Holidays & Occasions Christmas Christmas Recipes Colorful Salad Recipes to Complete Your Christmas Menu By Southern Living Editors Updated on November 2, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling; Tina Bell Stamos When it comes to Christmas meals, we're typically thinking about all the helpings of ham or turkey and green bean casserole that we'll be enjoying. There's one other star of the Christmas table that doesn't get quite as much appreciation as it should: the Christmas salad. No holiday meal is complete without a classic recipe like cranberry salad gracing the table, and don't even get us started on all the possibilities for festive congealed salads. We don't know who originally thought to add gelatin to a salad, but they have our thanks. Make Grandma's heart sing with a retro Emerald Salad or swap out the typical cranberry salad for a Cranberry Fluff Salad instead. There's also plenty of opportunity to add a little extra green to the holiday spread. Try the Collard Green Salad with Oranges and Port-Soaked Cherries and thank us later. Even though Summer is the true winner for seasonal produce, there are still plenty of opportunities to use fresh winter produce in a salad. We love the Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad as a vibrant addition to the Christmas spread. Take part of the load off Mama's plate this year and offer to make one of these Christmas salad recipes. Be warned, your new signature dish might have a permanent place on the sideboard. 01 of 15 Christmas Salad Alison Miksch Recipe: Christmas Salad You can prep all the ingredients for this salad before the big Christmas feast, so the only thing you need do when it's time to eat is toss them all together with the warm vinaigrette. 02 of 15 Carla Hall's Warm Carrot Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing McCormick Recipe: Carla Hall's Warm Carrot Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing Root vegetables are a no-brainer addition to any holiday feast. The caramelized pineapple and crunchy apple chunks are a delicious topping with the lemon dressing. 03 of 15 Christmas Snow Salad Jennifer Causey Recipe: Christmas Snow Salad It wouldn't really be a holiday in a Southern home without a congealed salad in the buffet line. This creamy and fruity salad is a fun addition for kids and adults alike. 04 of 15 Quinoa Salad with Carrots and Sugar-Snap Peas Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Carrots and Sugar-Snap Peas Serve this salad as a light appetizer course before loading up plates with the holiday staples. You could even add a seasonal twist with dried cranberries and nuts as a topping. 05 of 15 Cranberry Fluff Salad Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Recipe: Cranberry Fluff Salad Not interested in a savory green salad for your Christmas spread? Don't worry, we've got you covered with this retro fluff salad. 06 of 15 Collard Green Salad with Oranges and Port-Soaked Cherries Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Collard Green Salad with Oranges and Port-Soaked Cherries Take advantage of citrus season this winter and show off the potential of raw collard greens in this sweet, tangy salad. The port-soaked cherries are the true stars of the show and add holiday molasses flavor to the dish. 07 of 15 Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad Add a pop of bright color to the menu with this salad that makes the most of in-season winter produce. 08 of 15 Classic Cranberry Salad Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Classic Cranberry Salad You can make this salad up to three days in advance and store it in the fridge until ready to be served. One Test Kitchen professional said this version was so much better than the canned option. 09 of 15 Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham Jen Causey Recipe: Classic Macaroni Salad with Ham Chances are that you've had this classic cold pasta dish. With a few chopped veggies and salty ham, you can't go wrong adding this to your holiday spread. 10 of 15 Molded Egg Salad Jennifer Causey Recipe: Molded Egg Salad You're sure to turn a few heads with this retro congealed salad on your appetizer table. Why not turn two classic Southern staples – egg salad and congealed salad – into a new dish? 11 of 15 Orange Sherbet Salad Jennifer Causey Recipe: Orange Sherbet Salad This was the first congealed salad recipe to appear in Southern Living, so it holds a special place in our cooking hearts. Serve it with your other holiday desserts for a throwback citrus moment this year. 12 of 15 Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith Recipe: Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad Candy cane beets would make for an extra festive presentation in this fresh salad. Arugula adds just the right amount of bite with the zesty vinaigrette on top. 13 of 15 Mama Mae's Ambrosia Salad Southern Living Recipe: Mama Mae's Ambrosia Salad It wouldn't really be a Southern holiday spread without ambrosia on the table. 14 of 15 Molded Cranberry Salad Hector M Sanchez Recipe: Molded Cranberry Salad This is possibly our favorite congealed salad recipe from the archives. It's a true beauty sitting on the Christmas table beside the ham and other side dishes. 15 of 15 Apple and Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans Sheri Giblin Recipe: Apple and Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans The flavor in this salad changes with every bite. It's like a choose-your-own-adventure for your taste buds. One moment you'll be enjoying a delicious crispy Granny Smith apple and next you'll get a kick of paprika from candied pecans. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit