Who says you can’t put together a beautiful salad in the winter? This one is certainly stunning – it’s made with greens, pomegranates, pears, and oranges – finish it off with walnuts, feta cheese, and a delicious 4 ingredient dressing!
This recipe was originally published in December of 2018, but I just updated it with new photos – the recipe is the same one we know and love.
Although it’s quite tempting to only make + eat + post cookie recipes from now until January, I couldn’t help but think that a back-pocket side dish/salad/healthy recipe would be useful this time of year! You can throw together this delicious salad in a few minutes, and it’s perfect for any dinners, potlucks or holiday gatherings where you want to have a side of nutrition with your holiday cookies.
And nutrition never looked this good, if I do say so myself. We’ve got some of winter’s star produce here – pears, pomegranates, and oranges! Walnuts add a nice crunch, and everything is better when finished with a generous sprinkle of cheese.
Let’s talk about this dressing! It’s a simple mixture of water, olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, and honey mustard. It may sound odd, but trust me – it produces a dressing that’s the perfect balance of tang and sweet. It’s so low maintenance – you can shake it up in a jar, or whisk it together in a small bowl. So, in total, we need a bowl for the salad, a jar for the dressing, and maybe a serving spoon. Three dishes? Perfect. Because, I don’t know about you, but my sink is already full of 3,457 dishes from cookie baking – oops!
I call this a back-pocket recipe because it’s one of those recipes you’ll be able to pull out of your back pocket whenever needed! It’s easy enough to memorize, the dressing ingredients are pantry staples, and you can tweak this to fit your preferences! Like pecans instead of walnuts? Swap them! Prefer less cheese? Omit some. See? Back-pocket goodness right here.
This salad makes about 5-6 servings. Double it, or cut it in half depending on the amount of people you need to feed! It pairs so well with a simple main dish too, like pan-cooked chicken, or a beef or pork tenderloin. The perfect holiday meal!
What are your favorite winter ingredients to incorporate into healthy meals/sides? Are your kitchens overflowing with dirty dishes from holiday baking, too? I thought so.
Happy Winter, friends!
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Winter Salad with Pomegranate and Pears
A stunning winter salad filled with greens, pomegranate, pears, and oranges - and finished off with walnuts, feta cheese, and a delicious 4 ingredient dressing! So quick + delicious! Double or cut the recipe in half, as needed.
Ingredients
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 pomegranate, seeded
- 2 medium ripe pears, sliced Bartlett and Anjou work well!
- 3 small mandarin oranges, peeled often called "cuties" in grocery stores
- 1/2 cup walnuts whole or chopped
- 1/3 cup feta cheese
For the Dressing:
- 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 TBSP olive oil
- 1 TBSP honey
- 1 TBSP water
- 1 tsp honey mustard
Instructions
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Make the dressing: Shake all dressing ingredients in jar with the lid tightly secured, or whisk together in a small bowl, until well combined.
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Assemble: Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the dressing just before serving. You can always double the dressing, if you really like dressing!
Recipe Notes
NOTE: This salad is so customizable! Swap walnuts for pecans if desired, and add more or less cheese according to your taste.
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Mary says
I made this for my holiday party at work yesterday. Not only did it look beautiful, it was delicious! Everyone loved it.
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad to hear it was a hit, Mary! 🙂
Sam says
Super excited about that dressing recipe. I’ll definitely make it minus the walnuts (not a fan).
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks Sam! The dressing just makes this recipe! No worries – this recipe is totally flexible 🙂 I recommend subbing pecans, or it’s fine with no nuts too!