This kale pomegranate salad (aka Christmas Salad) is tremendous straightforward to whip up and makes for a festive and wholesome possibility for the vacations.
When you didn’t suppose I used to be having fun with salads all through the vacations, do you even know me?! I stick by my salad day-after-day technique year-round and whereas I do often go a day and not using a full blown salad, consuming plenty of veggies is all the time prime of thoughts!
This Christmas salad is the right addition to your vacation meal. It’s festive, tasty and ridiculously easy to make… you actually can’t go unsuitable!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Festive and beautiful – With vibrant pomegranate seeds, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy candied nuts, this salad is as lovely as it’s scrumptious.
- Balanced flavors – The tangy balsamic dressing, candy pomegranate seeds, and creamy goat cheese create an ideal steadiness of flavors in each chew.
- Simple to prep forward – Make the dressing and prep the kale forward of time to save lots of your self some vacation stress. Simply assemble and serve!
- Versatile and customizable – This salad pairs effectively with nearly any predominant course and might be simply tailored to suit totally different preferences or dietary wants.
Components Wanted
- kale – on this recipe you should use both Curly kale or Lacinto kale! Massaging the kale within the dressing helps break down robust leaves and amps up the flavour.
- goat cheese – gentle in taste, supplies a pleasant creamy texture to this salad.
- pomegranate seeds – you should purchase an entire pomegranate and take away the seeds (referred to as arils) your self or you’ll be able to simply purchase a package deal of arils on the grocery retailer. It’s best to be capable of discover each within the produce part!
- candied walnuts – or candied pecans for a festive and candy contact. I usually make my do-it-yourself candied walnuts, however I generally use Diamond glazed walnuts if I’m in a time crunch, that are all the time successful with the fam!
- balsamic dressing – we’re utilizing a do-it-yourself balsamic dressing for this salad which is made with additional virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic and salt.
Discover the complete ingredient record with measurements within the recipe card beneath.
Salad Substitutions
- Kale: Not a fan kale? No worries! Child spinach, blended greens, and even arugula make wonderful swaps for a milder, softer base. When you’re new to kale, although, give it a strive—it’d simply shock you (particularly when massaged).
- Goat cheese: If goat cheese isn’t your jam, crumbled feta or blue cheese are incredible options.
- Pomegranate seeds: Contemporary pomegranate seeds add the right pop of sweetness, however dried cranberries, cherries, and even mandarin orange slices make nice substitutes.
- Candied walnuts or pecans: Use plain toasted nuts for much less sweetness or swap them for sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for those who want a nut-free possibility.
The best way to Make Christmas Salad
Step 1: Add all dressing elements to a blender and mix till mixed and easy. Or add all of the elements to a mason jar and shake to mix.
Step 2: In a big mixing bowl, mix kale with about ½ of the dressing and use your palms to therapeutic massage the dressing into the kale. Add extra dressing as wanted.
Step 3: Add pomegranate seeds and goat cheese to the salad bowl (saving a bit of every for topping).
Step 4: Toss every part collectively and season with sea salt and pepper to style. Add extra dressing if wanted. Switch to a serving bowl, sprinkle with candied nuts, extra pomegranate seeds and goat cheese. Take pleasure in!
Brittany’s Suggestions
- Chill the dressing: When you’re making the dressing forward of time, let it chill within the fridge for a number of hours. This enables the flavors to meld collectively, making it much more scrumptious.
- Avoid wasting toppings: Reserve a handful of pomegranate seeds, goat cheese crumbles, and candied nuts for sprinkling on prime proper earlier than serving. It provides the salad a refined, festive look.
- Add the dressing slowly: Begin with half the dressing, toss the salad, after which add extra if wanted. You don’t need to overdress the kale, as it will possibly turn out to be soggy.
- Make the dressing prematurely: The dressing might be made as much as 3 days prematurely to avoid wasting time the day you need to serve this salad. Make it and retailer within the fridge till able to prep the complete salad.
The best way to Serve
This festive Christmas salad is flexible and pairs superbly with a wide range of dishes, making it good for vacation gatherings or perhaps a cozy dinner at residence. Listed here are some serving concepts:
Storing Leftovers
Any leftover Christmas salad might be saved in an hermetic container for 1-2 days. The dressing will start to wilt the kale however it would nonetheless be okay to eat.
Incessantly Requested Questions
Lower the pomegranate in half and maintain it over a bowl, lower aspect down. Gently whack the again with a wood spoon to launch the seeds. That is fast, straightforward, and retains the seeds intact.
The kale ought to flip a deeper inexperienced and really feel softer to the contact. It’ll additionally shrink barely in quantity. You don’t have to overdo it—only a minute or two of massaging will do the trick!
Completely! Be happy to make this salad your personal. Add your favourite veggies, use your most well-liked nuts or seeds and cheese and swap the dressing together with your go-to. The choices are infinite!
Extra Vacation Sides
Make sure to try all of my vacation recipes on EBF!
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