This Pear, Pomegranate and Feta Salad is a vibrant, festive side dish! Juicy pears, fruity pomegranate seeds and salty feta cheese are paired with chewy dates and a tangy orange vinaigrette over a bed of greens. It’s great for Christmas, Thanksgiving or any meal, really.
Plus it’s naturally gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free, vegan, Paleo or Whole30 friendly. (Even though this blog has “Paleo” in its title, this is one of the few recipes that is not strictly Paleo as written, due to the feta cheese. Dairy is not included in Paleo recipes.)
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Why this recipe works
Are pomegranate seeds (technically called “arils”) the prettiest ingredient ever? They practically sparkle like rubies. Pair them with white feta cheese and leafy greens and boom: you’ve got the colors of Christmas.
I like to add pears, which also makes this feta and pomegranate salad great for Thanksgiving or any time throughout the fall. I thought the salad also needed a chewy dried fruit but cranberries and cherries were too close in color to the pomegranate arils, so dates it is!
To make sure the salad doesn’t become too sweet, I coat everything in an easy orange vinaigrette, which adds a bright, fresh tartness for balance. Plus there’s something about the combination of orange with pomegranate and dates that I find to be very Thanksgiving-y and Christmas-y. But you could use almost any dressing you like. See the FAQ below for other ideas.
What you need
Ingredients for the salad:
- 5 oz. leafy greens – I use a combination of baby arugula and spinach. The arugula adds a peppery flavor that keeps the sweetness of the dates and pears in check. But I like using spinach as well because sometimes using only arugula becomes too much. But use whatever leafy greens you like!
- 1 pear – You can use Bartlett, Bosc or D’Anjou. The riper they are, the softer they’ll be. To test their ripeness, gently press the top of the pear by the stem. If it’s hard, the pear will be crunchy. If there’s give, it’ll be softer. Either way is fine – it comes down to preference.
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds – I like to buy them sold separately as it can be messy to separate the seeds from the fruit.
- 1 cup dates, pitted and halved cross-wise – I highly recommend buying dates with the pits in them and then gently pulling the dates out yourself. Yes, it’s an extra step but pit-in dates are so much soft and sweeter than pitted dates, which are often dry and stringy.
- 1/2 cup feta cheese – I buy a block and crumble it by hand to get differently sized crumbles, plus it tastes fresher than the tubs of crumbled feta.
Ingredients for the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice – You’ll need about 1/2 of a large orange for this.
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – Use the good stuff here.
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt – The feta already adds some saltiness so we don’t need to add too much salt to the dressing
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper – Adds a subtly, punchy savoriness.
Equipment:
- a large mixing bowl
- a mason jar or medium mixing bowl for the dressing
- a whisk (if using a bowl for the dressing)
- a cutting board
- a chef’s knife
- a melon baller (my favorite tool for coring pears and apples)
- salad servers
- a serving bowl
How to make this Pear, Pomegranate and Feta Salad
For the dressing:
- If using a mason jar, add the juice, oil, salt and pepper. Screw on the lid tightly and shake the jar until everything is combined. Set aside.
- If using a bowl, add the juice to the bowl. While constantly whisking, slowly drizzle the oil into the juice. Once it’s all combined, whisk in the salt and pepper. Set aside.
For the salad:
- Add the greens to a large mixing bowl, then add the pomegranate seeds and pitted, halved dates.
- Slice the pears in half and remove the seeds and stem. I like to thinly slice the pears from top to bottom but that does create kinda big slices. If you’d rather make them more bite-sized, you can then cut the slices in half cross-wise or cut the pear into cubes. Add the pear to the greens.
- Pour most of the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to combine. Taste and add more dressing, salt or pepper, if necessary. Transfer everything to the serving bowl and, well, serve!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You can make so many substitutions!
Use whatever leafy greens you like: arugula, spinach, kale, Romaine, butter, etc. You could also add radicchio for more color as well.
Instead of pomegranate seeds, you could use dried cranberries or cherries (in addition to or instead of the dates). Or, if you want more crunch, try pumpkin seeds or chopped, toasted walnuts, almonds or pecans.
