Pomegranate Salad: The latest addition to my Show Off Salads collection! Fresh pomegranate AND a pomegranate dressing, baby spinach, marinated raw kale, honey walnuts and blue cheese all come together in a giant festive salad for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and every occasion in between.
Also … announcing the RecipeTin Eats’ 30 Day Holiday Salad Marathon!
Holiday Salad MARATHON!
Welcome to Day 1 of the RecipeTin Eats’ Holiday Salad Marathon! For something completely different from the usual holiday baking countdowns out there, I’m bringing you a new salad recipe EVERY SINGLE DAY from today through to Christmas Eve!
That’s 30 new salad recipes* that will land on RTE between now and Christmas. 30! Thirty! THIRTY!!!! And that’s in addition to the 3 usual recipes you will continue to receive each week!
* I get weekends off 😇
Are you excited? I am! Because aren’t we all bored of the usual tomato-cucumber-lettuce garden salad routine??
Click here to see all the Holiday Salad Marathon recipes to date, or sign up for instant updates and you’ll receive a free email alert whenever I publish a new salad! 🙂
So for Salad #1 I offer this festive, substantial, something-a-little-different DOUBLE Pomegranate Salad!
Pomegranate Salad
This festive looking salad has holidays written all over it. Think Christmas/ Thanksgiving, Easter, and every in between. This dish is also great for any occasions when you want to put out what I call a Show Off Salad (here’s more of them): Salads that have something a little different about them, and are full of interesting textures and unique-yet-familiar flavours.
For today’s salad, rather than the usual token sprinkling of pomegranate seeds, we’re using LOADS in this recipe for a big hit of fresh juicy pops as well as of course all that vibrant colour. And:
Pomegranate Dressing – Tart and sweet;
Marinated kale – Simple, adds bulk and makes raw kale infinitely more delicious;
Baby spinach – For variety so it’s not just all kale;
Dried cranberries – Yet another fruity dimension, almost like dried pomegranate seeds!
Blue Cheese – For intensely savoury, salty pops playing off against the sweet/tart dressing and nuts (yes blue-cheese-haters, you can sub); and
Cinnamon Honey Walnuts (optional) – Because …. they’re amazing? And they bring welcome textural crunch to the salad.
I love how this salad has such a variety of textures, colours and flavours that just work together to so well!
Pomegranates can be a bit pricey but it’s the star ingredient for this salad and you only need one. Plus, you get more seeds out of it than you think – at least 1 cup, usually more!
What goes in my Pomegranate Salad
Here’s what goes in the salad:
Pomegranates – Fresh is best for the juiciest pops of colour, with the extra benefit of the sheer satisfaction you get to experience removing the seeds by smacking the pomegranates. Yes, it is oddly satisfying…
How to remove pomegranate seeds
Raw marinated kale – Yes, I said RAW but before all you Kale Haters go running for the hills, hear me out. I like to MARINATE my kale which tenderises the leaves and softens the harshness of the distinct kale flavour. All you need is 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then get your hands in there to scrunch/soften the kale and leave for 30 minutes to tenderise. SO MUCH TASTIER!!!
Oh and this is my trick for how I remove kale leaves from the stems quickly!:
Blue cheese – Any cheese that’s creamy, salty but crumble-able (is that a word?) is fine here. If you’re just starting to dip your toes in the bluer waters of the cheese world (see what I did there), opt for Blue Castello. It is an excellent mild blue that’s a good way to introduce sceptics to blue cheese. I don’t have a favourite, I just generally love all manner of blue cheese!
Dried cranberries – For an extra little sprinkle of holiday flavour that complements the pomegranate!
Citrus or stone fruit – I don’t always include it but for the sake of giving you all options, I’ve added it in the recipe. It adds yet another element of both colour and fresh juicy interest! I used grapefruit because it’s what I have, but I prefer blood or normal oranges. Peaches and nectarines are so good too, just not quite in season yet!
Pomegranate Dressing
Here’s what you need for the tangy and sweet Pomegranate Dressing:
Pomegranate Molasses
Pomegranate Molasses is the star ingredient here. Its a thick sweet-tart syrup commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine that tastes a bit like top-shelf balsamic, like we might use for things like Caprese Salad – with the bonus of a lovely pomegranate flavour. It’s made by reducing pomegranate juice and thickening with sugar to make it syrupy, so it makes a beautiful glossy and sticky dressing that coats the salad well.
Where to buy pomegranate molasses – It’s pretty common nowadays, sold in the vinegar section of everyday grocery stores. While you can get expensive brands, you can also find good value ones. The one pictured above is from Harris Farm Markets (Sydney) and cost $5. Pricier than most vinegars yes, but you get good bang for your buck because a little goes a long way and it’s excellent to use as an instant salad dressing – just drizzle over any greens (raw, steamed, roasted). It’s got such an intense flavour you don’t need much!
