Winter means don’t always have to be warm and hearty. Sometimes (like when it’s 80 degrees out in December) you just need something cool and light to enjoy. That’s where I’m at right now. This Cranberry Orange Pecan Salad takes the flavors of winter and puts them into salad form so that you get the best of both worlds.

For being a super flavorful, this salad is made with just a few ingredients and you can even make it ahead of time ‘salad jar’ style if you leave the dressing separate until you’re ready to enjoy. The dressing is good stuff too. I tried to get plenty of orange goodness in there to play well with the sweet of the dried cranberries and the sharp of the feta cheese.

If you are going to make this salad ahead of time, be sure to keep the salad dressing separate and store in a sealed container in the fridge. Other than that? This salad couldn’t be any more simple or tasty. Especially on these warm winter days. This could be served as a lunch or along side a warm soup for dinner!

As an aside, I used mandarin oranges here but a traditional orange would work just as well! I just happened to have some mandarins on hand and needed to use them up.

Step-by-Step Photos: