• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Veggies Save The Day
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Vegan Fall Recipes
  • eBooks
  • Guide
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Spring
  • eBooks
  • FREE Guide
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Spring
    • eBooks
    • FREE Guide
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Vegan Salad Recipes

    Mexican Christmas Eve Salad (Ensalada de Nochebuena)

    By: Amy Katz · Published: Dec 3, 2018 · Last modified: Dec 3, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe - Print - Pin
    Special diet: gluten-free, soy-free, vegan
    Bowl of composed salad and close up of tossed salad.

    Colorful Mexican Christmas Eve Salad (Ensalada de Nochebuena) is a delicious combination of lettuce, beets, and fruit served with a light orange vinaigrette. While traditionally consumed at the holidays, you'll want to enjoy this dish all year long.

    Close up of salad topped with beets, pineapple, jicama, and peanuts.

    Since Mexico is a large country with numerous regional cuisines, there isn't just one authentic recipe for this holiday salad. Instead you can choose your favorite components and make it your own.

    And if you start with beets that are already cooked and prep the fruit in advance, you can enjoy this festive starter in under 15 minutes.

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Tip
    • Instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Storing
    • FAQ
    • More fruity salads
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • It's a unique Christmas salad.
    • You can prep the components in advance.
    • The dressing only requires 3 ingredients.

    Ingredients

    Salad next to bowl of pineapple spears, jicama, beets, and pomegranate seeds.

    For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    For the vinaigrette, you will need olive oil, red wine vinegar, and orange juice.

    For the salad, you will need Romaine lettuce (or your favorite greens) and beets. Then choose options such as pineapple, jicama, pomegranate seeds, and roasted peanuts.

    You may also see versions of this holiday salad with bananas, plantains, oranges, and/or apples.

    Tip

    While raw beets can be prepared by roasting them in the oven or steaming them, I recommend taking a short cut and purchasing pre-cooked beets.

    Instructions

    Pouring dressing over a salad.
    1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake well.
    2. Compose each salad by layering the ingredients on salad plates or in shallow bowls.
    3. When ready to eat, pour the dressing over each salad.
    Pages from the Easy Vegan Holiday Recipes eBook.

    Serving suggestions

    Plate of salad tossed with the dressing.

    This Christmas salad pairs well with other Mexican-inspired dishes. But you can also serve it with any of your holiday favorites.

    • Soyrizo Potato Tacos (Vegan)
      Soyrizo Potato Tacos (Vegan)
    • Guacamole served in the shape of a Christmas wreath garnished with cherry tomatoes and cilantro.
      Christmas Guacamole Wreath Appetizer
    • Bowl of cauliflower ceviche surrounded by tortilla chips.
      Vegan Cauliflower Ceviche
    • Platter of veggie fajitas ready to be served
      Easy Sheet Pan Vegan Fajitas

    And for more authentic recipes, I recommend the blog Dora's Table. Dora has delicious recipes for Jackfruit Vegan Pozole Rojo, homemade tamales, and more.

    In addition, I am a big fan of the cookbook Vegan Mexico by vegan chef Jason Wyrick.

    Vegan Mexico By Jason Wyrick

    • Vegan regional Mexican recipes
    • Includes mains, soups, spreads, sandwiches, breads, desserts, snacks, and more
    • Learn to make delicious and authentic dishes
    Buy from Amazon

    Storing

    Once the dressing is added to the salad, it should be consumed right away. If you have any leftover dressing, it can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

    FAQ

    What is the best way to cook beets?

    Beets can be steamed, boiled, or roasted. This article How to Cook Beets gives directions and tips for each of these methods.

    What is jicama?

    Jicama is a root vegetable with brown skin and a white interior. It can be eaten raw, and the flavor is similar to apple, but not as sweet.

    Can plantains be eaten raw?

    If you choose to include raw plantains in your salad, choose ripe ones with peels that are almost completely black.

    More fruity salads

    • Bowl of broccoli salad with halved grapes and diced apples.
      Vegan Broccoli Grape Salad without Mayo
    • Bowl of relish surrounded by raw cranberries, a green apple, and pecans.
      Cranberry Apple Relish Sweetened with Dates
    • Bowl of carrot and orange salad surrounded by sprigs of fresh cilantro and mint
      Moroccan Carrot and Orange Salad
    • Bowl of wild rice salad with a paisley napkin and fruit in the background.
      Wild Rice Salad with Apples

    And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.

    If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★

    📋 Recipe

    Bowls of salad with gold forks.

