Holiday Pomegranate Apple Salad
A beautiful green salad filled with sliced apples, pomegranate arils, onions, blue cheese, candied pecans and a homemade orange vinaigrette!
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Calories: 698kcal
Ingredients
Candied Walnuts
- 1 cup chopped walnuts pecans and almonds also work
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salad
- 12 ounces mixed greens
- 1 apple sliced
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ¼ small red onion thinly sliced
- 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese goat cheese works, too
Orange Vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vineger
- 2 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Candied Walnuts
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the brown sugar, water, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
- Cook for 1 minute - or until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is slightly bubbling.
- Add the walnuts and stir to coat with the sugar mixture. Cook for 3 additional minutes, stirring frequently.
- Spread the walnuts onto a sheet of parchment paper and cool completely. Break apart and then use in the salad.
Dressing
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl or mason jar. I like to use a mason jar so I can put the lid on and shake it all up. If using a bowl, whisk well to combine.
Assemble
- In a large bowl, add the mixed greens, sliced apples, pomegranate arils, red onion slices, blue cheese, and candied walnuts.
- Drizzle with half of the dressing and toss to combine. Add more dressing as desired.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Use pre-packaged pomegranate seeds. If you want to skip the step of getting the arils/seeds out of a pomegranate, use the pre-packaged ones! So much easier, less messy, and no sacrifice of taste.
- Apple Cider Vinegar Substitute. If you don't have ACV, you can use white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or champagne vinegar.
- Pears Vs. Apples. I love the crunch from the apples in this salad, but if you're a fan of pears, they will definitely work in this salad, as well. As far as the type of apple, I like honey crisp, fuji, or pink lady in salads but again, use your favorite!
- Cheese. Blue cheese is my favorite but I know not everyone likes it. Goat cheese or feta cheese would both be delicious substitutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 698kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 979mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 1235IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 2mg