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Red and Green Christmas Salad

            While the holidays are associated with warm and starchy comfort foods, Christmas colors inspired this nutrient-packed salad recipe. This salad boasts dark green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and heart-healthy fats from walnuts and homemade olive oil dressing. Not only is this salad packed with tons of healthy ingredients—it’s also easy to make during your busy holiday schedule!

The red ingredient of our Red and Green Christmas Salad comes from red quinoa. Quinoa comes in several varieties, like red, white, and black. While all three varieties taste similarly and cook by the same method, red quinoa tends to hold its shape best after cooking. This makes it a better fit as an ingredient for salads. Quinoa is a whole grain that is quick to cook and is a great source of fiber and disease-fighting antioxidants. Keep quinoa on hand for a quick side dish, for a filling salad or soup addition, or as a fiber boost when added to your morning oats.

The green ingredient of our Red and Green Christmas Salad comes from baby spinach. Spinach is a tender leafy green that can be used in a variety of recipes. Cook spinach for a comforting side dish or add raw spinach to your salad or soup for a boost of nutrients. You can even blend spinach in a smoothie for green goodness with no added flavor. Spinach is a great source of vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and even iron. Its dark green color also hints to the wonderful antioxidants it contains that work to reduce your risk of chronic disease.

With all these nutritious and delicious ingredients in one recipe, this Red and Green Christmas Salad is the best way to bring the gift of health to your holidays.

Red and Green Christmas Salad

Salad Ingredients:

10 oz bag baby spinach

1 cup cooked red quinoa

½ cup walnuts

½ cup dried cranberries

3 oz feta cheese

2 pieces crispy bacon

Dressing ingredients:

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp honey

1.5 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt to taste

Directions:

1.      

Cook red quinoa per package instructions and let cool to room temperature.

2.     

Mix dressing ingredients together in small bowl with whisk until well combined.

3.     

Combine spinach, cooled quinoa, walnuts, dried cranberries, bacon, and feta cheese in large bowl.

4.     

Add dressing when ready to serve.

Serves 10

Nutrition facts: 234 calories, 17.6 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 8.8 g monounsaturated fat, 4 g polyunsaturated fat, 16.8 g total carbohydrate, 2.4 g dietary fiber, 4.8 g protein