These Christmas salad recipes make vibrant, delicious salads that we reckon you should put on repeat to impress your guests over the upcoming holidays. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas with loved-ones or cooking meals for family and friends during the festive period, make these bright salads once and I guarantee your guests will keep asking for them – and you’ll want to keep making them.
These Christmas salad recipes make some of our best salad recipes. While we prepare these year-round, they’re impressive salads that are perfect for festive meals and holiday feasting. They’re also salads that are not your typical Christmas salad, and will hopefully making a nice change from the usual potato salad.
So many cooks go all out to treat guests over the holidays with generous spreads of fresh seafood in the sultry southern hemisphere or roast turkey and vegetable sides in the wintery north, then serve a simple garden salad as a side. If that strikes a chord, these Christmas salads are for you.
These holiday salad recipes offer ideas for bright salads that are not only a feast for the eyes, as all good food should be, but taste absolutely delicious. They’re filling salads, yet they are salads guests will want to keep eating, so make them big salads. Lay the salad out on the largest serving plate you can find or serve the salad in multiple bowls if feeding a long table of loved-ones. They look so gorgeous, nobody will mind.
Before you scroll down, we have more Christmas recipe collections that might provide inspiration, including compilations of recipes for the best Christmas day breakfast and Christmas day brunch, best dips for crackers and crudités and Christmas cocktails for festive parties, best Christmas starters, best Christmas seafood recipes, alternatives to traditional Christmas roasts, vegetable sides, and best desserts for Christmas.
We’ve also got recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts, my traditional Russian-Ukrainian Christmas food, Christmas menu ideas for casual gatherings for non-traditionalists, last minute Christmas meal ideas, and ideas for Christmas leftovers. We also have Christmas gift ideas for home cooks from pro chefs and last minute Christmas cooking and entertaining tips from the world’s best chefs, Australia’s finest chefs, and cookbook authors, food writers and editors.
I have a favour to ask, before you scroll down to our Christmas salad recipes. Grantourismo is reader-supported. If you’ve cooked our recipes and enjoyed them, please consider supporting Grantourismo by buying something on Amazon, such as these cookbooks for culinary travellers, cookbooks by Australian chefs, classic cookbooks for serious cooks, and gifts for Asian food lovers and picnic lovers. Now let’s tell you about these Christmas salad recipes.
Christmas Salad Recipes to Put On Repeat to Impress Your Guests These Holidays
These are the salads we love to serve over Christmas and the festive season.
Russian Salmon Potato Salad Recipe with Soft-Boiled Eggs, Gherkins, Capers and Dill
This Russian salmon potato salad recipe with soft-boiled eggs, capers, gherkins and dill makes a filling salad that you can eat year-round.
In the cool season, you can serve it with warm potatoes and seared salmon straight from the pan, while it can be refrigerated for warm weather meals, such as summer barbecues and spring picnics. It’s one of the best Christmas salad recipes.
I really love a salad you can eat year-round and this Russian salmon potato salad recipe with soft-boiled eggs, capers, gherkins, and fresh fragrant dill fits that bill.
You can work quickly and combine the potatoes, pan-seared salmon and soft-boiled eggs while they’re still warm if you’re eating this in cool or cold weather.
Or if you’re making this salmon potato salad recipe for Christmas day lunch in the sun, summer picnics or holiday barbecues, then follow the instructions below and refrigerate it. If you enjoy this, you’ll find more of my Russian family recipes here.
Russian Salmon Potato Salad Recipe with Soft-Boiled Eggs, Gherkins, Capers and Dill
Thai Fried Egg Salad Recipe for Yam Khai Dao, a Deliciously Addictive Crispy Fried Egg Salad
This Thai fried egg salad recipe for yam khai dao makes an addictive salad of crispy fried eggs with sweet tomatoes, purple shallots, crunchy peanuts, fragrant coriander and Chinese celery, chillies, and a salad dressing that’s all at once sweet, sour, tangy, and funky.
