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Mexican Christmas Apple Salad

Name: Mexican Christmas Apple Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 200 g Pineapple; 100 g Walnuts; 200 ml Soured cream; 1 Pomegranate; 2 Beetroot; 2 Carrot; 3 Apple; 3 cdas Mayonnaise; 4 leaves Lettuce

45 min (25 prep + 20 cook) Easy 8 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 30 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Festive Christmas salad with apple, beetroot, pineapple, pomegranate and walnuts in soured cream. Mexico's most beloved Christmas side dish.

About this recipe

Mexican Christmas Apple Salad is the iconic side dish on Mexican Christmas Eve and Christmas tables. With apple, beetroot, pineapple, walnuts, soured cream and pomegranate seeds, it's a colourful and festive dish that combines sweet and creamy flavours in perfect harmony.

History & Origin

Mexican Christmas Apple Salad, also known as Ensalada de Nochebuena or Ensalada Navideña, is one of the most emblematic dishes of the December festivities in Mexico. Its presence on family tables is practically obligatory on 24th and 25th December, and its preparation marks the beginning of the Christmas celebrations in millions of Mexican households. The origins of this salad trace back to the gastronomic fusion that brought European influences to Mexico. Beetroot, apple and walnuts were ingredients that Spanish colonisers and later European communities settled in Mexico incorporated into the local cuisine. Over time, tropical ingredients such as pineapple and Mexican pomegranate were naturally integrated, giving rise to a truly mestizo recipe. The pomegranate, with its bright red seeds, is the most symbolic ingredient: its colours evoke Christmas decorations and add a crisp freshness that contrasts with the creaminess of the soured cream and mayonnaise. In many regions of the country, the salad also includes jícama, peanuts or banana, demonstrating the richness of regional variations. The preparation of this salad is a family ritual: children usually help peel the fruits while adults prepare the creamy dressing. The combination of sweet, tangy and creamy flavours makes it the perfect accompaniment to more substantial dishes such as salt cod, nopales with dried shrimp or Christmas turkey. Beyond its flavour, Mexican Christmas Apple Salad is a symbol of family togetherness and celebration: every family has their own version, passed down through the generations, making this dish a living and irreplaceable part of Mexico's Christmas culinary heritage.

Estimated cost

£7.00

Total cost

£0.88

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

180

Calories

Protein

24g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

120mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Cook the beetroot: wash the beetroots and boil them in salted water for 30-40 minutes until tender. Leave to cool completely, then peel and cut into small cubes.
💡 You can cook the beetroot the day before and refrigerate it to save time on Christmas Day.
2
Prepare the fruit and vegetables: peel and cut the apple into cubes the same size as the beetroot. Grate the carrot. Cut the pineapple into cubes. Remove the seeds from the pomegranate.
💡 Squeeze a little lemon juice over the apple to prevent it from browning.
3
Make the dressing: in a bowl, mix the soured cream with the mayonnaise until smooth and well combined. Season with a pinch of salt if desired.
💡 For a lighter version, you can replace some of the soured cream with natural yogurt.
4
Combine the ingredients: in a large bowl, mix together the apple, beetroot, pineapple, carrot and walnuts. Add the soured cream and mayonnaise dressing and fold together gently.
💡 Don't overmix so that the fruit and vegetable pieces keep their shape.
5
Arrange the serving dish: place lettuce leaves as a base on a large serving platter. Spoon the salad mixture on top and decorate generously with pomegranate seeds.
💡 Add the pomegranate seeds at the very end so they don't release their juice and turn the salad pink.
6
Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavours meld together. Serve cold as a side dish alongside the main Christmas courses.
💡 This salad improves if made a few hours ahead. Keep the pomegranate seeds separate and add them just before serving.