10 Delicious and Easy Salads for the Festive Season.

Last Updated on: 30th November 2023, 08:18 am

With the festive season comes warm weather, summer holidays, Christmas, New Year’s celebrations, and lots of BBQs. If you’ve been asked to bring a salad to a party, it can be tricky to decide what to bring. However, you can do a few things to make it easier.

First, you could ask what the host plans to cook. This will help you determine if you need to align flavours, if a more substantial salad would be best, or if you have free reign to make what you feel.

Next, keep reading, as I have you covered with a variety of delicious and easy salads, including some which can be made in advance.

Photo by Nicole Herrero on Unsplash

Beetroot Salad with Pomegranate and Pistachio

This salad is so bright and colourful with the beetroot and pomegranate.  It is a beautiful addition to a festive table and will go well with other dishes being served.

You won’t have the depth of flavour as you do with a roasted beetroot, but if you don’t have time to cook beetroots, try using store bought ones (not in vinegar) as they will be quicker to prepare.

You can make this salad 1 to 2 days ahead and store it in the fridge. The dressing can be stored in screw top jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Check out this helpful video to learn how to choose a ripe pomegranate and open one without making (too much) mess.

Caprese Salad

Who doesn’t love a good Caprese salad? In summer, when the tomatoes are deliciously ripe and juicy combining them with fresh mozzarella and basil is simply delicious. This classic Italian dish is a perfect addition to any BBQ or summer party, and will surely be a crowd pleaser.

Caprese salad can be quite time consuming if you want to make a platter with alternate tomato, mozzarella and basil, or you can make it like this recipe and it will be prepared very quickly.

Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad

If you’re looking for a grain-free version of the classic Middle Eastern Tabbouleh, then this recipe is perfect for you. Instead of using bulgur, it uses finely ground cauliflower, mixed with tomatoes, cucumber, spring onion, mint and parsley. This dish is a great addition to any party table and tastes delicious when served with chicken Shwarma, hommus, and flatbread.

This salad can be made a day ahead, it will benefit from being made early as it develops more flavours. Cover and store prepared salad in the fridge.

Niçoise Salad

Salade Niçoise is a classic salad that originated from Nice, France. It is commonly made with tuna, hard boiled eggs, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and the best olives you can find. This is perfect when you need to bring a more substantial salad to a party or BBQ.

Items you could prep the day before and store in the fridge:

• The dressing store it in a screw top jar.
• Eggs could be boiled and left in their shells.
• Potatoes could be cooked and left whole.

Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash

Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Rocket

This is a straightforward salad, but it is pretty flavorful, thanks to the addition of crumbled blue cheese.  It is beautiful served with a steak (beef and blue cheese go well together) or other simple flavours. This recipe has a lovely honey mustard dressing, but if you would like something simpler, you can drizzle with walnut oil instead.

Czech Potato Salad

Potato salad is a delicious dish that is often served at BBQ’s and outdoor parties. This version of the salad is made with potatoes, eggs, carrots, peas, dill pickles, and mayonnaise, which make it so tasty. It is a perfect side dish to accompany any BBQ fare, but if your host is serving schnitzel, this is definitely the salad you should bring.

This whole salad can be made the day ahead and stored in the fridge. Cook the potatoes the day before you make the salad so they can cool completely.

Greek Salad

Greek salad is a delicious addition to any party table. It’s made with fresh summer tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, feta, and Kalamata olives. Please look for the best quality olives and feta you can find. This recipe features a delicious vinaigrette dressing, but feel free to use olive oil if you prefer. If you are unsure which salad to make, you can’t go wrong with Greek Salad.

Chopped Spring Green Salad

This is a deliciously fresh salad of crispy greens topped with a lemony feta dressing.  It’s a quick recipe that’s perfect for taking to a party or BBQ. To keep the greens crispy, store the salad and dressing separately until just before serving, then combine them together.

Photo by Jonathan Ybema on Unsplash

Vietnamese Chicken and Mint Salad

Delicious fresh flavours of a Vietnamese salad combining chilli, garlic, lime juice and fish sauce. The dish is completed by adding chicken, crispy cabbage, carrots and refreshing mint. It’s perfect for a summer day and a great addition to any party.

Mexican Salad with Corn & Black Beans

This salad is perfect for adding a pop of colour and flavour to any summer BBQ or party. It is made with black beans, corn, coriander, and capsicum, then finished with a garlic and feta or Cotija cheese dressing. This salad will pair well with whatever is cooking on the BBQ.

I hope this has given you some inspiration and a recipe for your next BBQ, party, Christmas or New Year’s function. If you try any of these recipes, please let me know in the comments. Additionally, if you have a go-to salad you take to functions, please share it with us.