Wow your friends and family with this beautiful Pomegranate salad!
Pomegranate salad is loaded with fresh kale, apple, pomegranate, cranberries, & pecans topped with feta cheese in a tangy maple Dijon vinaigrette.
- Super healthy and light and refreshing, Pomegranate salad is an easy recipe that’s ready in minutes!
- Lots of colorful fruits and vegetables are garnished with cheese and nuts, making this the perfect salad to enjoy with any main dish.
- Pomegranate salad is loaded with nutritious flavors so make it a menu staple for good health and good eating all year long!
Ingredients for Pomegranate Salad
Greens – Kale is a sturdy green that has a lot of crunch! To make it tender, massage the leaves until they turn dark green. Other greens to choose from (or add) are arugula, spinach, mizuna, frisee, or any bag of mixed greens.
Fruit – Pomegranate arils are the star of this salad! Their bright red and shiny color add a pop of flavor that complements the other ingredients. Apples add crunch, color, and a fresh flavor.
Cheese – Feta is a dry cheese that’s creamy and a little salty. Blue cheese, goat cheese, and shaved pieces of parmesan cheese are also excellent options for cheese.
Pecans – Nuts are a great addition to salads as they add a rich, nutty flavor and a satisfying crunch. To enhance their flavor, it’s best to toast them.
How to Toast Nuts
To toast nuts, place the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until they become fragrant and golden brown. Once they have a rich nutty smell, remove them from the skillet to cool. This works well with seeds too.
Dressing for Pomegranate Salad
The homemade dressing in this recipe is the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. If substituting store bought dressing, poppyseed dressing or honey mustard dressing are good options!
How to Make Pomegranate Salad
- Prepare the dressing (per recipe below).
- Slice apples & toss with lemon juice.
- Toss prepared kale in a large bowl with feta, green onions, & dressing.
- Add remaining ingredients & serve.
How to Prepare This Salad Ahead of Time
- This dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance.
- Kale can be washed days ahead of time, dried and refrigerated.
- Make the salad without the dressing, apples or nuts up to 24 hours ahead of time. These ingredients are best added just before serving.
- Unlike other greens, kale with salad dressing will keep well for a couple of days in the fridge. The apples may brown a little bit so you might need fresh apples if making ahead of time.
More Fresh Kale Favorites
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Pomegranate Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 cups kale washed, dried and torn into bite sized pieces
- 1 granny smith apple quartered and thinly sliced
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup feta cheese
- 1 cup toasted pecans
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon each salt & pepper
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
Dressing
- Combine all dressing ingredients except for the oil in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- While continuing to whisk, drizzle in the oil very slowly until well combined. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.
Salad
- Slice the apple and toss with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (optional, to prevent browning).
- Place the kale in a salad bowl and massage the leaves well with your hands until they turn dark green and soften. You can add a drop of oil to make this task easier if you'd like.
- Add the feta cheese, green onions, and dressing to taste. You may not use all of the dressing.
- Toss the ingredients well to combine. Top the salad remaining ingredients.
Notes
- Dressing: To emulsify the dressing, slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking. This will prevent the oil and vinegar from separating into layers as the dressing sits.
- Store any extra dressing in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
- Massaging the kale with your hands until it turns dark green (you can add a drop or so of oil if you’d like) will make it easier to eat and release a little bit of bitterness, resulting in better taste.
- When tossing the salad, add the green onions and feta to the dressing. Other ingredients, such as apples or tomatoes, should be added on top before serving. This will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the bowl.
- If using greens other than kale, toss the salad just before serving. If using kale, it can be tossed up to 12 hours ahead of time.
- If using a store-bought dressing, opt for a tangy sweet dressing like dijon vinaigrette, honey mustard dressing, citrus dressing, or balsamic dressing.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
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With the price of pomegranates these days, the recipe is more than I want to spend on a salad.
Hi Jacqueline, you could try substituting them for another fruit if you’d like. Enjoy!
I really enjoyed this salad and dressing. I did use spinach rather than kale. Will be having it again for dinner for the third time this week.
I am so happy to hear you are loving this salad as much as I do Nancy!