Pomegranate Salad with Pear and Blue Cheese
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Dec. 22, 2022
The realization that another year has passed is staggering. What’s even harder to believe is that around here, school picks right back up on January 2nd.
It’s like, “Ring in the New Year…Woo Hoo! Immediately get your backpacks and lunch boxes.” Clearly, I’m mentally and emotionally unprepared to send my babies back to school so soon.
Speaking of school. When my little brother and I were in elementary school, we’d get off the school bus for the long walk home each day. Growing wildly and profusely along the roads were pomegranate bushes. We occasionally plucked an awkward looking fruit to reveal those gorgeous seeds hiding within.
Of course, that was in Southern CA, where pomegranates can flourish randomly along public roads. Little did we know the value of precious pomegranates back then. To us, they were just wild fruit that looked scraggly on outside, but were delicious on the inside…and so much fun to eat.
We recently introduced our Littles to their first juicy pomegranates. (Not via random roadside bushes.) One taste, and the little guys were floored. They eagerly plucked the sweet red seeds from within the fruit. I memorized the moment, as they laughed and munched with their pomegranate-stained lips…
This pomegranate and pear salad with blue cheese is phenomenal. If you’re going to eat salad, and if January is treating you healthy… then there’s no better way to go about it.
Pomegranate salad just begs for ripe pears and savory blue cheese. Plus a generous sprinkling of crunchy candied walnuts. For this particular salad, I used this Cinnamon Sugared Nuts recipe, but used only walnuts. Irresistible.
Drizzled over this tantalizing pomegranate salad is a sweet and tangy vinaigrette that is so easy, you probably have the ingredients on hand.
Enjoy!
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Pomegranate Salad with Pear and Blue Cheese
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 8 cups romaine lettuce, dried and shredded
- 1 ripe red pear, thinly sliced and tossed in a sprinkle of lemon juice
- ⅓ cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- 2 oz blue cheese, roquefort or gorgonzola work equally well
- ½ cup candied walnuts, *link to recipe below
- Freshly cracked black pepper
For the Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 TB honey
- 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard with seeds
- 1 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp table salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl or a glass jar with tight fitting lid, add all ingredients for Vinaigrette. Whisk or shake well to thoroughly combine. Keep chilled until just before serving.
- When ready to serve: Combine romaine with about half of the Vinaigrette. Toss well to coat. Add pears, pomegranate seeds, crumbled blue cheese on top of the salad. Drizzle desired amount of remaining Vinaigrette, and lightly toss. Sprinkle top with candied walnuts and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
- I used this cinnamon-sugared candied nuts recipe for the walnuts in this particular salad (make them ahead of time for ease of preparation.)
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