Originally published in our series, Weekend Eggs, on quintessential eggs dishes from around the world, this is one of the best Christmas salad recipes to make for Christmas brunch or a late Boxing Day breakfast or New Year’s Day brunch.
Sweet juicy tomatoes, aromatic coriander, crunchiness coming from the purple shallots, roasted peanuts and Chinese celery stems, a hit of heat from the chillies, crispy fried eggs that soak up a salad dressing that’s sour, sweet, tangy, and funky… this Thai fried egg salad is so simple yet so delicious.
Thai Fried Egg Salad Recipe for Yam Khai Dao, a Deliciously Addictive Crispy Fried Egg Salad
Radish Cucumber Salad Recipe with Salty Feta, Peppery Rucola and Fresh Herbs
My radish cucumber salad recipe with salty feta, peppery rucola and fresh herbs makes a healthy salad that’s packed with so much flavour and texture, it only needs a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil and wine vinegar.
It makes for a satisfying meal on its own, as well as a fantastic side salad to a roast chicken or crispy grilled salmon. We love to eat it with this braised chicken with olives and capers, and Hassleback potatoes on the side.
It’s also one of my favourite Christmas salad recipes. I love it for the vibrant colours, in theme with Christmas with its red and green, but also because it scales up so well if you’re feeding a crowd.
Radish Cucumber Salad Recipe with Salty Feta, Peppery Rucola and Fresh Herbs
Smoky Eggplant Salad on Hummus with Sesame, Pomegranate and Parsley
Our smoky eggplant salad recipe makes a Middle Eastern style salad of smoky charred eggplant, fresh flat leaf parsley, pomegranate, and sesame seeds piled onto creamy homemade hummus, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkled with more sesame and pomegranate seeds.
If you’re looking for alternative Christmas meal ideas, a Middle Eastern themed feast is wonderful for the festive season, whether you’re in the sunny southern hemisphere or cooler northern part of the world. Serve this eggplant salad as one of an array of Middle Eastern mezze such as muhammara, hummus Beiruti and baba ganoush, and salads such as fattoush and tabbouleh, and as an accompaniment to seven-spiced meatballs, kofta kebabs, shish tawook (garlicky chicken skewers), and spiced rice.
If you’re a fan of Middle Eastern food, we have lots more Middle Eastern recipes here. If you adore eggplant dishes as much as we do, then you must make this Middle Eastern style eggplant salad recipe.
Smoky Eggplant Salad on Hummus with Sesame, Pomegranate and Parsley
Shan Tomato Salad Recipe with Shallots, Sesame and Coriander from Shan State, Myanmar
This Shan tomato salad recipe with shallots, sesame and coriander will make you a sweet tomato salad textured with crunchy purple onions, sesame seeds and crispy fried shallots and garlic, and fragrant fresh coriander.
Mostly made with green tomatoes, it’s typically eaten as a refreshing accompaniment to rich curries and rice, but as far as I’m concerned it’s one of the best Christmas salad recipes you can make, especially if you’re in the southern hemisphere and celebrate Christmas in summer.
If you’re looking for more salad recipes, take a look at our other Shan and Burmese salad recipes, including this Shan vermicelli noodle salad recipe and Burmese raw cabbage salad. Not salad, but this Burmese street food-style fried chicken is also fantastic for outdoor holiday eating.
Shan Tomato Salad Recipe with Shallots, Sesame and Coriander from Shan State, Myanmar
Moroccan Orange Salad Recipe with Cinnamon, Mint, Pomegranate, Pistachios
A wonderful Christmas salad, this Moroccan orange salad with cinnamon, mint, pomegranate, and pistachios makes our version of a Moroccan orange dessert traditionally quite simple: orange slices sprinkled with orange flower water and cinnamon. For more flavour, our orange slices are drizzled in a dressing of citrus juice, orange blossom water, pomegranate molasses, honey, and cinnamon, and for fragrance and texture, showered with mint, pomegranate and pistachios.
