Does your family normally serve a salad alongside a big holiday meal? When I was a child, we sometimes had a salad at Thanksgiving but it was a pretty forgettable one. I remember iceberg lettuce with croutons, and I remember mostly ignoring it. As an adult, I’ve learned that I love a fresh salad alongside a big meal. This pomegranate kale salad is what I normally serve, because I love it and because it always gets rave reviews. The pops of fresh pomegranate, combined with sweet pears, creamy cheese, and crunchy pecans, come together with the delightful maple dressing. Having a bit of freshness alongside sweet potato casserole, roasted sprouts, pumpkin soup, and turkey is great for brightening the palate. And let’s be honest… it just tastes delicious.
Healthy foods
While this salad is great alongside heavier meals, it's perfect on its own too. It’s full of winter foods that are easy to find at your local grocery store. Kale, pomegranates, and pears are in season in winter, which generally means they will be cheaper and contain more health benefits. Did you know that the USDA recognizes December as National Pear Month? Yet another excuse to enjoy this delicious dish! Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. Kale is full of antioxidants that are responsible for everything from helping you age more slowly to reducing your risk of cancer. Just a cup of raw kale (like the kale in this salad) contains 2 grams of protein (tell that to Popeye!). It’s also full of over 600% of your daily intake of vitamin K, 200% of Vitamin A, calcium, iron, fiber, and so much more. The average American hardly eats any kale, and that's a shame. See how yummy it can be with this awesome winter salad!
Make it a Main
If you want to turn this salad into a main dish, I would recommend adding some protein on top. Roasted salmon would be incredible. Quinoa would be great, too, mixed right into the salad with a little bit in each bite. (You can check out our citrus kale quinoa salad here.)
Note: How to Seed A Pomegranate
The easiest way is, of course, to buy them pre-seeded. But if you want them super fresh (and cheaper), here's how to do it yourself. We've tried a few different ways, and we like this method from Bon Appetit best: cut the pomegranate in half through the equator (NOT top to bottom). Hold a half over a bowl of water, cut side down. Using a wooden spoon, smack the back of the skin repeatedly. The seeds will fall out and the white membrane will float to the surface of the water. You can collect them with a slotted spoon. If you give this recipe a try, let us know below! Or tag us @mediterranean_movement on Instagram or Pinterest.
While this salad is great alongside heavier meals, it's perfect on its own too. It’s full of winter foods that are easy to find at your local grocery store. Kale, pomegranates, and pears are in season in winter, which generally means they will be cheaper and contain more health benefits. Did you know that the USDA recognizes December as National Pear Month? Yet another excuse to enjoy this delicious dish! Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. Kale is full of antioxidants that are responsible for everything from helping you age more slowly to reducing your risk of cancer. Just a cup of raw kale (like the kale in this salad) contains 2 grams of protein (tell that to Popeye!). It’s also full of over 600% of your daily intake of vitamin K, 200% of Vitamin A, calcium, iron, fiber, and so much more. The average American hardly eats any kale, and that's a shame. See how yummy it can be with this awesome winter salad!
Author: Ashley Keating
Ingredients
• 10 ounces of fresh kale
• 1/2 small pomegranate (about 3/4 cup of seeds)
• 1 pear, chopped
• 3 ounces of crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts), roughly chopped
For the Dressing:
4 TBS olive oil
1 to 2 TBS pure maple syrup (start with 1 and work up)
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
Directions
Thinly slice the kale and remove the tough ribs and stems. Place into a large bowl.
Make the dressing: mix everything (oil, maple syrup, mustard, & vinegar) today in a bowl or blender.
Pour most of the dressing over the kale in the bowl, reserving about ¼ of the dressing for guests to add at the table. Using your hands, massage the coated kale for a few minutes so that the leave start to soften a bit.
Take the seeds out of the pomegranate (see our note on how to do it!). Chop the pears.
To the big bowl with the kale, add the pomegranate seeds, chopped pears, goat cheese, and pecans, reserving a bit of each to place on top of each diner’s salad bowl. Toss very gently to coat. Taste and add salt as needed.
To each diner’s bowl, add the dressed salad. Top with remaining seeds, cheese, and pecans. Serve with the extra dressing.
