Christmas Green Salad Recipe with Colorful Cheese Balls
An incredible and refreshing recipe for a Christmas green salad with dried fruits and nuts, topped with delicious cheese balls that will steal the show.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the salad:
- 2 piece seasonal green mixed salads
- 1 bunch wild rocket
- 1/2 teacup dried cranberries
- 1 piece Florina pepper or any other red bell pepper
- 8 piece dried figs cut into thin slices
- 1 piece orange peeled and cut into small squares
- 2 tbsps pumpkin seed
- 2 tbsps Aegina pistachios coarsely chopped
For the Dressing:
- 1/2 teacup olive oil
- 3 - 4 tbsps balsamic
- 2 tbsps honey
- 4 tbsps fresh orange juice
- 1 κ.γ. mild mustard
- 1/2 κ.γ. salt
Ingredients for the colorful cheese balls:
- 300 grams mascarpone
- 200 grams feta cheese
- 2 tbsps walnuts ground like powder
- freshly ground pepper
Coating for the cheese balls:
- 100 grams Aegina pistachios or other pistachios coarsely chopped
- 2 - 3 tbsps parsley finely chopped, just the leaves
- 1 teacup cranberries
Instructions
- Start by preparing the cheese balls so that they have time to chill in the refrigerator.
- Crumble the feta cheese into a bowl and add the mascarpone cheese, ground walnuts, and a dash of freshly ground pepper. Mix well until the cheeses form a tight mixture.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours until the mixture firms up. Meanwhile, prepare the coating by combining all the coating ingredients in a shallow dish and mixing well.
- Remove the cheese mixture from the refrigerator and shape it into balls the size of a large walnut using your hands. Roll the balls in the prepared coating, making sure they are well covered.
- Once the cheese balls are coated, arrange them on a platter and place them in the refrigerator until it's time to serve.
- For the salad, thoroughly wash the greens and arugula, drain them, and spread them on a platter. Place the green pepper and Florina pepper, cut into small squares, along with the orange pieces on top.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix with a whisk until the ingredients are well combined and the dressing thickens. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat.
- Sprinkle the sliced figs, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and Aegina pistachios over the entire surface of the salad. Arrange the prepared cheese balls on top of the salad and serve immediately.
Notes
Bonus Tips:
- Always add the dressing to the salad just before serving to prevent the acidic ingredients like vinegar and fruit juices from wilting the greens.
- You can substitute dried cranberries with raisins and Aegina pistachios with any other favorite nuts or white and black sesame seeds.