We first tried the simple version of this orange salad in Marrakech on our first trip to Morocco over 25 years ago, and would eat it countless times there over the years. In Morocco, an orange salad is offered as a palate cleanser or dessert before pastries. At fancy Marrakech restaurants, they’ll sprinkle on fresh mint leaves and/or pomegranate seeds and/or a handful of pistachios, or even all of the above, which is what I’ve taken inspiration from.
I drizzle slices of mixed oranges in a dressing of citrus juice, orange blossom water, honey, pomegranate molasses, and cinnamon, which I shower with fresh mint leaves, pomegranate arils and crunchy pistachios, and serve it as a refreshing dessert at the end of a Moroccan meal.
If you’re planning on serving a Moroccan feast for Christmas, kick things off with bowls of my hearty Moroccan harrira made with lentils or my husband’s spiced Moroccan chickpea soup. Terence learnt to make that heavenly broth from Moroccan cook Jamila in the kitchen of our Marrakech riad, off atmospheric market street Rue Bab Doukkala. Follow up with our lamb tagine with prunes and almonds or chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives.
Moroccan Orange Salad Recipe with Cinnamon, Mint, Pomegranate, Pistachios
Easy Cherry Tomato Salad Recipe
This easy cherry tomato salad recipe is the best tomato salad recipe ever if you want a taste of summer on the Mediterranean, and it’s another one of our best Christmas salad recipes.
It’s super quick and easy to make – so easy that after you make this you’ll never have to look at this recipe again. The key to making this summer salad taste great is fresh, flavourful produce and top quality ingredients.
In my dreams I’m using the sweetest tomatoes and crunchiest cucumbers from Lebanon, the grassiest extra virgin olive oil from Valencia, sweet red onions from Tropea, briny capers from Pantelleria, Ortiz salted anchovies from Spain, aromatic Italian basil from Liguria, and, of course, the juiciest olives from Kalamata and finest feta cheese from any village in Greece…
If you can’t get hold of any of those products, just use the best quality ingredients you have available locally and you’ll create one of the best tomato salads you’ve ever eaten.
Easy Cherry Tomato Salad Recipe for a Taste of Summer on the Mediterranean
Caprese Salad Recipe for an Italian Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella and Basil Salad
Our Caprese salad recipe makes a classic Italian tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil starter from Italy’s Capri and Campania region – with two tweaks: we use vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, which are sweeter, and bocconcini, which are smaller balls of buffalo mozzarella. Better for feeding a crowd and a better side if serving with a main – although traditionally insalata Caprese is an appetiser.
If you love Italian food and the classic Italian Caprese salad made with the big juicy beefsteak tomato (pomodoro) and buffalo mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala), which traditionally come as larger balls of rich creamy fresh mozzarella, you’ll love our Caprese salad recipe. It’s one of my favourite recipes with tomatoes.
Caprese Salad Recipe for an Italian Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella and Basil Salad
Chicken Salad Recipe with Peanut Sauce, Sesame, Peanuts and Coriander
Our quick and easy chicken salad recipe with peanut sauce, sesame, coriander and chillies will make you a deliciously light chicken salad made with shredded poached chicken breast, drizzled with homemade peanut sauce, sprinkled with peanuts and sesame seeds, and garnished with fresh coriander sprigs and optional slices of red chillies.
One of our best chicken recipes, and one of our best recipes with peanuts, this easy chicken salad recipe will make you a deliciously simple year-round salad that you can eat cold during spring-summer and warm during the autumn or fall and the winter months. In theme with the Christmas colours of red and green, it looks fantastic on a Christmas table.
We love our shredded chicken salads and this Southeast Asian style chicken salad is one of our favourites. Made with shredded poached chicken breast, drizzled with an addictively delicious homemade peanut sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds and peanuts, and garnished with fresh coriander and slices of red chillies, it’s one of our best poached chicken breast recipes.
