This spinach winter salad is tossed with a bright orange vinaigrette and loaded with bacon, cranberries, red onion, candied pecans, and crumbled feta cheese. It’s sweet, savory, salty, and perfect for holiday gatherings or simple weeknight dinners.
Table of Contents
Add a winter spinach salad to your Christmas buffet, right alongside those other popular sides like sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, Jiffy corn casserole, and green bean casserole with frozen green beans! With its light, zippy orange dressing and fresh greens, the salad is a perfect companion for richer entrees like pineapple glazed ham, grilled beef tenderloin, maple-glazed roasted turkey breast, or beef tips.
A Few Tips Before You Make this Easy Winter Salad Recipe
- If you don’t want to use the baby spinach, you can substitute with other cool weather greens such as arugula, kale, shaved Brussels sprouts, or chopped romaine lettuce.
- I typically purchased glazed pecans for a shortcut. When I have them in my pantry, though, these easy candied pecans are delicious on the salad!
- When zesting the orange, be sure that you only scrape off the outer peel — this is where all of the essential oils and flavors are found. Do not scrape off the white pith, which is bitter.
- If you prepare the dressing in advance, store it in the fridge (the oil will solidify when chilled). When ready to use, let the jar sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes so that it comes to room temperature. Give it a good shake, and enjoy!
How to Make a Winter Salad
This winter spinach salad only requires a few minutes of work — just be sure that you allow enough time to cook, cool, and crumble the bacon before you serve the dish.
- Shake together the orange vinaigrette. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge.
- Assemble all of the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the spinach salad, and toss to coat. You likely won’t need all of the dressing initially, so just use as much as you prefer.
Serving Suggestions
This light, fresh, and bright salad is the perfect contrast to heartier winter fare. Pair it with old fashioned chicken and rice casserole, easy chicken tetrazzini, homemade lasagna, Virginia brown sugar baked ham, ham and cheese casserole, London broil marinade, Dutch oven chicken, crock pot chicken pot pie, chicken pot pie with biscuits, chicken and biscuits a Dutch oven pot roast, this beef burgundy recipe, this classic oyster stew recipe, a bowl of shrimp soup, a pot of this easy ham and bean soup with canned beans, pasta with the best spaghetti sauce recipe, this Crock Pot beef stew, meatball subs with frozen meatballs, this sausage rice recipe, or even sundried tomato pasta.
Winter Spinach Salad Recipe Variations
- Additional mix-ins to add to a winter salad: sliced pear, mandarin oranges, cubed and roasted butternut squash, or sliced beets.
- Substitute fresh pomegranate seeds in lieu of the cranberries.
- Use goat cheese or blue cheese instead of feta cheese.
- Instead of maple syrup, sweeten the dressing with honey.
- Swap out the pecans and use chopped walnuts or slivered almonds instead. If you don’t want to use candied pecans, just toast the nuts instead. To quickly “toast” nuts in the microwave, place nuts in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals, just until golden brown and fragrant (this usually takes a total of about 1 minute).
Winter Spinach Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD
- 3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 (5 ounce) container fresh baby spinach leaves
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ of a small red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup chopped candied pecans (use store-bought candied pecans for a shortcut or homemade candied pecans)
FOR THE ORANGE VINAIGRETTE
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (from about 1 medium orange)
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Dressing
- Place all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar. Seal the lid and shake until completely combined. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Assemble the Salad
- Place all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl or on a large serving platter.
- Drizzle with dressing, to taste, just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
More Winter Salad Ideas
Cranberry Jello Salad
5 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
House Salad with Candied Pecans
35 minutes mins
Mandarin Orange Jello Salad
1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Originally published in December 2019, this recipe was updated in December 2024.
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