Holiday Salad

I have been making this holiday salad for well over a decade and it is always a favorite at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I enjoy having something on the lighter side with all the heavier dishes we typically have around the holidays. When I made it last week for Thanksgiving, my cousin brought a pomegranate from his yard in San Diego which was a welcome surprise. With the ingredients on hand, you can throw this salad together for your lunch or as a compliment to dinner in no time. If you want to make it a little heartier, chicken, turkey, or crumbled bacon are nice additions. For a vegan version, swap the feta for avocado. 

6 cups mixed greens

1 ripe pear, sliced

½ cup pomegranate seeds

½ cup crumbled feta or blue cheese

¼ cup caramelized peans, chopped

Balsamic Vinaigrette 

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon maple syrup

salt and pepper to taste

In a small pitcher, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.

Add the greens to one large salad bowl or two individual salad bowls. Arrange the other ingredients on top of the greens. Toss with desired amount of vinaigrette before serving.

Makes one family sized salad or two meal size salads