This festive Holiday Spinach Salad features apples, pomegranate arils, feta, and candied pecans with a light apple vinaigrette. Fresh, colorful, and perfect for any holiday meal!
Why You’ll Love This Colorful, Fruity Salad
This Holiday Spinach Salad is the perfect burst of freshness to balance all the rich, cozy dishes of the season. Bright green spinach, crisp apples, salty feta, and gorgeous ruby pomegranate arils come together in a bowl that looks just as festive as it tastes. It’s beautiful on the table, easy to throw together, and pairs well with just about any holiday entrée—from ham and turkey to roasted chicken or even pasta dishes.
The candied pecans add a sweet, crunchy contrast (and keep picky eaters happy!), while a fruity vinaigrette ties everything together. An apple cider–based dressing works especially well, though any light, fruit-forward vinaigrette is lovely. Best of all? This salad takes just minutes to prepare, making it a reliable and crowd-pleasing side for busy holiday cooking days.
Substitutions & Variations:
Fruit Options
- Swap apples for pears
- Add dried cranberries or golden raisins
- Use mandarin oranges for a citrusy version
Greens
- Baby kale
- Spring mix
- Half spinach + half arugula for peppery bite
Cheese
- Goat cheese
- Blue cheese crumbles
- Shaved Parmesan
Nuts
- Walnuts (candied or toasted)
- Almonds
- Pistachios for a green-on-green holiday vibe
Dressing Options
Works beautifully with:
- Apple cider vinaigrette
- Pomegranate vinaigrette
- Cranberry vinaigrette
- Honey-mustard vinaigrette
More of our Favorite Salad Recipes:
Holiday Spinach Salad
A fresh, colorful, and festive salad with crisp apples, ruby-red pomegranate arils, salty feta, and sweet candied pecans—all tossed in a fruity vinaigrette.
Servings: 4
- 4 cups fresh spinach leaves washed
- 3/4 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/2 cup apple chopped
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
- 1/4 cup candied pecans
- apple cider honey dressing or vinaigrette of your choice
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Combine spinach, pomegranate arils, chopped apple, feta, and candied pecans in a large bowl.
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Toss lightly to mix the ingredients evenly.
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Dress with your favorite fruity vinaigrette right before serving to keep the spinach crisp.