I had no intentions of making this raw chard ribbon salad a "Christmas Tree" Salad. It was just going to be a holiday salad. Until I piled it into my bowl and watched as it formed a peaked tower that resembled a decked out holiday tree.
Complete with shiny red pomegranate "lights" - glossy grape bulbs - twinkly satsuma ornaments - and then, of course, I needed a star on top...
..sprouted grain toast star it was!
So my holiday salad turned into an edible tree.
And now, (six years later!!!), this Christmas Tree Salad has been a festive fave of mine. I hope you can give it a try and even bring your own creativity to it...
Christmas Tree Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch swiss chard, chopped
- ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¾ cup red grapes, sliced
- 2 mandarin oranges, peeled and sliced in half, segments separated
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 tablespoon dried cranberries , optional
- 1 small apple, chopped
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon coriander
- a few pinches of orange zest
- pinch of cayenne
- salt and pepper, to taste
Star Topper
- 1 slice toast, sliced into a star
Instructions
- Simply prep all your ingredients and toss them with the dressing/spices in a large bowl. Toss and mix very well since this will help to distribute the flavors and infuse the chard with flavor.
- You can serve right away or chill in the fridge for up to 12 hours in advance before serving. Any longer and your chard will begin to get a bit soft. Serve raw and chilled. Top it! For the “star” tree topper, simply toast any slice of bread and using either your knife (free-hand) or a star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out a toast star to top the tree salad.
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
nutrition estimate | per serving
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More Christmas Recipes
Browse treats and sweets, festive drinks and more in my Christmas recipes section.
This Christmas Tree Holiday Salad will fill your holiday season table with cheer! And healthy-deliciousness too. Dive in. Twinkly lights not needed for this shiny-fabulous tree..
Christmas Tree Salad Shopping Tip.
Make sure you buy organic, super fresh chard since it is your main ingredient! Look for perky green leaves with plenty of "bounce" in their movement. Wash and pat dry your chard leaves very well.
Nutrition Bonus! This salad is filled with healthy things. Those pomegranate seeds are loaded with antioxidants. The pecans are rich in healthy fats and minerals. The chard is loaded with vitamins and minerals - including even more free radical fighting antioxidants. The citrus is rich in vitamin C. The dried fruit and pretty much all of the ingredients are rich in fiber.
Leafy Greens: Chard or Kale.
You could also try using kale in place of chard. Both are fluffy enough to give the "tree" some body, while staying nice and green with texture.
Other optional ingredients that would be fabulous: pear, avocado, dates, bell pepper, corn, grains like quinoa or brown rice, beans, tomatoes, diced roasted squash or sweet potato ...... gosh, pretty much anything yummy would be beautiful in this salad!
originally published: 12/3/12
Little Plastic Footprint says
I just love healthy salads like this to try around christmas time as it's nice to offset the inevitable over eating with some healthier alternatives
Emily B Mitchell says
looking forward to trying this but the title "aka Raw Chard Pecan Pom Salad" looks like it say p o r n salad. LOL
Amy Hamilton says
I made this for a Christmas potluck. It was amazing and everyone loved it! The greens and light citrus were an excellent contrast/alternative to the heavier dishes.
Jean says
I was wondering if you deveine the chard (I'm making this after making my collard greens and doing this to them) and do you peel apple or leave the skin on? I'm thinking the skin on, but wanted to be sure for the first time making this. Thanks.
Susan Kellett Gue says
I use kale and devein it. I leave the peel on the apple.
Nicole Baker says
Hi Kathy,
I've been enjoying your blog for months now. Thanks for showing us that Vegan eating can be more than just resorting to fake meats. I enjoy all your fresh, healthy, veggie based recipes! I have been making a bunch of smoothies from your new book, my Vitamix is definately getting a workout. 🙂 My mom and I love chard, and I will be making this salad to bring to Christmas dinner this year. Keep up the awesomeness!
Aluminarium.com says
I made this last night and it was delicious! Will save the recipe. Thank you!!
Michelle says
What a fabulous salad. I've already had my daily serving of nuts, so I made this without the pecans. This recipe is a definite KEEPER!! Thank you.
Deb says
Hands down....best salad ever and beautiful, too! Took it to a holiday gathering already dressed, tossed and adorned with slices of starfruit on top and everyone loved it. Not a single person noticed the dressing was oil free and the compliments were abundant. Thank you so much for the recipe.....the dressing has multiple options and I can't wait to try new combos with seasonal fruits and veggies!
Kim says
I made this salad last night for my family and my husband and I loved it!!! So fresh and delish! I substituted romaine lettuce and oranges for the chard and clementines because I didn't have them. I woke up this morning craving the salad again! Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Wendy Jaehnig says
My husband and I made this yesterday for some guests and it was delicious. Our (non-vegan) guests enjoyed it as well. We replaced the maple syrup with date syrup in the dressing and used a slide of star fruit as the tree topper. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Kristle Kalinowski says
i haven't had a pomegranate since i was little, i looked up a video on youtube on how to eat them. it was good advice - deseed it in a bowl of water so you don't get the red juice all over. now i can't get enough of them!
Kathy Patalsky says
I would put the fruit on top. Even though it is quite heavy, I think it will make the jar more appealing to dive into -and then I would put the pecans, onions (any additional crunchy veggies you may want to add) and chard on bottom since they do quite well when they get a bit 'marinated'. Kale and chard are generally pretty sturdy greens as opposed to spinach, arugula or mixed greens.
..but use common sense too. Since none of the ingredients on this salad are terribly "delicate" I think any arrangement for a jar will work!
Enjoy!! Great idea to jar it!
Elena says
Trying to figure out how to make this in a jar (my latest obsession!): Would the pomegranates and maybe the satsuma pieces be down in the dressing, and everything else up top?
Kamča Hrbáčová says
it is look really tasty!
annaWebDeveloper says
I have never tried chard - does it taste good? I am tempted to make this with arugula, since that's what I know and love. what does chard taste like?
Peter Minaki says
This is absolutely gorgeous...bravo for its simplicity and creativity!
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you! 🙂
Sent from my iPad
Margee says
i just discovered your blog and see so many things I'd like to make. This salad is absolutely gorgeous and I love the tip about the frozen grapes. You are very creative and I look forward to more. All the best!
Kathy Patalsky says
Thanks! Yes, great for parties 🙂
Herbivore Triathlete says
Oh wow, this salad is too cute! I love the star on top. This looks like a great salad for me to make and bring to work holiday parties.
Kathy Patalsky says
I just chew them up! Lots of healthy fiber..
Lily Seymour says
Do you spit out the pomegranate seeds? I love the juice but can't bear swallowing the seeds.
blue2iris3 says
How does one de-seed a pomegranate?
The Whole Good Life says
What a beautiful salad! Thanks for sharing this!
Johanna Friedman says
this is genius 🙂 absolutely beautiful!
jodye says
This salad is beautiful! I love including maple syrup in my salad dressings as well. I'll have to give this a try for dinner tonight!
Jennifer says
That looks so pretty!