This kale salad with pomegranate is full of bright flavors and not only tastes great but is also so good for you. It is easy to make and keeps well in the fridge.
I made kale salad with pomegranate, oranges and pine nuts. It’s a perfect winter salad and won’t leave you looking for your chunky sweater to hide in. It’s filling and flavorful. And it has toasted pine nuts which I would eat by the handful if I had an unlimited budget.
More Kale Salads
- Farro Salad with Butternut Squash, Kale, Bacon and Feta
- Kale Salad with Cranberries and Poppy Seed Dressing
- Kale Sweet Potato Salad with Quinoa and Creamy Chile Lime Dressing
Recipe
Kale Pomegranate Salad
Whether you serve it for a holiday party or a weekday lunch, this kale pomegranate salad is a stunner. It's also delicious, with tart pomegranate, bright citrus, crunchy pecans, and briny feta.
Ingredients
For Salad
- 1 bunch curly kale
- 2 large oranges
- ¼ cup very thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup salted roasted pecans
For Dressing
- ¼ cup reserved juice from the oranges
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Strip the kale from the tough stems. Wash the kale well and spin dry, removing as much water as possible. Tear or cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 8 cups of loosely packed kale.1 bunch curly kale
- Cut the peels away from both oranges. Using a sharp knife, cut the segments out of the oranges over a large serving bowl to catch the juice. Place the segments into a small bowl as you cut them out. Once you have the segments cut out, squeeze the remaining juice out of the membranes into the large bowl to use for the dressing. You should have about ¼ cup of juice.2 large oranges
- To the bowl containing the orange juice, add olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk dressing ingredients until well combined.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, ¼ cup reserved juice from the oranges
- Put the torn kale into the bowl with the dressing. Using your hands, massage the kale with the dressing for 1 to 2 minutes to soften the kale (see note 1).
- Once the kale is softened, stir in the red onion. Divide the kale onto 6 serving plates or shallow bowls.¼ cup very thinly sliced red onion
- Arrange the orange segments, pomegranate arils, feta cheese, and pecans on top of the dressed kale (see note 2). Serve immediately.½ cup pomegranate arils, ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, ½ cup salted roasted pecans
Notes
- Massaging the kale: If you’ve never tried massaging kale for a salad, I highly recommend it. Massaged kale can make converts out of professed kale-haters. However, if you want more of a crisp texture and slight bitterness in the kale leaves, you could skip that step.
- Make ahead: If you don’t plan on serving the salad right away, store the dressed kale with the onions separately in a covered bowl. It will keep for a few hours. Add the remaining ingredients immediately before serving.
- Variations: Instead of pecans, try toasted walnuts or slivered almonds. Toasted sunflower seeds or pepitas are good nut-free choices. If you’re not a fan of feta cheese, try goat cheese, shaved Parmesan, blue cheese, or gorgonzola.
Nutrition
Serving: 1salad with dressing, Calories: 233kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 280mg, Potassium: 279mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 2362IU, Vitamin C: 55mg, Calcium: 152mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Best salad!!!Hands down this my secret weapon that I bring to any occasion and it’s always gone.
Delicious kale marinates in the citrus and makes it soft not bitter. The toasted pine nuts add a perfect crunch along with the pomegranate. I drain and use canned mandarin oranges in a pinch.
So glad you like it! Thank you for leaving a review!
Such a good idea ! Me and my fiance were talking the other day about how good a recipe would be but this would be much easier to make !!
Great looking salad! I love the use of kale in contrast to the orange dressing.
yummy!
Beautiful! Looks so festive and perfect for a Christmas side dish!