Last Updated on January 6, 2021 by Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
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This Pomegranate, Pear and Pecan Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette is a vibrant and delicious winter salad, perfect for serving during the holidays and special occasions.
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This fresh, gorgeous and festive salad, full of ruby red pomegranate seeds, juicy ripe pears, crunchy grapes, and lightly sweetened and spiced pecans is sure to impress. I have been making and serving this salad for several years now and it is always a hit!
I love all the different textures, colours and sweet and savoury flavours in this Pomegranate, Pear and Pecan Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.
There is a good amount of crunch from the toasted and lightly sweetened pecans and from all of the grapes and pomegranate seeds. You also get creaminess and tanginess from the crumbled goat cheese.
To finish, the salad is dressed in a lightly sweetened and citrusy balsamic vinaigrette.
How to Make a Pomegranate Pear Salad
To speed up the time it will take to make this salad on the day you want to serve it, I suggest you make the spiced pecans, seed the pomegranate and prepare the balsamic vinaigrette ahead of time.
Steps Overview:
The first ingredient you could prepare would be the spiced pecans. They can be done a day or two before you plan on serving the salad. The pecans are so delicious you may want to make a double batch so you have extra just to snack on.
You can seed the pomegranate up to a few days before, but to keep the seeds as fresh as possible I wouldn't do it more than 3 days ahead of time. Simply store the seeds in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Take a look at this article from Cook's Illustrated on how to remove the seeds from a pomegranate.
Next, you can prepare the Balsamic vinaigrette and store it in the refrigerator in a sealed jar. Make sure to remove the vinaigrette from the refrigerator ahead of time. Give the jar a good shake before dressing the salad.
Doing these three tasks will considerably speed up the time needed to make this salad.
The delicious combination of fruit, veggies and nuts really makes this salad extra delicious and all the festive colours make it perfect for serving during the holiday season.
For more holiday inspiration don't forget to look at my Holiday Favourites. Enjoy!
If you make this recipe let me know how it went for you in the comment section below. I'd love to know if you made any variations to the recipe and how it worked out. And if you take a picture, share it with me on Instagram by tagging #sweetandsavourypursuits, I love to see your photos!
Pomegranate, Pear and Pecan Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 8 cups baby romaine lettuce or your favourite blend
- ½ small red onion sliced thinly
- 1 cup pomegranate arils
- 2 ripe pears sliced
- 1 cup seedless red grapes
- ¾ cup spiced pecans
- ½ cup goat cheese crumbled
Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup Balsamic Vinegar
- ⅓ cup exra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tbsp brown Sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ground pepper to taste
Spiced Pecans:
- 1-½ cup pecans
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp cayenne
Instructions
For the Spiced Pecans:
- With a rack in the middle of your oven, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the pecans with the maple syrup, olive oil, cinnamon, salt and cayenne. stir until the pecans are well coated with the syrupy spice mixture.
- Spread pecans onto the baking sheet in one even layer.
- Bake in oven for 8 min, then stir and bake for approximately 7 to 8 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let cool on sheet.
For the Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- Combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, freshly squeezed orange juice, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let the vinaigrette cool to room temperature.
For the Salad:
- Wash the salad greens and fruit. Dry thoroughly.
- Place the salad greens in a large salad bowl.
- Top with sliced onions, grapes, pomegranate seeds, sliced pears and pecans. Add crumbled goat cheese and serve vinaigrette on the side.
- If you wish to serve the salad already dressed, toss the salad greens with some of the toppings, and then top the salad bowl with the rest. Crumble goat cheese on top of the salad only after tossing it.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in December 2016. It has been updated.
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Sean says
This is excellent. Made it to take to a Christmas dinner party and it was the hit of the table. Several request to share the recipe and I've made it twice since.
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
That's fantastic Sean, thanks so much for taking the time to write and let me know!
jetpackjacob says
This looks delicious!
C.M. says
This is such a beautiful looking salad.
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thank you, I hope you give it a try!
Brina says
Great salad!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks Sabrina!
Louise Crosby says
What a gorgeous salad for this time of year! And it sounds delicious.
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks so much Louise! I can't get enough of this salad!