To be very honest I don’t think there’s anything such as a Christmas salad per say’ but if I were to pick one thing Christmasy about this salad I would say it’s a celebration of autumn-winter produce and the bright jewel toned colors of kale, pomegranate, beets that scream Christmas. Make this salad at the arrival of fall in October all the way to spring because it’s packed with super flavorful vegetables and the tahini dressing brings it all together. Here’s a brief description how I put it together. Use it as a guide to build this salad.
- KALE OR OTHER STURDY GREENS try and use organic fresh greens remove the middle tough stem and finely chop a bunch of fresh kale or other sturdy greens like chard. You can lightly steam the greens if raw kale is hard for you to to digest. Once the kale is tossed with the roasted squash and brussels, the heat and the acid of the dressing will soften the kale nicely.
- ROASTING BRUSSELS SPROUTS & SQUASH I used Kabocha squash here. I recommend roasting the whole squash and use as needed, use the extra for an other recipe. It stays well refrigerated for a couple of days.
- STEAMING BEETS peel and dice about 4-5 small beets then steam them stovetop until tender. Alternatively roast them whole by wrapping the beets in foil and roast with a little balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
- FRESH FRUIT . Fresh fall and winter fruits are fabulous in this salad. Add locally grown, organic apples or pears, sweet pomegranate arils are amazing and add sweet-tart freshness not to mention powerful antioxidants. Persimmons make a great addition too. Simply pick one or two fruits chop or slice and throw them in.
- NUTS hazelnuts, marcona almonds, walnuts are great in this salad other good options would be pecans, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. Use what you have.
- Tahini Maple Dressing. This is my go to salad dressing for all winter salads. its very flavorful and the hint of ginger gives it a nice warm touch. It is a thick dressing however if you’d prefer, you can add a little water to thin it out.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 cups halved brussel sprouts, roasted
- 4 cups curly kale, middle rib removed and finely chopped about 6-7 large leaves
- 1-2 cups cubed (same size as b. Sprouts) winter squash like acorn, butternut or kabocha
- 4 small beets, diced and roasted, steamed or boiled
- 1 medium sized apple, slice or diced
- 1/2 cup nuts I used pecans or marcona almonds sometimes
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils, shelled
For the Tahini ginger Maple Dressing
- 3 tbsps tahini, organic preferred
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, use more or less to your taste preference
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1- 1.5 inch piece ginger minced
- 2 small cloves garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons yogurt
- 4-5 tablespoons water, as needed to reach desired consistency
- Salt and black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre heat the oven to 400 F. Place the halved brussel sprouts and winter squash on a pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to coat all the veggies and roast at 400 degrees until tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Peel, dice and steam the beets until tender or roast them in the oven at the same time as the brussels and squash.
- Chop or slice the apple and shell the pomegranate.
- To Make the Dressing. Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth and creamy.
- To Assemble the Salad. Place everything in a large bowl mix then top with the dressing, nuts and pomegranate. mix well and serve immediately or before mixing the dressing store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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