Between the turkey, the trimmings, the cookies & pie it is so easy to forget or overlook a big holiday salad. Almost blatantly easy. Well, what if we assemble a salad, shaped like a giant, festive wreath & pack it with all the yummies? Oh what fun! And yes, I (still) like to play with my food. Never quite outgrew it. Arugula makes for the perfect wreath circle & we can easily adorn it with cherry tomatoes, gooseberries, or cranberries; basically whatever you have at hand that would create a pop of color.

Now let’s figure out the middle. I tried to think about a few of my favorite things and what goes well together; & I basically found myself peeling back on the Mediterranean half of my heritage. I decided on artichokes, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, chives, pepitas, & cranberries. A touch of goat feta would also play out nicely. And because it’s a holiday salad I threw in pepitas & a few dry cranberries. The tart/sweetness of the dry cranberries plays off nicely against the perfectly salty sun-dried tomatoes or the goat feta, if you decide to use any.

The other neat thing about this festive little salad is that you can plate them individually; which virtually takes no time & is way easier than it looks. Or you could opt for a family size wreath and everyone can help themselves. I think the second option is what am going to go for. I like the idea of a giant wreath-shaped salad sitting on my holiday table. It also depends on how you like to serve your food; whether plated in the kitchen or Italian style meals where the spread is out on the table & everyone builds their own plate. I find the latter a lot less stressful. I also like the fact everyone can put as much (or as little) of each item depending on what they enjoy.

So giddy up, there’s only 12 more days left until Christmas. I assure you this easy, savory salad will be right up your guest’s alley! It also makes for a beautiful little addition to your holiday table- an edible wreath of deliciously marinated greens & veggies!