This kale pomegranate salad (aka Christmas Salad) is tremendous simple to whip up and makes for a festive and wholesome choice for the vacations.
When you didn’t assume I used to be having fun with salads all through the vacations, do you even know me?! I stick by my salad on daily basis methodology year-round and whereas I do often go a day and not using a full blown salad, consuming plenty of veggies is at all times high of thoughts!
This Christmas salad is the proper addition to your vacation meal. It’s festive, tasty and ridiculously easy to make… you actually can’t go incorrect!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Festive and attractive – With vibrant pomegranate seeds, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy candied nuts, this salad is as stunning as it’s scrumptious.
- Balanced flavors – The tangy balsamic dressing, candy pomegranate seeds, and creamy goat cheese create an ideal stability of flavors in each chew.
- Simple to prep forward – Make the dressing and prep the kale forward of time to avoid wasting your self some vacation stress. Simply assemble and serve!
- Versatile and customizable – This salad pairs nicely with virtually any major course and may be simply tailored to suit completely 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, gives a pleasant creamy texture to this salad.
- pomegranate seeds – you should purchase a complete pomegranate and take away the seeds (known as arils) your self or you’ll be able to simply purchase a package deal of arils on the grocery retailer. It is best to be capable to discover each within the produce part!
- candied walnuts – or candied pecans for a festive and candy contact. I usually make my home made candied walnuts, however I typically use Diamond glazed walnuts if I’m in a time crunch, that are at all times successful with the fam!
- balsamic dressing – we’re utilizing a home made balsamic dressing for this salad which is made with additional virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic and salt.
Discover the total ingredient checklist with measurements within the recipe card under.
Salad Substitutions
- Kale: Not a fan kale? No worries! Child spinach, combined greens, and even arugula make wonderful swaps for a milder, softer base. When you’re new to kale, although, give it a attempt—it would simply shock you (particularly when massaged).
- Goat cheese: If goat cheese isn’t your jam, crumbled feta or blue cheese are implausible options.
- Pomegranate seeds: Contemporary pomegranate seeds add the proper 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 should you want a nut-free choice.
How you can Make Christmas Salad
Step 1: Add all dressing substances to a blender and mix till mixed and clean. Or add all of the substances 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 arms 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 somewhat of every for topping).
Step 4: Toss the whole lot collectively and season with sea salt and pepper to style. Add extra dressing if wanted. Switch to a serving bowl, sprinkle with candied nuts, further pomegranate seeds and goat cheese. Take pleasure in!
Brittany’s Ideas
- Chill the dressing: When you’re making the dressing forward of time, let it chill within the fridge for a number of hours. This permits 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 high proper earlier than serving. It offers 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 wish to overdress the kale, as it could actually turn out to be soggy.
- Make the dressing upfront: The dressing may be made as much as 3 days upfront to avoid wasting time the day you wish to serve this salad. Make it and retailer within the fridge till able to prep the total salad.
How you can 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 house. Listed below are some serving concepts:
Storing Leftovers
Any leftover Christmas salad may be saved in an hermetic container for 1-2 days. The dressing will start to wilt the kale however it can nonetheless be okay to eat.
Steadily Requested Questions
Lower the pomegranate in half and maintain it over a bowl, minimize facet down. Gently whack the again with a wood spoon to launch the seeds. That is fast, simple, 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 popular nuts or seeds and cheese and swap the dressing along with your go-to. The choices are infinite!
Extra Vacation Sides
You should definitely try all of my vacation recipes on EBF!
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