Like this Winter version? Also try my go-to classic fruit salad recipe filled with summer fruit.

Winter Fruit Salad Recipe

Typically we think of fruit salads as a summer side dish but there's still an abundance of fruit in season during winter so why not take advantage of that and make a healthy winter fruit salad?

I first shared this recipe eight years ago and we've made it several times each year since. It's so good it almost passes as a tempting dessert!

This is a great dish to add to a holiday menu because there are often lots of heavy sides served but this is a light, refreshing and nutritious option to help balance those out a bit.

You'll find this inviting fruit salad is so easy to make and it adds so much festive natural color to your table.

Just keep in mind the most important thing about a fruit salad is the quality of the fruit. You want the fruit to have a sweet ripe flavor and firm enough texture that it won't get mushy.

From there the honey and lemon will just balance and highlight all of it's natural, fresh fruity goodness.

Pear Spinach Salad with Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette

Have you ever tried adding fresh cranberries to your salad dressing before? It adds such a bright flavor and it's the perfect way to use up some of the extra cranberries you may have left over from your favorite cranberry orange bread or scones, or holiday cranberry sauce.

I often just freeze my left over cranberries and add a few to smoothies but I wanted to try something new with them, so I came up with this Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette.

At first, I was just going to go with a cranberry (only) vinaigrette but I felt it just needed a little more to it and orange always goes with cranberry. That bit of orange zest just completes the dressing.

I also think the honey and sugar are a must because fresh cranberries can be sooo tart. Even though it is a rather small amount used here they still are quite bold so that little bit of added sugar and honey really tones them down.

Of course you don't have to make this exact salad, really this recipe is more about the dressing. Although it is a delicious salad if you want to try out the blend I liked to pair with this vinaigrette.

We all have our favorites that are on repeat every year but it's always fun to see something new grace the table.

This is a smaller size salad, which feeds about 4 people as a side so just keep that in mind if you are preparing it for the holidays and a bigger group.

You can stretch it and just add more spinach though as well, I just like a lot of the mix-ins (if I make it seem like ice cream and refer to them as "mix-ins" it makes salad seem that much more exciting right :)).

Another thing to keep in mind is that the pears are like apples, or even fresh basil. They brown rather quickly once sliced so just wait to cut them until you are just ready to serve the salad.

I hope all of you are having a wonderful fall season! I love fall but I'm really hating this 5:00 darkness. Which is why we are setting up our Christmas tree tonight. This salad and my Christmas tree make early dark nights that much better. Try it soon!

More Salad Recipes You'll Love!

• Chicken Caesar Salad
• Best Greek Salad
• Ritzy Green Salad (a must have recipe)

Mandarin Pomegranate Spinach Salad

Those pretty fall/winter colors though! I love salads like this that are beautifully colorful and taste amazing. This vibrant dish will stand out on your Thanksgiving menu or Christmas dinner buffet.

This Mandarin Pomegranate and Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing is a great way to take advantage of the produce in season right now and it's just bursting with so much juicy freshness in every bite.

It is a perfect side dish to your favorite autumn meals and it would definitely be the hit of any get-together (it's like my Strawberry Spinach Salad that's always the first to go, but with seasonal produce).

This recipe is scaled for a single-family side salad, so if you're going to make it for a Thanksgiving dinner salad I would recommend doubling the recipe.

I spotted the first good pomegranates of the season a few weeks ago and I've been hooked ever since. Even though I already miss all of the fresh summer berries, I'm so glad there are still apples, pears, pomegranates, and oranges to look forward to this time of year. And they make such a delicious salad!

Preparing a Pomegranate for a Salad

It wasn't until later in life that I tried pomegranates for the first time and at first, I thought they were such a pain to seed.

My brother has a pomegranate tree in his backyard, and he showed me the most efficient way to get all those juicy little arils out by slicing, scoring, and tapping them out—but it still seemed somewhat complicated. So I still just do it the old-fashioned way by cutting in half, then kind of tearing the halves to sort of expose them more so I can pick them out in clumps.

Whatever works best for you right? I'll have to have my brother show me again though because his way was faster than mine. I've also heard people like this water method for seeding pomegranate.

Even if it took 30 minutes to get those arils out (don't worry—it doesn't!) it would be worth it for this salad. This is definitely a delicious and healthy salad I'll make again and again, especially as we near the holidays.

I love the pairing of mandarin oranges, pomegranates, and the two types of nuts in this salad. The balance of the creamy poppy seed dressing and avocados pulls the sweet and tangy together.

Mandarin Pomegranate Spinach Salad Variations

This salad is best in the fall and winter when this produce is in season, but I guarantee you can enjoy it year-round. Here are some variations you could try:

• Add chicken or shredded turkey for additional protein
• Add goat cheese or feta if you love a crumbly cheese with your salads
• Try craisins or dried cherries if you can't get your hands on fresh pomegranates
• Use candied walnuts or make your own to add more sweetness

More Salad Recipes You'll Love!

• Greek Salad
• Grilled Chicken Chopped Salad with Italian Dressing
• Garden Veggie Pasta Salad
• Autumn Pear Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Butternut Squash Salad with Spinach

You may not think of adding butternut squash to your salad but it really just works, especially when you add it to a spinach salad along with toasted pecans, pomegranate arils, and tangy goat cheese.

Then you coat all of that with a honey shallot red wine vinaigrette and incredible things just happen! I'm telling you I just can't get enough of this salad!

I made it once this week and loved it so much that I deemed it worthy of my party this weekend and made it again. I'm guessing just about anyone could eat three platefuls of it.

All the flavors of this salad just meld so well together, plus it has fall and winter written all over it.

Pear Pomegranate and Spinach Salad

With the holidays just around the corner, it's definitely not too early to start planning your holiday menu. My family is going to be coming to my house this year so I know I've been thinking about what I'll be serving already. Today I was thinking about which salads we'll be having so I thought I'd test some out. I happened to have a bunch of pomegranates on hand so I decided to build a salad around those. I love how festive the arils look in this salad when paired with the greens, and of course, I'm in love with the entire flavor combination of this pear pomegranate and spinach salad!

Pomegranate Salad Recipe

I first tested a version of this salad that included bacon in the ingredients and believe it or not bacon just didn't seem to have a place with this type of salad. It's probably the first time I didn't like bacon in something. I just love the fruitiness and sweetness of this salad without the overwhelming distraction of salty pork.

I do however love the slight tang of the feta and the depth of flavor from toasting the nuts paired with the sweetness of this salad, they just balance things out. I also really enjoyed the faint honey flavor in the vinaigrette which I felt brought the salad and the dressing together while its gentle sweetness toned down the acidity of the dressing. Good salad recipes are always marked by balance!

Fall Salad Variations

There are so many fun ways to mix up this salad to use seasonal vegetables or to accommodate the dietary needs of your loved ones during the holiday season. Try these variations:

• Try goat cheese for a creamier taste than feta
• Swap the spinach for more mild lettuce, or kale or arugula for a stronger flavor
• Add sharper flavor with red onions or lemon juice
• Use pomegranate juice and maple syrup to create a vinaigrette
• Add roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash for more fall flavors