Pear, Pomegranate and Feta Salad
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.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 366kcal
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
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. 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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 516mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 954IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 1mg