Stunning Festive Salads

Below are my round-up of celebration salads that will proudly sit on any festive table or harvest style tables.

These salads are special and definitely have a “WOW” factor quality about them.

They are also:

  • easy to make
  • most parts can be made ahead
  • use mostly everyday ingredients
  • full of colour, texture and flavour

Parsnip, Pear & Radicchio Salad with Blue Cheese

A wonderful vibrant salad to celebrate!

Golden roasted parsnips, sweet honey and pear and the lovely contrasting bitterness of Italian radicchio & rocket leaves.

Make this: 

  • if you have little time but still want something stunning
  • if you are roasting other dishes anyway

Serving Suggestions:

  • serve with a really good sourdough loaf or focaccia

Why not push the boat really out by baking your own focaccia? I have a few very easy focaccia recipes on my site:

Time Saving Tips: 

  • every element of the salad (roasting the walnuts & parsnips & making the dressing) can be made ahead.
  • buy a salad pack with lots of different types of leaves in it, one like this Italian Salad with the lovely radicchio leaves in it.
  • you can substitute the pear with ripe peaches or nectarines.

Black Rice & Cauliflower Salad with Crunchy Turmeric Nut Dressing

Crazy delicious salad with chewy black rice, crunchy cauliflower and the most delicious nutty spiced honey-fried almond dressing!

A vibrant, nutty salad with a crunchy and very moorish Indian vibe spiced dressing. A little IG video x

Make this when you: 

  • want a salad as a main dish
  • have time on your hands
  • want to feed a crowd
  • impress the ‘braai’ crowd with something other than a potato salad 🙂

Time Saving Tips: 

  • every element of this salad can be made ahead, just make sure you season the rice well with extra virgin olive oil
  • at a push – you can buy those ready-cooked wholegrain pouches

Serving Suggestions: 

F L A T B R E A D S period!

Roasted Beetroot Salad with Rocket, Peppers and Fresh Pomegranates

I LOVE the textures and flavours of this quick and super easy salad. The addition of fresh new season organic pomegranates is such a treat! 

Make this: 

  • when you are looking for something fresh & light
  • if looking for a classic flavour combination

Serving Suggestions:

  • perfect next to roasted or bbq’d anything
  • while the braai is on – why not throw some aubergines on the hot coals and make my baba ganoush – such a good plan!
  • easy flatbreads filled with the salad, baba ganoush and something braai’d – when you know you know…

Pumpkin & Butter Bean Salad with Coriander Yogurt & Pickled Chillies

Spice roasted pumpkin with crispy butterbeans, silky & vibrant coriander dressing and sweet pickled chillies.

Vibrant salad that is delicious and easy to make. I love to make this when the first autumn pumpkins arrive but you can make this with butternut in the summer too.

Make this when you: 

  • are looking for a hearty salad that can double up as a main
  • have leftover grains like quinoa, black rice or sorghum 
  • want to serve a salad warm

Time Saving Tips: 

  • every element of this salad can be made ahead, just make sure you season the grain (sorghum in this pic) well with extra virgin olive oil
  • at a push – you can buy those ready-cooked wholegrain pouches

Roasted Grapes and Fennel Salad with Pistachios & Mint

A delicious and fresh tasting salad with lots of flavours and textures and ready in just 30 minutes!

If you have never roasted grapes before you are in for a treat, in this recipe I roasted grapes with some olive oil, caraway and fennel seeds and the result is something quite special, sweet and aromatic.

Make this when you: 

  • want an unusual salad that people will talk about
  • only have 30-minutes to rustle something up

Time Saving Tips:

  • the grapes and dressing can be made 2 days ahead

Serving Suggestions:

I made this salad recently as part of a wonderful spread! I wrote all about it here in this post. Served with my spanakopita and slow-roasted peppers filled with capers and olives – heavenly lunch.