It also makes an excellent straight substitute for Balsamic Glaze in any recipe.
Honey Cinnamon Candied Walnuts
And last but not least, here’s what you need for those crispy Honey Cinnamon Candied Walnuts – honey, cinnamon and walnuts. You’re shocked, right? 😂
Alternative to walnuts – Pecans would also be really great in this. Almonds would also be great – I would roast them whole (if they’re raw almonds) then roughly chop into large pieces.
Making the Honey Cinnamon Candied Walnuts
Just toss the walnuts in the honey and cinnamon, bake for 12 minutes, then leave to cool so they become crispy!
How and what to serve with Pomegranate Salad
A salad this pretty and unique will be at home at any holiday or celebratory feast. Think Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthdays and other celebrations. I see it worthily served alongside a big juicy roast turkey, a grand beef standing rib roast, the crispiest ever pork crackling roast or a glistening Maple Glazed Ham.
It’s also got good oomph factor, which in my world means this is substantial enough to be a meal thanks to the kale which is definitely more filling than the usual leafy greens.
So it would definitely also function as a centrepiece in a salad spread for a healthy and veggo-friendly feast – something I’ve been doing more frequently recently for lunch gatherings out of the sheer convenience of being able to do all the prep ahead and not cooking hot dishes, plus it caters to the “Calorie Conscious”. This is particularly relevant to the RecipeTin Family, amongst whom there is always at least one person or another on a “diet”!
Here’s a suggestion for a selection of salads for a Salad Spread that I’d serve alongside this Pomegranate Salad:
Salad Spread Suggestion
I know that sounds maybe too healthy and all, serving just big platters of salad for a lunch. But believe me when I say inevitably a side of crusty bread and butter will make an appearance, or flatbread for stuffing. I’m not that virtuous! 😂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Pomegranate Salad – with Spinach, Kale, Honey Walnuts & Pomegranate Dressing
Ingredients
Marinated kale (tenderised for tastiness, Note 1):
- 5 kale stems (big and leafy, sub baby rocket/arugula but skip marinating)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Salad:
- 1 pomegranate , big, juicy (or 1 cup pomegranate arils, Note 2)
- 8 cups (120g/4.5oz) baby spinach (or baby rocket/arugula)
- 100g/3.5 oz blue cheese , crumbled yourself (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins, craisins)
- 2 blood oranges , normal oranges, yellow peach, nectarine or grapefruit (optional, for extra colour/juicy/interest)
Honey Cinnamon Walnuts:
- 1 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
- 1/4 cup honey (runny, so warm if super thick), or maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
Pomegranate Dressing:
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (Note 4)
- 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar or cider vinegar)
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
Instructions
Marinated Kale:
- Remove leaves: Grab the base of the stalk then run your fist up the stalk to remove the leaves.
- Slice: bundle the kale leaves on a chopping board, then slice 0.5 cm / 1/5" thick.
- Scrunch: Place in bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your hands to scrunch in order to soften leaves and coat everything with the oil. Do this for 20 seconds. Leave for 30 minutes to marinate – leaves will soften. Try it – much tastier than plain raw!
Honey Walnuts:
- Toss: Place walnuts in a bowl, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with cinnamon and salt. Mix, spread on paper lined baking tray.
- Bake: Bake at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 15 minutes, tossing once halfway. Leave to cool, then use fingers to roughly break walnuts up into slightly smaller pieces.
Pomegranate Dressing:
- Place ingredients in a jar and shake very well, being sure that there is no molasses left on the bottom of the jar. (Shake in jar is better than whisking to bring this dressing together).
Remove Pomegranate Seeds:
- Cut pomegranate in half. Over a bowl, turn cut face downwards, then use a wooden spoon to (very!) firmly smack the back of the pomegranate. The seeds will fly out through your fingers into the bowl. It's very satisfying!!!
- Keep smacking all over the skin until the seeds are all out. Pick out any white pith that fell out, then use seeds per recipe. You will probably get some juices pooling in the bowl; add this to the dressing too.
Slice fruit (if using):
- Peaches, nectarines: Halve, remove stone, then cut into 4mm / 1/6" slices.
- Grapefruit, oranges: Cut off peel and pith, then segment (see this video at 41 sec for demo)
Assemble:
- Dress greens lightly: Place kale and spinach leaves in a giant bowl. Drizzle with about 3 tablespoons of Dressing then toss very well.
- Layer half: Pour half kale/spinach into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with 1/3 EACH of walnuts, blue cheese (crumbled), pomegranates, orange segments, and cranberries.
