a keeper for sure."
-Jonathan Melendez
"Outsanding contrast of sweet and tart! I'll definitely make this again. The dressing is so good that you may want to make extra—this is just enough to moisten it."
-FLKeysJen
"A fabulous wilted salad boasting the rich, festive colors of vibrant crimson reds and lush holly greens, as well as being full of flavor—this is simply a wonderful salad for the Christmas, New Year or Thanksgiving family table. Please do use any blue cheese or ham of your choice; Stilton or Roquefort would be lovely as well as prosciutto or Bayonne ham."
-French Tart
"This is very good. I used it first as a Thanksgiving side dish and have taken it to many pot lucks since and it always disappears."
-rnapolitano
This simple salad is packed with Brussels sprouts, pomegranate and parmesan. For easy shredding of the sprouts, use a mandoline—but watch those fingers!
"Nice quick weeknight meal. For our tastes I left out the honey and cranberries, and halved the red pepper flakes. We served this as a main dish, so it fed two of us."
-Maito
"Rumored to be the 'best salad ever,' this salad was a HUGE hit at a baby shower I attended. Fortunately the hostess shared the recipe with us! I have modified and simplified the recipe but the delicious flavors and textures remain. Dressing is so yummy too!"
-fitnfamished
"A tasty salad! Next time, I will omit the sugar from the dressing and increase the amounts of vinegar and orange juice. Do not leave out the celery, as it breaks up the sweet of the salad nicely."
-januarybride
"This was an extremely simple salad but delicious. I roasted the beets instead of boiling (olive oil in foil packet). I omitted the red onion for personal preference, and used golden beets which were delicious but lacked any color for the dish."
-jswinks
This mixed greens salad is centered around pear halves that have been stuffed with fig jam and goat cheese. Walnuts and red onion add a bit of crunch while it's all held together with a simple vinaigrette.
"This salad is very yummy! The nutty flavour of the wild rice is complemented nicely by the sweetness of the currants and apples and the bell pepper adds a lovely fresh touch."
-Lalaloula
