Mexican Christmas Eve Salad

Mexican Christmas Eve Salad (Ensalada de Noche Buena) is a delicious combination of lettuce, beets, fruit, and peanuts in a light orange vinaigrette. Serve it during the holidays or anytime!

This salad is so fresh and delicious, it’s really perfect for all occasions.

I’ve read a lot of recipes for Mexican Christmas Eve Salad, and each one contains different ingredients.

The only constant seems to be the beets.

Then the rest is up to you!

Since I love pineapple, I knew I had to include it in this salad.

And if you happen to have leftovers, you can make Fresh Pineapple Mojitos to go along with your meal.

But however you decide to serve this Mexican Christmas Eve Salad, it may become a new holiday tradition in your house, like it has in mine.

There are many variations on the Mexican Christmas Eve Salad or Ensalada de Noche Buena.

Some of the versions I saw have pomegranate seeds, and I knew I wanted to include them.

I’ve always enjoyed them in salads such as Pomegranate and Apple Kale Salad and Kale Quinoa Salad.

Other common ingredients I found are jicama and roasted peanuts.

I decided to use both for crunch.

In addition, most of the salads contain seasonal fruit which varies by region.

I saw bananas, plantains, oranges, apples, and pineapple, which is my choice for this version.

But feel free to use your favorite fruits when you make Mexican Christmas Eve Salad.

So what exactly is a Mexican Christmas Eve salad?

It’s whatever you want it to be!

Take some Romaine lettuce and beets, add some of your favorite ingredients, and dress it with an orange-flavored vinaigrette.

Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

And I’ll let you in on a little secret: I bought most of the ingredients pre-cut to save time.

I didn’t feel like cutting up a pineapple or jicama.

Plus I even bought some pre-cooked baby beets.

You’ll find these ready-to-serve options at most supermarkets these days, including Trader Joe’s.

Mexican Christmas Eve Salad goes well with lots of different dishes.

I had some friends over during the holidays and served this salad with other Mexican-inspired favorites.

It went really well with Soyrizo Potato Tacos with guacamole and fresh salsa on the side.

You could also offer your guests some Cauliflower Ceviche as an appetizer.

Or try your hand at making your own tamales using the instructions from Dora’s Table.

In addition, Dora has a delicious recipe for Jackfruit Vegan Pozole Rojo.

And for more vegan Mexican recipes, check out the cookbook Vegan Mexico.

Now let’s make Mexican Christmas Eve Salad!

Mexican Christmas Eve Salad (Ensalada de Noche Buena)

Mexican Christmas Eve Salad combines beets and colorful fruit in a light orange vinaigrette. Serve it during the holidays or anytime beets are in season.

5 from 1 vote

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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
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts

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

You can roast the beets in the oven or steam them. Or take a short cut and purchase pre-cooked beets.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 626mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 4140IU | Vitamin C: 62.8mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1.9mg

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