Chicken Salad Recipe with Peanut Sauce, Sesame, Peanuts and Coriander
Pearl Couscous Salad Recipe with Pomegranate, Pistachios and Fresh Herbs
Our pearl couscous salad with pomegranate, pistachios and fresh herbs makes a Middle Eastern salad that’s loaded with texture, flavour and aroma. It’s essentially a traditional village salad with the additions of pearl couscous, pomegranate seeds, pistachios and a mix of herbs, but it’s super versatile. Use bulgur or quinoa and whatever nuts or herbs you have on hand.
This pearl couscous salad with pomegranate, pistachios and fresh herbs will make you one of our best Middle Eastern recipes. It’s one of my favourite Middle Eastern salads, alongside a farmers salad for salata falahiyeh and fattoush, which is like a farmers salad but with the addition of pomegranate seeds or pomegranate molasses and homemade crispy pita chips.
If you’re planning on cooking up a Middle Eastern feast over the festive season, it makes a fantastic starter served with Middle Eastern mezze such as hummus, baba ganoush and muhammara, or serve as a side to meatier mains such as kebabs, meatballs and shish tawook, and this Middle Eastern spiced rice dish.
Pearl Couscous Salad Recipe with Pomegranate, Pistachios and Fresh Herbs
Panzanella Salad Recipe for a Tuscan Bread Tomato Salad that Tastes of Italy
This easy panzanella salad recipe makes the delicious Tuscan style bread and tomato salad that tastes of summer in Italy. A bread salad with onions and cucumbers before tomatoes arrived in Italy, it makes use of stale bread, the hallmark of povera cucina, the no-waste cooking of the countryside. A traditional recipe, it’s versatile – just don’t tell your Italian friends!
Some of the world’s most beautiful fresh produce is to be found in Italy – which is why some of the most delicious Italian dishes are made from just two or three ingredients: prosciutto e melon; the fresh mozzarella and tomatoes that comprise Caprese salad; and cacio e pepe, perhaps the world’s simplest pasta, made from cheese and pepper.
Of course, dishes such as these wouldn’t taste nearly as delicious as they do without a liberal dousing of quality olive oil and vinegar, a sprinkle of sea salt and cracked pepper, and handful of fresh Italian herbs with their heady perfumes, such as Genoese basil.
Panzanella Salad Recipe for a Tuscan Bread Tomato Salad that Tastes of Italy
Pumpkin Lentil Salad Recipe with Beetroot, Goat Cheese, Pistachios and Poppy Seeds
Our pumpkin lentil salad recipe with beetroot, goat cheese and pistachios is packed with texture and flavour. Butternut pumpkin and lentils are pan-fried in cumin, arranged on mixed salad leaves, topped with baby beetroots and goat’s cheese pearls, sprinkled with crunchy pistachios, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and fresh mint, and dressed with a fig balsamic vinegar dressing.
You’ll love this beetroot and pumpkin lentil salad recipe with goat cheese and pistachios if you’ve enjoyed some of our other pumpkin and beetroot salad recipes, such as this beetroot arugula salad with walnuts and feta on butter bean puree, our roast beetroot salad with feta, rucola and pistachios on cumin-spiced carrot hummus, this beet carrot salad with goat cheese, arugula and radish, or pumpkin beetroot salad on whipped feta with pistachios and fresh mint.
My inspiration for this recipe are the salads of the Mediterranean and Middle East, where we lived, worked, travelled and wrote about for a decade – salads such as our Antalya style Turkish white bean salad, Arabic balela salad on soupy chickpeas, baby corn on creamy white beans, my roasted cauliflower on hummus, this eggplant salad with pomegranate, sesame and parsley on hummus, and this pearl couscous salad with pomegranate, pistachios and herbs.
Pumpkin Lentil Salad Recipe with Beetroot, Goat Cheese, Pistachios and Poppy Seeds
Cherry Tomato Burrata Salad with Asparagus, Basil Pesto and Dukkah
Our recipe for a tomato burrata salad with asparagus, basil pesto and dukkah makes a quick and easy salad of creamy burrata nestled on a bed of crunchy asparagus spears, sweet juicy cherry tomatoes, and mixed salad leaves. Dollops of basil pesto bring more flavour and crunchy dukkah adds texture. Serve as a salad, side dish or pile onto with slices of toasted sourdough for a snack or appetiser
Tomato and white cheese is one of those wonderfully perfect flavour combinations that appear in so many fantastic tomato salads around the world – from a traditional Greek salad of tomatoes with feta to a classic Italian Caprese salad with tomatoes and mozzarella.
