I made this holiday salad for a Christmas get together and it had rave reviews from the extended family. In fact, after the get together, my husband and I ate it multiple times over the next week and we never got tired of it! This salad with roasted beets, candied pecans and quinoa is a winner for dinnertime.
A Holiday Salad for Any Special Occasion
While I made this for Christmas, I would not limit to just that holiday! The pink dressing makes it perfect for Valentine’s day and if you added some roasted butternut squash, it would get rave reviews at the Thanksgiving table!
At Easter, the pretty pink dressing would look perfect on the table and Mother’s Day brunch, mom would be tickled pink to have this served to her.
So while I may have made this Christmas salad at that merry time of year, it can transform itself to be your go to holiday salad!
How to Make Holiday Salad
This salad is great for meal prep! Roast the beets ahead of time, peel and chop them. Make your candied pecans and store them in a container in your pantry (you may want to hide them well though, once your family tastes these they will want to eat them all!)
This dressing stores well in the fridge. You will need a raspberry blush vinegar. I like this one!
You do not have to add fresh raspberries -but they really do add a lovely color and we feast with our eyes first! You could use fresh or frozen raspberries in this recipe. Next add your fresh salad greens to a bowl, slice some onion and chop your honeycrisp apple. I recommend Honeycrisp or another sweet apple in this recipe. It pairs well with the tangy dressing.
I LOVE to add vegan feta cheese. This brand from Violife is my favorite. If you cannot find vegan feta, avocado would be a good substitute. Or you could try your hand at making vegan feta choose.
This salad is the perfect combination of sweet and tangy ingredients. The pecans add a lovely crunch and you will feel great from the roasted beets and fresh salad greens.
When Will You Serve this Holiday Salad?
The options for serving this salad are endless, just remember to make enough to pack in your lunch the next day! This salad really has it all. Sweet and tart tastes, creamy feta, protein from quinoa and roasted beets.
This salad would also pair well with a sweet potato or roasted winter squash. I love to make this salad for a soup and salad night as well!
You might love these other salads on our blog:
- Cilantro Lime Kale Salad
- Strawberry Avocado Salad with Maple Poppy Seed Dressing
- Massaged Kale Salad with Pumpkin Tahini
If you make this salad, we would love to know! Tag @badtothebowl on social media.
Holiday Salad with Roasted Beets, Candied Pecans and Quinoa
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 4-5 cups salad greens , baby spinach, spring salad greens or power greens
- 1/2 cup red onion , thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup red quinoa , cooked
- 2 small beets roasted and chopped
- 1 cup honey crisp apple , chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup maple roasted pecans
- vegan feta cheese, avocado or vegan bacon bits optional
Raspberry Blush Dressing Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup white balsamic raspberry blush vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 4-5 raspberries , fresh or frozen
- 1/2-1 tablespoon filtered water , for consistency
Maple Roasted Pecans:
- 1 cup pecans , halved
- 1 tablespoon butter , dairy free
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Salad
- Place greens in a large bowl.
- Top with sliced red onion, cooked quinoa, roasted beets, apple, vegan feta and vegan bacon bits.
- Add dressing and pecans right before serving! (or serve dressing on side)
Raspberry Blush Dressing
- Place all ingredients in blender and blend until raspberry is not in chunks. Pour into salad dressing container. Before serving, shake well.
- Store in refrigerator.
Maple Roasted Pecans
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar in a bowl in the microwave or in a small pot on stovetop.
- Add the maple syrup, salt and cayenne. Stir to mix.
- Add the pecans and stir till they are coated.
- Pour the pecans on a parchment lined tray and place in the oven.
- Bake for 10 – 12 mins, stirring half way through the cooking time. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Remove from oven and let them cool on the tray. When they are cool, break them up and store in a mason jar or tupperware until you are ready to top your salad with them!
Notes
- For this dressing, I love this white balsamic blush vinegar.
- Use any sweet apple variety of choice like gala or fuji.
