Orange, Spiced Walnut and Dried Cranberry Salad

LOVE the salad and so did my guests. For 4 people I only used 2 oranges but I made everything else full recipe and we ate it all. Pretty, yummy and healthy!

• babybear

• Boston, MA

• 1/9/2015

Made this salad twice already and had great reviews. I did make some changes to it as I thought the cranberry mixture was too sweet. 1. Did not add the sugar to the nuts. 2. Increased the water to 1 cup and omited the cranberry juice. 3. Added a handful of fresh cranberries to the dry ones. 4. Added a tablespoon of lemon juice at the end of cooking the cranberry mixture. Used a combination of almonds and hazelnuts as I did not have any walnuts in the house. Making it again this weekend. Definite keeper.

• gospodina

• Connecticut

• 2/6/2014

This has become my go-to Thanksgiving/Christmas salad. Festive, easy, elegant, and yummy. Everyone in the family, from toddlers to great-grandparents, loves it.

• carolgundlach

• Alabama

• 11/27/2013

This will be the fourth Christmas I have made this oustanding and simple salad for our family dinner. It is refreshing, beautifully complements the main dishes on your holiday table, doesn't get limp or soggy like a lettuce-based salad, and uses easy-to-find ingredients that are in season in the winter. Five forks for sure!

• pealully

• Kingston, Canada

• 12/23/2011

This was a wonderful, easy recipe. Tasted great and looked beautiful! The different textures were fantastic. I used clementines as someone else had suggested and plated everything on a crisp white square platter. I also garnished with the mint leaves in the center. (flower pattern)

• taravat

• 长岛

• 11/24/2011

I just remembered that I added something to the recipe, balsamic vinegar. I didn't measure, but probably about a tablespoon to the syrup. I also would use less water when cooking the cranberries. I would have preferred the syrup less diluted when poured over the orange slices.

• CarolVu

• Overland Park, KS

• 5/31/2011

I just made this recipe yesterday for a barbeque we were invited to. People were still raving about it when we packed up to leave. I made a double recipe on a large flat platter, and people kept going back for more till it was all gone. I was asked many times what it was called, what the spice was, where did I get the recipe. Comments were made about the beautiful presentation, and one person said, "I can't stop eating this." It looks gorgeous on the plate, tastes fabulous on the palate, and is very easy to make. People were also speculating about how it would taste with other fruits, like pineapple and even apples. I think I would lightly cook apples if I used them. Fabulous recipe. Make with confidence that it will get rave reviews.

• CarolVu

• Overland Park, KS

• 5/31/2011

This is such a simple show-stopper. It is perfect for winter entertaining - it looks great on the table and tastes even better. I didn't make any changes to the recipe.

• KateKomis

• Arlington, VA

• 1/9/2011

this is actually a little unfair as a review, because i jut made the walnuts for a separate recipe - baby greens salad with dried cranberries, blue cheese crumbles and walnuts with balsamic vinaigrette - but couldn't resist saying how excellent the walnuts turned out. I baked for half of the time, then switched out the parchment paper - removing the sticky piece, and putting the walnuts on the clean paper for the remainder of the time, and they were really crispy and perfect for the salad. definitely a keeper.

• mmkoppel

• minneapolis, MN

• 11/28/2009

Absolutely love this- I made it one year for Christmas morning and I haven't stopped since. Very refreshing and a nice change from standard fruit salad offered at any brunch. Be careful to cook the walnuts very well drained as another poster said- they really need to crunch! I usually use pecans instead- I just prefer them over walnuts.

• podsnel

• NJ

• 11/19/2009

This recipe is simplicity at its finest! What an outstanding, flavorful, and beautifully colorful dish--the perfect addition to any holiday (or other!) table! If I made this recipe again, though, I would just toast the walnuts, rather than coating then in the honey and spices (so I'd just add the honey and spices directly to the cranberry mixture). It seemed that the honey/spice mixture didn't adhere all that well to the nuts anyway, and you'd pick up the flavor of the spices, etc. in the cranberry mixture--it would just eliminate one step and make this recipe even easier! Also, instead of allspice (which was mysteriously missing from my spice rack), I used a blend of cardamom, coriander, and cinnamon--divine.

• jesskling

• 12/22/2008

A refreshing addition to a Thanksgiving feast! I cut the time for roasting the nuts (14-15 min.) It's easy to burn them so watch carefully. Otherwise, so easy and so delicious!

• Anonymous

• Hendersonville, NC

• 12/1/2008

Fantastic contrasting crunch. I used clementines instead of regular oranges.

• feedmetothesleep

• 1/29/2008

This is a fabulous salad to lighten and sharpen up a stodgy main. I served it last night with tourtiere and it was terrific.

• Anonymous

• Toronto

• 4/9/2007

Beautiful and delicious salad for any time of year. As others have said, a perfect complement to a heavy main dish. I served this with the Braised Lamb Shanks with Fennel, Star Anise and Port and the Gorgonzola Polenta from this site - a super-rich combination. This salad was a refreshing, colorful counterpoint that married perfectly with the flavors in the lamb. Make the walnuts and cranberries a day in advance if you're entertaining.

• Anonymous

• Brooklyn, NY

• 12/27/2006