A pomegranate spinach salad recipe?  Yes! What better way to use all the goodness winter brings than a salad full of fresh spinach, pomegranates, oranges, and pecans!

The Popular Pomegranate

It seemed about 10 years ago the pomegranate juice craze really hit. I remember seeing all the commercials with pomegranate juice gushing over people. And the claims being made about the copious amounts of antioxidants contained in a single glass of pomegranate juice! Honestly I had never thought too much about pomegranates before this.

I vaguely remember being in my 6th grade band class and the girl next to me eating these ruby red gems. I’d never seen anything like them before, and my mother fed us plenty of weird food. One of the bonuses of growing up overseas is that you are exposed to all kinds of food. Schnitzel and kimchi were regulars at our house. but these tiny juice-filled seeds that my fellow saxophone-playing 6th grader was eating were something I had never seen before. So when the pomegranate juice craze began, that band class image was all I could muster up. I had no idea what a pomegranate even looked like.

Pomegranate Spinach Salad

Fast forward to now, and the pomegranate is one of my favorite winter fruits. Unlike other fruits, which can be found pretty regularly year-round, pomegranates only appear in our grocery stores in the late fall and winter. My kids see them perched in a box and beg to put a few in the cart. If our week is busy, I’ll sometimes say no. Pomegranates can get pretty messy and time-consuming. but they are delicious and full of goodness. So what better way to incorporate this beautiful fruit into our weekly meals than to put it on a spinach salad?

We have tons of fresh spinach growing in the garden, and it should last most of the winter. My kids aren’t always thrilled about a new spinach salad recipe, so I just did what any savvy mom would do. Put something sweet on the salad to entice them to eat it. This also works with some husbands. The bright pop of the pomegranate and the juicy burst of orange, with the crunch of pecans and a hint of saltiness from freshly grated Parmesan all help to make this salad both sweet and savory. This pomegranate spinach salad recipe is perfect for adults and kids alike.

A word about peeling

If you’ve never used pomegranate before, I suggest checking out this YouTube video on how to peel them. Once you’ve done at once or twice you will get the hang of it. And just a warning, don’t wear a white shirt. This is the voice of experience talking.

Spinach Salad Recipe

Salad:

4-5 cups fresh spinach

1/2 pomegranate, peeled

2 oranges, peeled

1/2 cup pecans

1/3 cup shredded parmesan

Dressing:

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup Olive oil

1 Tablespoon Maple syrup

1 Tablespoon Apple cider vinegar

Pinch of salt

Fresh cracked pepper 

Pomegranate Spinach Salad Recipe

1. Wash spinach leaves and place on a serving platter. Peel pomegranate and use half of seeds on top of salad. Peel oranges and slice segments into 1/2 inch pieces. Place on salad.
2. Chop pecans and sprinkle on top of spinach and fruit. Then use a good microplane grater to finely grate parmesan cheese on top of salad. Set the salad to the side while you prepare the dijon vinaigrette.                                                                                                                                                                                                             
3. For the vinaigrette, place dijon mustard in a small bowl. Using a small whisk drizzle in olive oil while whisking. Add maple syrup and vinegar and whisk until combined. Try the vinaigrette, and if needed, add a pinch of salt. Crack fresh pepper over the salad, then drizzle dressing over the top. Serve immediately.
   

This pomegranate spinach salad recipe is a delicious and healthy way to celebrate all of the goodness that late fall and winter have to offer. Salads certainly aren’t just for eating in the summer. I’d love to know what your favorite winter fruits and veggies are. Comment below and let me know, and have a fantastic week!

Yield: 6

Pomegranate Spinach Salad

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Enjoy the best of what late fall and winter has to offer with this delicious pomegranate spinach salad with dijon vinaigrette!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 4-5 cups fresh spinach
• 2 oranges, peeled
• 1/2 pomegranate, peeled
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Dijon Dressing

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Wash spinach leaves and place on a serving platter. Peel pomegranate and use half of seeds on top of salad. Peel oranges and slice segments into 1/2 inch pieces. Place on salad.  Chop pecans and sprinkle on top of spinach and fruit. Then use a good microplane grater to finely grate parmesan cheese on top of salad. Set the salad to the side while you prepare the dijon vinaigrette. 
2. For the vinaigrette, place dijon mustard in a small bowl. Using a small whisk drizzle in olive oil while whisking. Add maple syrup and vinegar and whisk until combined. Try the vinaigrette, and if needed, add a pinch of salt. Crack fresh pepper over the salad, then drizzle dressing over the top. Serve immediately. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 239 Total Fat: 18g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 14g Cholesterol: 5mg Sodium: 270mg Carbohydrates: 18g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 10g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 6g