Pomegranate Salad with Pears
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Dec. 27, 2024
This Pomegranate Salad with Pears is the perfect holiday salad, teeming with crispy crunchy candied nuts, luscious fresh pears, and beautiful pomegranate seeds. Drizzled over it is a phenomenal vinaigrette.
In This Article
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
We love great salad recipes, and this Pomegranate Salad with Pears is a favorite. Here’s why:
- Vibrant and Festive: The vibrant colors and fresh, seasonal ingredients make this salad a standout at any table, a lot like our Pasta Primavera.
- Healthy and Flavor-Packed: Packed with romaine lettuce, pears, pomegranate seeds, and feta cheese, this salad is as nutritious as it is delicious, like this Apple Pecan Salad.
- Holiday-Ready: This recipe is super simple to put together, but it’s so elegant, it would make a perfect holiday salad.
- Phenomenal Dressing: Our homemade vinaigrette is a perfect balance of sweet and tangy. The combination of apple cider vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard is a winner.
- Crunchy Texture: A generous sprinkling of crunchy, cinnamon sugar candied pecans takes this salad to a whole new level.
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Pomegranate Seeds – Fresh pomegranate seeds add a pop of vibrant color to the salad and a juicy sweetness that balances the other flavors.
- Pears – We use ripe red pears that are thinly sliced and tossed in lemon juice. Their sweet, slightly tart flavor and crisp texture make them a perfect addition to the salad.
- Feta Cheese – We love the salty, tangy flavor of feta cheese in this salad. It adds a creamy richness that pairs wonderfully with the fruits and nuts.
Substitutions And Variations
Here are our favorite substitutions and variations for this recipe:
- Greens: Feel free to substitute the romaine with mixed greens, kale, or spinach.
- Fruits: We love the sweetness and juiciness of red pears in this salad, but you can use green pears or apples as well. You can also use fresh orange segments.
- Cheese: Try substituting the feta with blue cheese, Roquefort, or Gorgonzola.
- Nuts: Instead of candied pecans, you can also use candied walnuts or almonds.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Add all vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl or jar and whisk or shake well. Keep chilled.
- Combine romaine with half of the vinaigrette and toss well to coat.
- Add pears, pears, pears, and top with blue cheese. Drizzle desired amount of the remaining vinaigrette.
- Sprinkle with candied pecans and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
Take a look at our favorite prep-ahead strategies for this recipe:
- Make the Vinaigrette: The vinaigrette can be prepared in advance. Simply combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and give it a good shake. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Make the Candied Nuts: Candied pecans can be made up to a week beforehand. Keep in an airtight container until ready to use.
- Pre-assemble the Salad: Another option is to fully assemble the salad ahead of time, excluding the vinaigrette and nuts. Cover and refrigerate the assembled salad and vinaigrette separately. When you’re ready to serve, drizzle the vinaigrette, sprinkle on the nuts, and toss.
What To Serve With Pomegranate Salad with Pears
Holiday Main Dishes
- This Pomegranate Salad with Pear is perfect for the holidays! This means it’ll go well with just about any holiday main dish, like our Roasted Turkey.
- We also love it with this Smoked Spatchcock Turkey and Prime Rib with Au Jus.
Light Lunch
- If you’re going to eat salad, and if January is treating you healthy, then there’s no better way to go about it. It’s delicious as a starter to our Air Fryer Salmon.
- You can’t go wrong serving it alongside some Grilled Chicken Thighs or Air Fryer Chicken Wings.
Other Salads
- Serve it as a centerpiece in a salad spread for a healthy feast! It goes great alongside Kale Brussel Sprouts Salad and our Roasted Pear Salad.
Commonly Asked Questions
We recommend using a ripe red pear for this salad. It adds a beautiful pop of color and a sweet, juicy flavor that complements the pomegranate seeds and tangy vinaigrette.
To prevent the pear slices from turning brown, toss them with enough lemon juice to coat all slices. The citric acid in the lemon juice helps inhibit the oxidation process, keeping the pears looking fresh and appetizing.
This salad is best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers, they can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. However, the vinaigrette and the fruits may cause the salad to become soggy, so it’s best to consume it on the day it’s made.
Did you make this?
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Pomegranate Salad with Pears
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 cups romaine lettuce, dried and shredded
- 1 whole red pear, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup candied pecans, recipe here
- 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, and cheese on top of the salad.
- Drizzle desired amount of remaining vinaigrette, and lightly toss. Sprinkle top with candied pecans and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This salad is best served immediately after tossing with the vinaigrette and toppings added. If you’re not serving it all at once, keep the components separate until ready to enjoy.
- If preparing salad in advance, toss the sliced pears with enough lemon juice to coat the pear slices. This prevents them from turning brown.
- Green pears or apples can be used instead of red pears.
- Blue cheese, gorgonzola, or roquefort can be used instead of feta.
- This recipe is part of our Easy Salad Recipes Collection.
- This pomegranate salad is perfect for the holidays and goes great with classic holiday main dishes like our Roasted Turkey.
Nutrition (per serving)
More to Cook And Eat
- Farro Salad – This Farro Salad is hearty, toothsome, and nutritious. It makes a satisfying lunch for home, work, or school. Also deliciously healthy for dinner.
- Strawberry Salad with Asparagus – This Strawberry Salad with Asparagus will brighten your day and leave your taste buds dancing. It’s hearty, healthy, and completely delicious.
- Southwestern Barley Salad – This Southwestern Barley Salad is healthy, wholesome, and packed with flavor! It’s refreshing with lime and cilantro; perfect for the season.
- Mango Salad – This mango caprese is outstandingly delicious, and can be prepared ahead of time.