I spoon on dollops of basil pesto (homemade or store-bought), drizzle on good extra virgin olive oil (or this classic vinaigrette), and sprinkle on some dukkah, that Middle Eastern nut, seed and spice condiment, for more crunch and flavour.
If you’re a tomato lover, we have lots more recipes with tomatoes here – made with beef tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and more – from this simple Cypriot tomato salad, to this same-same-but-different salad, and cousin, the classic Greek salad.
Cherry Tomato Burrata Salad with Asparagus, Basil Pesto and Dukkah
Yum Chee Fresh Herb Salad Recipe from 100 Mahaseth Restaurant Bangkok
This fresh herb salad recipe makes one of the best summer salad and another of our best Christmas salad recipes, which comes courtesy of chef Chalee Kader of 100 Mahaseth restaurant in Thailand.
A casual Isaan region-focused nose-to-tail eatery in Bangkok‘s hip Charenkroeung neighbourhood that is one of the Thai capital’s most sustainable restaurants.
‘Chee’ is herb’ in Thai and there are three key herbs in the dish: Puck Chee or coriander, Puck Chee Lao or dill, and Puck Chee Farang or Sawtooth coriander.
‘Yum’ is a salad in Thai. While this incredibly fragrant salad is akin to a European-style green salad, it’s distinctly Southeast Asian in its aromas, sweet and sour flavours and zesty-ness.
Fresh Herb Salad Recipe for Yum Chee from 100 Mahaseth Restaurant Bangkok
Mexican Grilled Corn Salad Recipe
This Mexican grilled corn salad recipe can be made from scratch or can be assembled using any leftovers if you made our grilled corn on the cob street food snack called elotes. It’s another of our best Christmas salad recipes and is also fantastic for summer barbecues or picnics.
For this salad, we do our corn on a griddle pan in the kitchen or a traditional clay brazier on the balcony here in Cambodia. You could also use an outdoor barbecue or grill or stovetop Korean BBQ grill pan.
If you’re up for a full Mexican/Tex-Mex food feast over the holidays, see our recipes for sopa de tortilla from San Miguel de Allende, tacos al pastor, chili con carne, easy red tomato salsa, authentic Mexican guacamole, quesadillas, and our ultimate nachos. We also have recipes for classic margaritas and micheladas.
Mexican Grilled Corn Salad Recipe for a Taste of Mexico at Home
Grilled Corn Salad Recipe With Lime, Chilli, Lemongrass Mayo and Sourdough Croutons
Inspired by the traditional Mexican grilled corn salad, above, and the corn salads of the backyard barbecues of my childhood growing up in Sydney, Australia, this grilled corn salad recipe with lime, chilli, lemongrass mayonnaise, and sourdough croutons is another of our best Christmas salad recipes.
The salad uses up grilled corn on the cob leftovers from your weekend barbecues (I used up the leftovers I had from this char-grilled corn with lime butter and lemongrass mayonnaise to create this recipe) and those hard sourdough bread ends you didn’t finish.
Terence happened to have a crunchy end of near-stale sourdough, as, avid sourdough baker that he is, he’s pulling homemade sourdough boules out of the oven every few days. (If you’re new to sourdough baking, see his excellent easy sourdough beginner’s guide).
I asked him to make some sourdough croutons and crunchy toasted sourdough crumbs, which gave this fragrant grilled corn salad fantastic texture.
Grilled Corn Salad Recipe With Lime, Chilli, Lemongrass Mayo and Sourdough Croutons
Russian Crab Salad Recipe for a Nostalgic Soviet Era Crab Stick Salad
This quick and easy Russian crab salad recipe makes a nostalgic Soviet-era crab stick salad that’s one of the most popular Russian salads over Christmas-New Year. Starting out in life as a salad of fresh crab and mayonnaise, canned crab was later used until imitation crab or kanikama was invented in Japan in 1974. While this recipe makes a retro classic, you could replace crab sticks with fresh crab meat, or fresh crayfish or lobster.
