Christmas Wreath Salad

This gorgeous, festive Christmas Wreath Salad is made with endive, candied walnuts, crispy prosciutto, parmesan, apple, dried cranberries and a whole grain mustard vinaigrette.

If you're looking for a special salad recipe for Christmas that looks as great as it tastes, this Christmas wreath salad is the way to go!

It's packed with flavorful ingredients and all sorts of different textures, and it makes great use of seasonal ingredients. Endive makes a beautiful wreath shape, and it holds the toppings well.

You can make the salad the day before serving and top with dressing just before serving!

Jump to:

• Christmas Wreath Salad Ingredients
• How to Make this Christmas Wreath Salad Recipe
• Substitutions and Variations
• What to Serve with Christmas Wreath Salad
• Storage
• Tips and FAQ
• Top tip
• More holiday salad recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Christmas Wreath Salad Ingredients

For the salad

• Arugula: This provides a sturdy base for the endive, and bulks up the salad a bit more. If you don't like arugula, try another leafy green like spring mix.
• Endive: We used Belgian endive for this recipe. Red endive would also work well (and would look great!). Endive is bitter on its own, but it's really toned down with the addition of sweet and salty ingredients, like apple and candied walnuts.
• Apple: We personally prefer honeycrisp apples in a salad. Toss the apple slices in a small amount of lemon juice to keep them from browning if you want to make this ahead of time!
• Prosciutto: We like to crisp it up in a pan before chopping it up. You could also use pancetta or bacon, or leave out the meat to keep this vegetarian.
• Parmesan: Shaved parmesan is great in this salad! Blue cheese would be another great option.
• Dried cranberries add a bit of tartness and chewiness. Dried cherries would also be delicious here.
• Candied walnuts: They're sweet, slightly spicy, crunchy and delicious! This is the recipe we use.

For the dressing

• Olive oil: This is the time to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil!
• Whole grain mustard: The tangy, vinegary flavor of whole grain mustard really balances out the bitterness of endive.
• Honey for a touch of sweetness, which tones down the mustard.
• Champagne vinegar: You can also use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
• Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is always best!
• Salt and pepper

How to Make this Christmas Wreath Salad Recipe

PREP: Start by making the candied walnuts. Preheat oven to 250˚F and lightly grease a nonstick sheet pan.

STEP 1: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, water and vanilla until frothy. Add in the walnuts and toss to coat. In a separate bowl, mix together both sugars, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne. Sprinkle on top of the walnuts and toss until well coated.

STEP 2: Spread into an even layer on the sheet pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes total, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool completely before chopping up.

STEP 3: Meanwhile, prepare the salad ingredients. To crisp up the prosciutto, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2-3 slices of prosciutto to the pan and lay flat. Let it crisp up for 1-2 minutes (it will start to crinkle and shrink), then flip and cook another minute or so, until crispy.

Repeat, then let the prosciutto cool before roughly chopping.

Slice the apple and (optional) toss in 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice to prevent browning. Separate the endive leaves.

Whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients until well incorporated.

STEP 4: To assemble the salad, start by arranging the arugula in a wreath shape on a circular platter. Arrange endive on top, then add apple slices, crispy prosciutto, cranberries, parmesan and chopped candied walnuts. Drizzle with vinaigrette just before serving. Enjoy!

Substitutions and Variations

• Endive: If you can't find any endive or aren't a fan of its bitter flavor, you can just use all arugula in this recipe.
• Cheese: Try this salad with crumbled goat cheese, blue cheese, gorgonzola or another similar alternative for a more funky flavor profile.
• Nuts: If you're allergic to nuts, you can use a seed like pepitas instead.
• Vinaigrette: Not a fan of mustard? Try this creamy balsamic vinaigrette instead.
• Apple: This salad would also be delicious with pear instead of apple.

What to Serve with Christmas Wreath Salad

This Christmas Wreath Salad pairs perfectly with other festive holiday sides and appetizers. Try a few of our favorites!

• Dauphinoise Potatoes
• Parmesan Crusted Brussels Sprouts
• Roasted Carrots with Green Goddess Feta Dip
• Crispy Roast Potatoes
• Roasted Shredded Brussels Sprouts

Storage

Make ahead: You can make this Christmas wreath salad a day before serving. Assemble the salad (but wait to pour the vinaigrette on top until just before serving). Wrap the salad tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. The salad will start to get soggy the longer it sits.

Tips and FAQ

More tips

• If you're making this salad ahead of time, toss the apple slices in a small amount of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
• If you don't want to crisp up the prosciutto, you can leave it uncooked – just tear into smaller pieces with your hands before arranging on the salad.

More holiday salad recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Print

📖 Recipe