    Mexican Christmas Eve Salad (Ensalada de Nochebuena)

    Colorful Mexican Christmas Eve Salad (Ensalada de Nochebuena) is a delicious combination of lettuce, beets, and fruit with an orange dressing.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate Email recipe + ingredient list
    Special diet: gluten-free, soy-free, vegan
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 405kcal
    Author: Amy Katz

    Ingredients

    For the dressing:

    • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 1 Tablespoon orange juice
    • salt and pepper, to taste

    For the salad:

    • 2 cups Romaine lettuce, cut in strips
    • 2 small beets, cooked, cooled, and sliced
    • 1 cup fresh pineapple, cubed
    • 1 cup jicama, cubed
    • ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
    • ¼ cup roasted salted peanuts
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Combine the salad dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake well.
    • Divide the lettuce and other salad ingredients between two bowls or salad plates.
    • Drizzle the dressing over the salads and serve immediately.

    Notes

    • While raw beets can be prepared by roasting them in the oven or steaming them, I recommend taking a short cut and purchasing pre-cooked beets.
    • For variation, add other fruits such as bananas, plantains, oranges, and/or apples.
    • Once the dressing is added to the salad, it should be consumed right away. 
    • If you have any leftover dressing, it can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
     
    SUBSCRIBE to Veggies Save The DaySign up today! JOIN BY CLICKING HERE

    Nutrition

    Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 647mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 4186IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

    More Vegan Salad Recipes

    • Serving bowl of Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, green bell pepper, Kalamata olives, and tofu feta.
      Vegan Greek Salad
    • Bowl of tofu feta.
      4 Ingredient Vegan Tofu Feta
    • Two sandwich halves stacked on a plate with a pickle next to them.
      Vegan Tuna Salad
    • Large salad bowl with chickpeas, herbs, tomatoes, onions, olives, and tofu feta cubes.
      25 Sensational Salads Without Lettuce
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    About Amy

    Amy Katz is a vegan recipe developer, photographer, and Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach. She loves sharing delicious plant-based Mediterranean diet recipes that home cooks of all levels can enjoy. Her easy vegan recipes have been featured on HuffPost, LIVESTRONG, Healthline, Parade, VegNews, BuzzFeed, MSN, Greatist, Country Living, Insider, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in Orange County, California with the love of her life, Brad, and their adorable black cat, Ozzy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah Cummings

      January 27, 2019 at 9:40 pm

      I'm a salad lover and you know what this recipe look so good! I'll try for sure this one of!❤️❤️❤️

      Reply
    2. Becky Striepe

      December 03, 2018 at 8:24 am

      5 stars
      Ooh this looks so good! I've been trying to eat more salads lately, and I'm all about the beets in this one.

      Reply

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Amy in a kitchen holding a cut avocado in her hands.

    Hi, I'm Amy! As a Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach, my passion is creating vegan Mediterranean diet recipes to inspire everyone to choose plant-based meals more often. At Veggies Save The Day you'll find simple delicious recipes that are easy to make any night of the week.

    More about me →

    Spring

    • Bowl of cabbage salad with cut lemon and serving utensils.
      Lemony Savoy Cabbage Salad (Without Mayo)
    • Bowl of carrot and orange salad surrounded by sprigs of fresh cilantro and mint
      Moroccan Carrot and Orange Salad
    • Bowl of soup with blue napkin
      Creamy Vegan Orzo Soup with Chickpeas
    • White bowl containing Lemon Dairy Free Pasta Sauce with aqua basket of lemons and parsley in the background
      Lemon Dairy Free Pasta Sauce
    • Bowl of roasted mushrooms garnished with pine nuts, parsley, and a lemon wedge
      Roasted Baby Bella Mushrooms
    • Bowl of Matcha Balls with one in front with a bite taken out of it.
      Matcha Balls

    Most Popular

    • Bowl of turmeric rice garnished with fresh cilantro
      Mediterranean Yellow Rice
    • Bowl of spaghetti and tomato sauce garnished with fresh herbs
      15 Minute Tomato Paste Pasta Sauce
    • Pineapple Green Smoothie
      Pineapple Green Smoothie
    • Serving bowl of green beans and mushrooms with gold utensils
      Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms
    • Overhead of white bowl filled with vegetable soup
      Easy Vegan Vegetable Soup
    • Green chia pudding with kiwi, mango, and banana in a glass
      5 Easy Breakfast Chia Pudding Recipes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    Meet Amy

    Privacy Policy

    Accessibility Policy

    Resources

    FREE Guide

    eBooks

    Keep in touch!

    Join the Facebook group

    Follow on Instagram

    Buy Me a Coffee

    As seen in

    Logos for HuffPost, LIVESTRONG.com, healthline, Insider, VegNews, CountryLiving, Well+Good, Better by Today, Brit+Co, Women's Health, BuzzFeed, Parade, Greatist, Everyday Health, MSN, and Tasty.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Veggies Save The Day |  Unauthorized use and/or duplication of material without express and written permission from this site's owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Veggies Save The Day with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.