- Presentation layer: Top with remaining kale & spinach, then remaining walnuts, blue cheese, pomegranates, orange segments and cranberries. Drizzle over remaining dressing just before serving.
- Serving: Best served freshly assembled but this salad will hold up much better than most because kale doesn't go as soggy once dressing, it's even good the next day!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Not overly enthusiastic about this Salad Marathon…
Peta says
Fabulous and fabulously easy.
My husband refuses to eat Kale but this recipe did not suffer from its elimination from the salad. Loads of spinach instead! The honey cinnamon nuts are a winner in this. Loved its taste and simplicity.
Graeme Smith says
Made this tonight without Kale as I didn,t have any and I would need a lot of convincing marinating makes it edible.. I used spinach, oranges and roasted almonds. Looked great and tasted even better. The spinach was wilting after a couple of hours. I recommend it
Hibber says
Pretty & delicious. Used microgreens salad mix (with kale) and microgreen beet instead of regular kale & spinach. Just dry roasted the walnuts as didn’t need to be sweet.
Hayley says
Perfect salad recipe, loved it!
Sue Ball says
Made the pomegranate salad for part of Christmas Day lunch – it was a huge hit and bloody delicious!
Joanna says
Followed recipe exactly. Salad was divine and a wonderful accompaniment with your roast turkey recipe. I love that you can make it all ahead and just assemble and dress at the last minute. A truly useful and delicious recipe. Thank you for posting.
Shelley Smith says
I absolutely love blue cheese but I’m pregnant and there are a few others that don’t like it. What cheese would you recommend as a substitute please?
Alevia says
The best salad! Always impresses everyone – my go to for every occasion!
Martha says
Delicious! Your spinach, kale, walnut, blue cheese, onion, pomegranate salad is outstanding. I’ve made it twice for 2 large dinners. Rave reviews each time. I also love your kale quinoa almond lemon parmesan onion salad. I’ve had kale quinoa almond salad 100 times over 2 years. It’s that good.
Ana says
Oh my god! This was sooo good.
While I had to do some changes to accomodate what was already in the fridge (feta instead of blue cheese, balsamic cream instead of pomegranate molases and lettuce instead of kale), it was so so good.
I will surely try to find the pomegranate molases and kale and try again.
Totally love it! Will make again tomorrow.
Melisende says
Lots of interesting ingredients which work together for an excellent salad. The dressing tastes great because I love anything with pomegranate molasses in it and I’d make even more for the salad.
Rachel says
Nagi please do a pomegranate molasses substitute! I went to 2 different Coles and Woolies to no avail and ended up following a taste recipe to make my own. $7 of ingredients and my entire lunch break (I WFH) to get 2T of the stuff. Desperately yours!
Susan says
When you can’t find Pomegranate Molasses, you can made your own. Just get a jug of unsweetened pomegranate juice and cook it down on the stove until reduced, thickened and yummy. Easy peasy…
Jb84 says
I agree I’ve been to 8 different shops to find this stuff!!! I’m so disappointed I can’t find it I’m going to use fig balsamic glaze instead!
Regina Sim says
I made this last night for my husband and friends. It was such a hit!!! This recipe is a keeper. Thank you for this lovely recipe!!!
Lisa Read says
I made it for a party yesterday, it was so yummy and went down a treat! I did pecans in maple syrup. I did the whole pack of pecans and now have a jar in the cupboard for over Christmas, they are delish.
Sue says
This salad was such a hit at our family get together yesterday was so good to see even the little kids going back for seconds! did forget to add the cranberries will make again and add all ingredients 🙂 Thanks nagi
Nagi says
You’re welcome, Sue! N x
Jen says
An amazing salad recipe. Thanks Nagi!
Freda Elder says
Made this salad today for and early Christmas lunch with friends. I prepared the ingredients over a few days as I had time or oven space for the nuts. prepared my own unsweetened pomegranate molasses as I was trying to reduce sugar. Being able to prepare ahead made it very easy on the day and the taste was amazing. Simple to produce and impressive to look at. Thank you Nagi for yet another great recipe.
Sara says
Such a great recipe! Worked well as described. Thanks Nagi.
Martin says
Using what I had on hand this was yummy. Reminded me of a salad I used to enjoy at an after-hours dinner club in Philadelphia who used candied walnuts in a spinach chopped salad. I used pecan, pear and feta. I did have pomegranate molasses. The candied nuts are really the star in this type of salad.
Melinda says
This is such a fragrant, tactile, visually appealing salad to make. Thank you very much Nagi. The ability to use our home grown pomegranates for the molasses and fruit is a wonderful benefit. It’s right lovely around here today!
Melinda says
This is a 5 star recipe. Thanks again Nagi!