Winter Salad with Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette
 a winter salad with dried cranberries, fresh pears, Oranges, almonds, and a tart and tangy vinaigrette
Hello, friends!
Maybe one of your resolutions was to eat healthier. Or maybe, if you’re like me, you just crave lighter and healthier food after all the holiday snacking.
Either way, I bet you wouldn’t mind adding if our first recipe post of the year was this delicious and SUPER healthy Winter Salad!
I know I wouldn’t, which is why I decided to whip up one of my favorite winter salads this past weekend.
This light and yummy salad is so refreshing and it’s packed with that perfect punch of citrus that we all need a bit extra of this time of year!
what is in a winter salad?
That’s the best part! This salad is so versatile anything goes really. But here are some of my favorites!
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- Pears (whatever is available) You could also use Granny Smith apples (or your favorite red)
- Oranges (fresh or mandarin)
- Dried Cranberries (Or substitute with fresh cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, or whatever berries are available)
- Almonds (or walnuts and pecans)
- Mixed Greens
This weekend I was in the midst of cleaning and organizing our refrigerator and I found two pears I had left after making my recipe for Carmalized Pears over the holidays that were getting close to spoiling. So I grabbed them, along with some mandarin oranges left from a fruit salad I made last week.
It’s what I LOVE about this salad, besides that it tastes so scrumptious. It’s a great way to use up the produce, nuts, and greens we all usually have after the holidays.
As for the dressing? Well, you could use just about any vinaigrette. Just a plain balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette is usually my go-to, but sometimes I like to add a bit more citrusy flavor so I make a batch of my Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette.
This dressing has the perfect blend of sweet and tart and if you have any leftovers it’s amazing as a marinade for chicken or pork too!
To make the dressing I just add all of the ingredients to a mason jar-shake and VIOLA a light and citrusy vinaigrette that takes this salad OVER THE TOP!
To make up this winter salad I usually start by giving my lettuce greens a good rinse and then spinning them dry with my salad spinner.
Then I place the greens in a salad bowl and top them with the pears that I sliced in quarters (not peeled), oranges, dried cranberries, and almonds.
I prefer not to dress the salad until right before serving so it doesn’t get soggy.
There really is nothing tastier than biting into this salad and getting that ‘POW’ of tangy citrus from the dressing, the crunch from the pears and almonds, and the earthiness of the greens. It really is yummy goodness all around!
Here is the full recipe!
Winter Salad with Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette
A fresh winter salad with a tangy-sweet vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed greens washed and spin-dried
- 2 Barlette Pears cut in half and then quartered
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1 orange peeled and cut into sections
For Dressing
- 1/2 cup cranberry juice
- 1/4 cup orange juice fresh-squeezed
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (from the same orange)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
-
Add Mixed greens to a large salad bowl. Top with pears, orange, dried cranberries, and almonds. Set aside. Add ingredients for the dressing into a jar or quart size mason jar. Shake well until all ingredients are well combined. When ready to serve pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss. Add more if you prefer.
Recipe Notes
This Winter Salad is perfect for a light lunch or as a side to fish, chicken, and pork.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Looking for more salad ideas?
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Yum – I’ve been on a salad kick lately for lunch, I always forget about adding fresh fruit. Liking the ingredients in your dressing, no sugar I’m there. I’ve replaced my sugar intake with honey and fruit. Every now and then I have a treat but always regret it later. Today you’ve inspired me to add fruit to my salad and think I’ll mix up some of that dressing too. I’ve just been using seasoning and olive oil and love that too. Hugs – enjoyed this…
Carole
This looks delicious! I’ve never had pears in my salad before, but I think I need to try it! It’s so hard to find a salad that I like to eat in the winter, but this one is perfect! I’ll have to give it a try soon.
Thank you so much, Michelle! I’m a huge fan of pears so I’ll seriously put them in everything! LOL! This truly is such a refreshing and yummy salad. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you, Carole! Me too! I think it has to do with all the ‘snacking’ we did over the holidays! UGH! I just crave healthier stuff right now and this salad is definitely that! I use olive oil and lemon juice a lot on my salads, as well as, balsamic vinegar. I hope you enjoy this salad dressing. It’s one of my faves! Hugs!
This looks amazing, Christine! It’s citrus season in Florida so I know this is going to be right up our alley. Love how simple it is to put together for busy nights and lunches too. Thanks so much for the recipe. I’m excited to try this. Hugs, CoCo
Thank you so much, CoCo! I hope you enjoy the salad as much as we do.