If you are looking for a gorgeous fresh side salad for the holidays, look no further: this easy Pomegranate Side Salad is all you need.
It’s gorgeous, so easy to pull together, and it makes for the perfect side at any holiday table. You know I love my holiday pomegranates! So if you’re looking for an easy Thanksgiving side salad or easy Christmas side dish, make this salad!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I personally love this recipe because it’s fresh and easy to make, and it makes a statement on the table because it looks so pretty. We tend to focus so much on the cooked sides and main courses, which is great, but we forget about the healthy stuff.
This pomegranate salad also hits all the flavors for me: crunchy, sweet, salt, and creamy. I’m always craving a palette cleanser in between all that yummy food! If you ask me, a vibrant and crispy salad is much more enticing than a casserole of soggy green beans – and the salad requires no cooking 😉
Aside from not having to cook anything, I think you’ll love the simplicity of this salad, plus the fact that you can so easily substitute ingredients. Pick up some pre-washed greens from the grocery store to make your life even easier. Lots of grocery stores even have pomegranate seeds ready to go for you so you don’t need to go through the trouble of extracting the seeds from the pomegranate (but if you need to do that, I have a video for you here).
I think you’ll also love the salad because it doesn’t require you to heat anything up, so your host will be grateful that you don’t need to use up oven space during that chaotic time while the bird rests and all the sides get cooked. In short, you’re welcome 🙂
Ingredients
Here are the basic ingredients you’ll need for this salad:
- greens: 6 cups of mixed greens (I used spring mix and arugula)
- fruit: sliced pears, sliced apples, pomegranate seeds
- crunchy items: pumpkin seeds, walnuts
- creamy items: goat cheese, dressing (store-bought vinaigrette is fine, or use my easy recipe, below)
Feel free to substitute as much of this as you like! I enjoy a blend of sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy, so you can use that as a framework. Different nuts, feta cheese, different fruits…you get the idea! You know I love my pomegranates because of all of the benefits they offer, so they’re a staple for me.
How to Make This Pomegranate Salad
You’ll be so happy with how easy this salad comes together! Just start with chopping up your pear and apples into thin slices.
Next, grab a large bowl, and place all the greens into the bowl, and fan out your pear and apple slices in any pattern you choose (I like this one):
Finally, add your toppings. I used pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pomegranates, and goat cheese. That’s it! You can serve this with a store-bought dressing, or make your own dressing.
If you choose to make your own dressing, here’s my recipe:
Olive Oil and Herb Dressing for Pomegranate Salad
Here are the ingredients I used for my salad dressing (again, feel free to substitute herbs or anything else, just stick to the basics of the amount of liquid):
- liquids: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey
- herbs and spices: sage, thyme, salt, pepper
Just chop up your herbs and place all ingredients in a small blender, bullet, or mason jar (which is what I did). Blend or shake vigorously, and voila! You have a delicious and simple dressing that compliments the salad perfectly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute ingredients in this salad?
Yes! That’s what makes this recipe so versatile. Use any greens you like (just stick with the measurements indicated, or scale appropriately if you double the batch). Use any crunchy items, such as cashews, pecans, etc. You can also use any creamy cheese (or no cheese at all), any fruit you like, and any dressing. I like to keep the elements of sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy, but you do you!
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
This salad is best served right away because it’s so fresh, but if you want to prep the greens and add them to a bowl a day ahead, you can. Just wait until the day of to add your toppings, since sometimes crunchy toppings get soggy sitting in the refrigerator for too long.
Lastly…
If you love this recipe and are looking for other recipes with pomegranates, try my Spiced Holiday Fudge recipe. If you need more sides that would be great for fall or Thanksgiving, try my Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, my Gluten-Free Butternut Squash Ravioli, or my Sweet Potato Gnocchi. If you like salads, give my Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad a try.
And if you make this recipe, please leave me a comment telling me how you liked it!
Pomegranate Side Salad
8-10
servings5
minutes0
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
6 cups mixed salad greens (I used spring mix and arugula)
1 pear, sliced thin
2 small apples (or one large), sliced thin
1/2 cup pomegranates
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup walnuts
4 oz. goat cheese (see note)
- Seasonal Fresh Dressing for Pomegranate Salad:
1 cup olive oil or avocado oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs (I used thyme and sage)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions
- Rinse your salad greens, and place them in a large bowl. Slice your fruit very thin, and fan them out around the top of your salad in any pattern that looks beautiful to you (I chose to do two rows of pear, two rows of apple).
- Top with the pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds, then use a spoon or butter knife to spread small bits of goat cheese around the top of the salad. Serve with a dressing of your choice, or make my seasonal fresh dressing (see below).
- Seasonal Fresh Dressing for Pomegranate Salad
- Place all ingredients in a small blender, bullet, or mason jar with a lid. Blend or shake vigorously until ingredients are mixed well. Drizzle over your pomegranate salad, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use any creamy cheese you like here, such as feta. You can also substitute any of the crunchy items with other foods such as pecans, pistachios, or cashews. Fruit can be substituted as well. Just be sure to stick to the measurements indicated.
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