Preparation
With so many Christmas dishes starring as hearty, saucy, or braised affairs, it’s easy to feel weighed down by the end of the evening. Candied yams, confit de canard, green bean casserole, and super buttery baby potatoes are just a few of the things we can’t do without when it comes to our Christmas cornucopia. But the end result? It can be one giant familial food coma.
That’s why we’ve taken to balancing those buttery bruisers with something lighter and tangier, which is where Christmas salads come in. But these aren’t just your average bowl of greens. We’re here to talk about salad as a key supporting player—the dish can and should stand shoulder-to-shoulder with that umami-bursting roasted Brussels sprouts dish your cousin always makes.
These bright holiday salads enliven your guests’ palates between mouthfuls of roast ham and mashed potatoes—plus, they’re a useful way to employ a pantry full of late fall produce. That’s why we recommend making two, three, or even four of them for the table. You’ll be surprised at how popular these Christmas salads are, and how fast they go. Plus, you can use some of the same fruit, nuts, and produce you use as salad toppings for the best and last course: dessert.