Instead of dates, try dried cranberries or cherries (if you don’t mind them being close in color to the pomegranate seeds) or chopped dried apricots.
Instead of feta, you can try crumbled goat cheese, shaved or crumbled Parmesan, tiny mozzarella balls or burrata.
Yep. This would be great with balsamic, honey mustard or red wine vinaigrette.
Another similar dressing I’ve used with this salad is 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar, 5 tablespoons orange-flavored olive oil, and then the same amount of salt and pepper. It’s bright and tangy and tastes great!
You can, and it’s the same option for all of them: remove the feta cheese. In its place, if you want something creamy, try cubed avocado. Keep in mind you might need to add about an extra ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt to the dressing or the salad itself without the feta.
The dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance and kept in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before giving it a good shake/whisk and then pouring over the salad. Once you’ve added the dressing, serve immediately.
The greens, pomegranate seeds, dates and feta can be combined and kept in the fridge for up to a week. Do not slice the pears until you’re ready to serve, otherwise they will brown. Add the pears and dressing only when you’re ready to serve.
I do not recommend freezing this.
Other recipes you might like:
- Pear and Parsnip Soup
- Citrus, Avocado and Feta Salad
- Arugula Burrata Salad
- Kale Salad with Granola
- Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
Pear, Pomegranate and Feta Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice from about ½ of a large orange
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt plus more as necessary
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more as necessary
For the salad
- 5 oz. baby arugula and/or spinach
- 1 large pear, such as Bartlett, Bosc or D'Anjou
- 1 cup dates, pitted and halved crosswise
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds, also called "arils"
- ½ cup feta cheese
Instructions
For the dressing
- If using a mason jar, add the juice, oil, salt and pepper. Screw on the lid tightly and shake the jar until everything is combined. Set aside.
- If using a medium bowl, add the juice to the bowl. While constantly whisking, slowly drizzle the oil into the juice. Once it's all combined, whisk in the salt and pepper. Set aside.
For the salad
- Add the greens to a large bowl, then add the pomegranate seeds and pitted, halved dates.
- Slice the pears in half and remove the seeds and stem. I like to thinly slice the pears from top to bottom but that does create kinda big slices. If you'd rather make them more bite-sized, you can then cut the slices in half cross-wise or cut the pear into cubes. Add the pear to the greens.
- Pour most of the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to combine. Taste and add more dressing, salt or pepper, if necessary. Transfer everything to a serving bowl and, well, serve!
Notes
Use whatever leafy greens you like: arugula, spinach, kale, Romaine, butter, etc. You could also add radicchio for more color as well. Instead of pomegranate seeds, you could use dried cranberries or cherries (in addition to or instead of the dates). Or, if you want more crunch, try pumpkin seeds or chopped, toasted walnuts, almonds or pecans. Instead of dates, try dried cranberries or cherries (if you don’t mind them being close in color to the pomegranate seeds) or chopped dried apricots. Instead of feta, you can try crumbled goat cheese, shaved or crumbled Parmesan, tiny mozzarella balls or burrata. Different dressings This would be great with balsamic, honey mustard or red wine vinaigrette. Another, similar dressing I’ve used with this salad is 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar, 5 tablespoons orange-flavored olive oil, and then the same amount of salt and pepper. It’s bright and tangy and tastes great! Make this dairy-free, vegan, Paleo and/or Whole30? You can, and it’s the same option for all of them: remove the feta cheese. In its place, if you want something creamy, try cubed avocado. Keep in mind you might need to add about an extra ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt to the dressing or the salad itself without the feta. Make ahead The dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance and kept in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before giving it a good shake/whisk and then pouring over the salad. Once you’ve added the dressing, serve immediately. The greens, pomegranate seeds, dates and feta can be combined and kept in the fridge for up to a week. Do not slice the pears until you’re ready to serve, otherwise they will brown. Add the pears and dressing only when you’re ready to serve. Freezer info I do not recommend freezing this.
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