Dessert

Delicious Christmas Cranberry Spinach Salad Recipe

ByHugo Harnd December 21, 2025December 21, 2025

Introduction

This Delicious Christmas Cranberry Spinach Salad is a perfect festive dish, blending sweet cranberries and crunchy almonds with a vibrant, tangy dressing. It’s fresh, colorful, and easy to prepare, making it an ideal addition to your holiday table.

A colorful spinach salad served in a white square bowl with a bright red rim, filled with fresh, shiny green spinach leaves as the base layer. On top, there is a mix of deep red dried cranberries along with whole almonds and thinly sliced almond pieces scattered evenly, adding crunch and variety. The salad is sprinkled with coarse sea salt flakes that shine under the light. The bowl is placed on a white marbled surface, surrounded by pine cones and golden Christmas ornaments, creating a festive mood. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 cup dried cranberries
16 oz spinach (preferably baby spinach for tenderness)
1 cup toasted almonds (slivered or sliced for better texture)
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 cup olive oil (Colavita extra virgin recommended)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp chopped shallot (finely minced)
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp honey
1/4 cup white wine vinegar

Instructions

Step 1: In a bowl or jar, whisk together white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and granulated sugar until the sugar dissolves completely. This will create a sweet and tangy base for your dressing.
Step 2: Stir in olive oil, honey, finely chopped shallot, toasted sesame seeds, and poppy seeds until well blended and emulsified. Set the dressing aside.
Step 3: In a large salad bowl, combine the fresh spinach leaves, toasted almonds, and dried cranberries to mix their textures and flavors evenly.
Step 4: Just before serving, drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to coat everything evenly. Serve immediately to preserve freshness and crunch.

Tips & Variations

For extra crunch, toast the almonds lightly in a dry skillet before adding them to the salad.
Substitute pecans or walnuts for almonds if you prefer a different nutty flavor.
For a dairy addition, sprinkle crumbled feta or goat cheese on top just before serving.
If you want to reduce sweetness, adjust the honey and sugar quantities to taste.

Storage

Store leftover salad and dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Toss the salad with dressing just before serving again to keep the spinach crisp. The dressing can be refrigerated for up to a week and shaken or stirred well before reuse.

How to Serve

A fresh salad in a white bowl with a red inside, filled with bright green spinach leaves as the base layer, topped with scattered whole almonds, sliced almonds, and small dried cranberry pieces. The spinach leaves have a smooth, slightly glossy texture and the almonds add a matte brown and pale cream contrast. The cranberries add a deep red, slightly wrinkled texture, sprinkled lightly over the leaves. Coarse salt grains are sprinkled on top, adding a slight sparkle. The bowl sits on a white marbled surface with soft-focus pine cones and shiny gold Christmas ornaments in the background. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use regular spinach instead of baby spinach?

Yes, but baby spinach is preferred for its tenderness and milder flavor. If you use regular spinach, remove the tougher stems and consider chopping the leaves for easier eating.