The holiday season in Southern Utah has been full of traditions throughout the years, but one that has continued to this day is Dixie Salad. It began with the desire of early women in Southern Utah to present some beauty to the dry desert inhabitants during the holiday season.
About 20 years after the first Mormon members were sent to settle St. George, life finally became a little easier. The people had enough food, homes, and continually worked to make a good life for themselves. The women in the community began a club where they could meet together and stay updated on the world. It was difficult living here, far away from the rest of American civilization. They pooled their money to buy a subscription to Godey’s Lady’s Book, which gave them ideas to improve their social life in the desolate desert. They read the recipes in each issue hoping they could make a delectable dish someday. The western territories were sorely lacking in such ingredients included in these recipes. However, one recipe could be recreated with a few adjustments; a salad, which women in the Eastern states had adopted from the people of France. That holiday season the ladies decided to make the dish the highlight of their holiday feast. The original recipe listed lettuce, but they didn’t have any good lettuce available to them, so they had to get creative. The recipe called for whipped cream, along with sugar and vanilla which they did have. The rest of the salad was supposed to be made with as many colorful fruits as possible, to make it “a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.” Almonds and pecans were also in the ingredient list. But all they had were walnuts, so they threw those into the salad along with apples.
The women wanted to make this dish special for their families, so they added vibrant pomegranates; to give a hint of beauty that only those ruby kernels can. The salad was a colorful surprise that became a distinctive tradition, and was known as “Dixie Salad”, on account of St. George’s nickname. It is still a staple at Southern Utah Thanksgiving tables today.
Each Thanksgiving when this unique salad graces the tables of St. George, each person should pause for a moment and give thanks for those resilient settlers who tamed the desert and brought about a delicious dessert that has lasted generations.
Dixie Salad
Many families have their own twist on the Dixie Salad. This recipe was passed down from my grandma who grew up in St. George.
2-3 diced apples
½ C. chopped pecans
2-3 pomegranates (1-2 cups of pomegranate kernels, depending on preference)
1 ½ C. Whipped Cream (add some vanilla)
Combine apples and pomegranates. Whip the cream until frothy and light. Add powdered sugar to sweeten. Mix whipped cream with the apples and pomegranates. Add the pecans at the end and mix them into the salad. Serve immediately and enjoy!
The salad was a colorful surprise that became a distinctive tradition...known as “Dixie Salad”, on account of St. George’s nickname.