Apple Pear Pomegranate Salad With Pomegranate Dressing
This colorful fall pomegranate salad will brighten your holiday table, bursting with fresh pomegranate, apples, red and green pears, toasted pecans, and a bright and flavorful homemade pomegranate dressing. It’s a perfect weeknight dinner salad as well to pair with chicken, seafood, or pork.
Fall is pomegranate season. Pomegranates have the highest antioxidants of any fruit. They are a superfood, so it’s important to incorporate them any way you can into your meal planning.
This vibrant salad celebrates crisp fall produce and bright, tangy flavors. A mix of tender greens, juicy fruit, and crunchy nuts creates the perfect balance of texture and taste, all tied together with a sweet-tart pomegranate dressing.
Ingredients in Apple Pear Pomegranate Salad
5 ounces O Organics Half & Half Blend Mixed Lettuce
A fresh blend of baby greens and tender lettuce leaves forms the perfect base—light, crisp, and full of color.
½ cup whole pecans, toasted
Toasting brings out the pecans’ buttery richness and adds irresistible crunch to every bite.
Arils from 1 pomegranate
Juicy, ruby-red pomegranate seeds add bursts of sweetness and a beautiful pop of color.
2 oz Primo Taglio Garlic & Herb Goat Cheese
Creamy, tangy goat cheese with aromatic herbs gives the salad a savory, luxurious touch.
1 apple, sliced
Crisp and refreshing, apple slices lend natural sweetness and crunch.
1 red pear, sliced
Velvety and subtly floral, the red pear adds a touch of elegance and mellow flavor.
1 green Bartlett pear, sliced
Juicy and bright, the green Bartlett pear balances the sweetness of the red pear and apple.
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
A bit of sharpness from the red onion adds contrast and rounds out the sweetness of the fruit.
Pomegranate Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil – Smooth and fruity, it provides the dressing’s rich foundation.
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard – Adds tang and helps emulsify the dressing.
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar – Brings bright acidity that enhances the fruit flavors.
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup – A touch of natural sweetness to balance the tartness.
- 3 tablespoons 100% pure pomegranate juice or 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses – Adds bold, fruity depth and gorgeous color.
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger – Gives a warm, zesty kick.
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder – Subtle savory note for balance.
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt – Enhances every flavor.
- Fresh cracked black pepper – Finishes the dressing with gentle spice and aroma.
How to Make a Fall Pomegranate Salad
Toast the pecans in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently until the pecans are crisp and aromatic. remove from the heat and allow to cool before adding to the salad.
Layer the salad greens on a large platter and top with the thinly sliced red onion and the pomegranate arils.
Fan out of pears and apples on the salad in small groups for a pretty presentation.
Use a paring knife to cut chunks of goat cheese off the log and place them throughout the salad
Top with the toasted pecans.
Make the dressing, but don’t dress the salad until right before serving as the acid in the pomegranate vinaigrette will wilt the lettuce over time.
How to Make Pomegranate Dressing
For the dressing, you will use 100% pure pomegranate juice or for a more intense pomegranate flavor, you can make and use pomegranate molasses in the dressing. The way the recipe is written, it uses 3 tablespoons of juice, but as I was testing the recipe using molasses, I liked the molasses flavor just as well, so I’ll include that in the notes.
In a mason jar, combine the olive oil, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, grated ginger, granulated onion powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk or place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously until combined.
Safeway carries 100% pure pomegranate juice under the Open Nature brand in the beverage aisle. It’s the same juice as the POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, for much less!
To make pomegranate molasses, take 2 cups of pomegranate juice and gently heat it in a small pot over medium heat. Do not bring to a rolling boil. After 25 minutes or so, the juice will reduce by more than half, leaving you with a thicker pomegranate that can be used as a glaze or to make a dressing. Add 1 tablespoon of honey to the reduced juice to make pomegranate molasses. If using pomegranate molasses in the dressing, I suggest 1.5 tablespoons of the molasses.
Additional Pomegranate Recipes
Pineapple Pomegranate Guacamole
Butternut Squash Salad With Kale, Apples & Cranberries
Apple Pear Pomegranate Salad
Ingredients
- 5 ounces O Organics half & half blend mixed lettuce
- 1/2 cup whole pecans toasted
- arils from 1 pomegranate
- 2 oz Primo Taglio Garlic & Herb Goat Cheese
- 1 apple sliced
- 1 red pear sliced
- 1 green Bartlett pear sliced
- 1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced
Pomegranate Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons 100% pure pomegranate juice or 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses see notes
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the pecans in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently until the pecans are crisp and aromatic. remove from the heat and allow to cool before adding to the salad.
- Layer the salad greens on a large platter and top with the thinly sliced red onion and the pomegranate arils.
- Fan out of pears and apples on the salad in small groups for a pretty presentation.
- Use a paring knife to cut chunks of goat cheese off the log and place them throughout the salad
- Top with the toasted pecans.
- How to Make Pomegranate Dressing
- For the dressing - you can either use 100% pure pomegranate juice in the dressing or for a more intense pomegranate flavor, you can make and use pomegranate molasses in the dressing. The way the recipe is written, it uses 3 tablespoons of juice, but as I was testing the recipe using molasses, I liked the molasses flavor just as well, so I'll include that in the notes.
- In a mason jar, combine the olive oil, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, grated ginger, granulated onion powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk or place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously until combined.
Notes
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