Not only does this colorful salad double as a perfect centerpiece for your Christmas supper table, it also does not contain any inflammatory seed oils.
The citrus dressing goes in a bowl and the salad is arranged around the dressing to look like a wreath - voila, seasonal and satisfying
Ingredients
1 cup pecan halves
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons honey
5 ounces baby arugula
2 heads head lettuce, roughly chopped
1/2 head radicchio, thinly sliced
2 navel oranges
2 tablespoons red wine or apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
Directions
- Line a plate with parchment. Toss the pecans with the pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a small bowl.
- Add the mixture to a small nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat, tossing frequently, until the spices begin to brown and become fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the honey and cook, stirring constantly, until the honey begins to caramelize and the pecans are well coated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer to the prepared plate, making sure the pecans are in an even layer and not stacked on top of each other. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place a small bowl that can hold 1 cup of salad dressing in the center of a large platter.
- Toss the arugula, head lettuce and radicchio in a large bowl. Spread the lettuce mixture in a circle to resemble a wreath around the bowl on the platter.
- Slice both ends off one of the oranges and set the fruit flat-side down on a cutting board. With a paring knife, slice the peel and the pith off in sections, following the shape of the orange.
- Remove whole segments by cutting towards the center of the orange along a membrane. Then slice along the adjacent membrane to release the segment. Place the segments in a small bowl.
- Squeeze the juice from the remaining membranes into a medium bowl.
- Halve the remaining orange and squeeze the juice into the medium bowl (you should have about 1/3 cup).
- Whisk in the vinegar, Dijon, remaining 1 tablespoon honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified.
- Pour the dressing into the bowl in the center of the platter.
- To serve, scatter the honeyed pecans, orange segments, pomegranate seeds and feta cheese over top of the lettuce wreath.