We believe pomegranate to be one of the world’s most extraordinary foods. Each bright pink seed pops and crunches with an appealing sweet-tart flavor. In addition to eating them straight from the bag, what is our preferred method of consuming them? Salad with pomegranates! Pomegranate seeds add a delightful crunch and a splash of color to a plate of greens. The addition of goat cheese or feta crumbles, toasted walnuts, and tart green apple slices creates a flavorful symphony. We recommend either an apple cider vinegar dressing or a pomegranate vinaigrette, two of the many available options. Okay, so let’s begin!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Yield: 4
The Key Ingredients of a Pomegranate Salad
A pomegranate salad can be prepared in numerous ways. This is our go-to taste combination, but as you can see, the possibilities are practically unlimited! Several such variants will be discussed further down. To make this quick and simple side dish, you’ll need:
- We suggest harvesting the seeds from a new pomegranate.
- Shallots can be used in place of either the Granny Smith apple or the Granny Smith pear.
- Peanuts or almonds
- Salad mix
- Crumbles of goat cheese or feta cheese (optional).
- Vinaigrette with Apple Cider Vinegar or Pomegranate Juice
Make use of real pomegranate arils!
Nowadays, you can buy pomegranate seeds without having to extract them yourself. However, a fresh pomegranate, chopped and seeded by you, is the ideal choice for a pomegranate salad. Why? The pomegranate seeds you find in a fresh fruit are more superior. They barely last a day or so after being seeded, so don’t buy them in advance. Even worse, we’ve had several spoil before we could try them! So, the best option is to eat the fruit whole. Here’s the lowdown:
- The pomegranate should be cut into quarters and the seeds extracted into a dish of water. Avoid having pink splatters all over your kitchen by doing this! Here is a fantastically detailed guide on how to do it: see Pomegranate Cutter Instructions.
- Pomegranate seeds can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days, though they are at their peak freshness shortly after purchase. It should be seeded just before the salad is assembled.
Toss in some roasted or caramelized nuts for extra flavor.
Here’s a helpful hint: always toast your nuts before using them, such in this pomegranate salad that calls for them. It has a similar effect on the nutty flavor as salt has on savory items. And you can do it in under a minute! The change is noticeable in flavor.
Make some sweet, crunchy glazed pecans to sprinkle on top of this salad for extra flavor. It’s a great way to spice up a classic salad! Some examples of possible nuts to utilize are as follows:
- Pecans, either toasted or glazed
- Walnuts, either toasted or glazed
- Nuts: Almonds, toasted
- Pistachios: Pine Nuts, Especially When Toasted
Dress your salad with one of these delicious pomegranate dressings!
This pomegranate salad can be dressed in a wide variety of ways. In any case, dressing produced at home is the way to go. There are numerous excellent high-quality and organic salad dressings available today, so you may certainly use one of those if you’re in a need. We made two distinct salad dressings, and we have some additional ideas as well! Here are a few recipes for pomegranate salad dressings to try.
- Dressing made with apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil is deliciously sharp.
- Want to up the pomegranate in your vinaigrette? Pomegranate juice is the star ingredient in this tasty dressing.
- One of the best homemade dressings is balsamic vinaigrette, which is full of bold tart taste.
- The combination of pomegranate molasses and olive oil is a wonderful showcase for this unusual component. Olive oil and pomegranate molasses, a sweet and sour dressing, are used on the greens. Wow, that’s fantastic!
Recipes to Accompany Pomegranate Salad
This pomegranate salad is wonderful due to its adaptability. Since pomegranates flourish in the cooler months, this salad is best enjoyed in the fall or winter. But now that you can get it in more supermarkets, you may enjoy it whenever you choose! It’s the excellent finishing touch to a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal, or any other meal served during the fall and winter months. Some complementary dishes include:
- Vegetarians, give our Lasagna with Ricotta and Perfect Zucchini a try. (Gluten-free) lasagna
- Pasta: Try it with some creamy shrimp pasta, roasted eggplant pasta, or scallop pasta.
- Try it with pesto or a lemon caper sauce on broiled salmon.
- Vegan Shepherd’s Pie, Vegan Pot Pie, and the Best Vegetarian Meatloaf: What a Meal!
Non-Meat Alternative
Do you want a vegan version of this pomegranate salad? Not at all! You can easily make this vegetarian by leaving out the cheese. You won’t even be able to tell the difference! While some salads benefit from the addition of savory cheese, this one does just well without it.
This recipe is Vegan and devoid of gluten. You can make this dish vegan, vegetarian, and dairy-free by leaving out the cheese.
Quick Glances
Ingredients
- Seeds from one medium pomegranate, measuring one cup
- Shallot, One
- 1 apple or 1 Bosc pear, Granny Smith preferred
- 1/2 cup pecans, roasted or glazed* 1 recipe Salad Dressing Options: Pomegranate Vinaigrette, Apple Cider Vinegar, or Olive Oil with Pomegranate Molasses
- 3 ounces of salad greens (around 6 cups)
- Goat cheese, feta, or softened cream cheese (2 ounces; omit if vegan)
Instructions
- Prepare the pomegranate by cutting it open and removing the seeds.
- Slice the shallot very thinly. Cut the apple into thin slices (and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the bowl if you want to keep them from browning).
- Don’t forget to toast the pecans if you want to fully appreciate their nutty flavor. Make some glazed pecans as an alternative.
- Prepare the Pomegranate Vinaigrette or Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing.
- Prepare a dish for the salad. Add crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese, pomegranate seeds, sliced shallot, toasted nuts, and serve. Mix in as much or as little dressing as you choose. (Keep the leftover dressing in the fridge, and when ready to use, bring it to room temperature and whisk it again.)
Nutrition facts
- 17%Total Fat 13.6g
- Saturated Fat 3g
- 7%Total Carbohydrate 18.4g
- 19%Dietary Fiber 5.2g
- Sugars 11.6g
- 12%Protein 6.1g
- 28%Vitamin A 253.7µg
- 22%Vitamin C 19.5mg
- 6%Calcium 82mg
- 11%Iron 2mg
- 1%Vitamin D 0.1µg
- 15%Magnesium 62.3mg
- 10%Potassium 470.3mg
- 12%Vitamin B6 0.2mg
- 1%Vitamin B12 0µg
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