If, like my mum, you love crab sticks and often have a pack in the freezer, or the cost of living crisis has had you reaching for canned crab meat, try this versatile Russian crab salad recipe for a nostalgic dish from the Soviet Union, when canned food was promoted due to food shortages, and crab sticks exploded in popularity in the USSR and around the world in the 1970s after being invented in Japan.
Crab sticks are popular again here in Australia due to their sustainability and affordability. But if you’re not a fan and don’t share my enthusiasm for recreating historical dishes, you can use canned crab or fresh crab, lobster or crayfish in this salad, as the elites did during the Russian Empire, before the Russian Revolution democratised food. Indulge as the tsars did and spoon generous dollops of caviar on the salad.
Russian Crab Salad Recipe for a Nostalgic Soviet Era Crab Stick Salad
Cabbage Salad with Apples, Cucumber, Radish and Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
Our recipe for a cabbage salad with apples, cucumber, radish and creamy poppy seed dressing makes a crunchy Russian salad popularised in the Eastern European diaspora in Australia thanks to an iconic Soviet-era cookbook. This salad comes in infinite variations giving you the freedom to get creative: add celery, replace apples with pears, and the creamy dressing with mustard vinaigrette.
You’ll love this recipe for a cabbage salad with apples, cucumber, radish and creamy poppy seed dressing if you’re a fan of cucumber salads, cabbage salads and coleslaws, if you’re fond of fruit in vegetable-driven salads, and you like salads with creamy dressings, such as this Russian cucumber sour cream salad.
What I love about this salad is that it’s essentially crunchy and creamy, but you can get creative with whatever you have on hand. Add even more crunch with nuts, such as walnuts or pecans. Purple cabbage is pretty but use white cabbage if that’s what’s in the fridge. Celery adds freshness. Grapes are a great addition for another texture.
This is a brilliant year-round salad and while I’m happy to munch on a bowl of this for lunch, when I’ll often add shredded poached chicken, it makes a fantastic side salad. My family served it alongside a Russian garden salad and beetroot potato salad, with chicken cutlets, such as kotleti and chicken Kiev. It’s also fantastic with barbecued meats, meatballs, roast chicken, or fried chicken.
Cabbage Salad with Apples, Cucumber, Radish and Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
Middle Eastern Farmers Salad Recipe for Salata Falahiyeh or a Village Salad
Our farmers salad recipe for salata falahiyeh makes a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicums, shallots, and fresh herbs with a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Eaten throughout the Middle East, with provenance in Palestine, it’s also called a Palestinian salad, Arabic salad, village salad, or chopped salad, salata na’ameh. It’s fantastic with kofta, kebabs, grilled meats, fish, and roast chicken.
One of my favourite Middle Eastern recipes, this farmers salad recipe couldn’t be easier. It makes one of those delicious home-style salads almost every cuisine has. It’s the Middle East equivalent of my Russian family’s garden salad. It might not win awards, nor wow, but it’s a wonderful salad when it’s made with super-fresh quality produce.
This farmers salad recipe for salata falahiyeh – also called a village salad, Palestinian salad, Arabic salad, and chopped salad or salata na’ameh – makes a fantastic Middle Eastern mezze alongside hummus, baba ganoush and muhammara, salads such as fatoush, tabbouleh, this smoky char-grilled eggplant salad, and my pearl couscous salad with pomegranate and pistachios, and is a great side for meatier mains such as kebabs, meatballs and shish tawook, and this Middle Eastern spiced rice dish.
Middle Eastern Farmers Salad Recipe for Salata Falahiyeh or a Village Salad
Please do let us know if you make any of our Christmas salad recipes in the comments below or tag us on social media if you share them, as we’d love to know how they turn out for you.
