Christmas Salad Recipe with Pomegranate and Pecans
Boasting the flavors and colors of Christmas, this Christmas salad recipe will be a welcome healthy addition to any holiday menu!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I loved watching my site traffic and seeing what recipes you were all making from my site for your Thanksgiving dinners. Popular recipes were my easiest mac and cheese, slow cooker stuffing, slow cooker mashed potatoes, and acorn squash.
We enjoyed that exact slow cooker stuffing along with turkey (obviously), vanilla bean whipped sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts salad, another salad, rolls, green beans, pumpkin pie and a pumpkin roll. We also had a giant cheeseboard while we were cooking. I’ve been stuffed for 5 days straight, I swear. I’m ready to scale back on the eating a bit.
I need to eat salads and chicken breast from now until Christmas. But we all know that’s not going to happen. December is basically for celebrating the birth of Jesus and eating all month. Do I have that right?
You all know how eager I’ve been to set up our Christmas tree, so that obviously went up the day after Thanksgiving. Now I’m ready! The halls are decked and we’re all in the Christmas spirit. Sort of. E has been super sick (I’m writing this in her room while she rests in bed) and we’re getting a new roof so it’s less than quiet around here, but we’re trying to fight through and find the Christmas spirit with family time, crafts and Christmas music. We’re not listening to Christmas music on Alexa though, because new roof = no satellite dish = no internet = red ring of confusion on Alexa. First world problems, am I right?
If any kale salad will put you in the holiday spirit, it’s this Christmas salad. Filled with green and red, it’s decked like a tree on Christmas morning. Candied pecans and smooth blue cheese amp up the decadence just enough to make this as suitable for Christmas day as it is for a busy Monday afternoon.
Don’t care for blue cheese? Neither do I. This salad is great with feta instead!
I was working with one of my favorite clients, Milk Means More to spruce up some photos on their site and they assigned me this salad created by my friend Amanda over at The Nutritionist Reviews. I used kale instead of swiss chard (I prefer chard cooked typically), but other than that, I followed the recipe pretty closely. I found that the dressing recipe makes a little extra, but you can keep it in a jar in your fridge for other salads.
Tip: If you’re preparing this salad in advance (it will make the kale nice and tender!), hold off on adding the cheese and the pecans until right before you serve it.
PS: Although I did shoot these photos for Milk Means More and they are a long-time partner, they didn’t ask me to write this post and I wasn’t compensated for it. I just thought you guys would like this salad!
If you love kale salads, I have you covered with plenty of them! Try this sweet kale salad which is a copycat of the kind you can buy in the stores, this kale salad with avocado, or kale salad with apples and golden raisins.
Christmas Salad Recipe with Pomegranate and Pecans
Boasting the flavors and colors of Christmas, this Christmas salad recipe will be a welcome healthy addition to any holiday menu!
Ingredients
For the Pecans
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans, whole or large pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons water
For the Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Juice from 1 large orange
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
For the Salad
- 1-2 bunches (about 6-7 cups) kale, chopped in small pieces (remove thick stems prior to chopping)
- 2 oranges, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup blue cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate arils (the seeds)
Instructions
- In a small frying pan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, 1-2 tablespoons of water, and pecans. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until sugar mixture is thick and pecans are toasted. Remove from pan to a parchment paper lined plate to cool and harden.
- Combine all ingredients for dressing and whisk well or shake together in a jar.
- Place chopped kale in a large salad bowl. Top with oranges, pecans, Blue cheese and pomegranate arils. Top with dressing; toss to combine.
Notes
- Chop the kale in very small pieces for the most enjoyable eating experience.
- Don't like blue cheese? Me neither. This salad is great with feta instead!
- If you're preparing this salad in advance (it will make the kale nice and tender!), hold off on adding the cheese and the pecans until right before you serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 of 8Amount Per Serving: Calories: 266Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 14gProtein: 3g
RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.
Husband’s take: No complaints from the peanut gallery.
Changes I would make: None are necessary but this would also be good with dried cranberries, feta cheese, or another type of nut such as walnuts or almonds.
Difficulty: Easy!
One Comment on “Christmas Salad Recipe with Pomegranate and Pecans”
Such a delicious and satisfying salad! I would definitely recommend letting the kale soften a bit in the dressing at least a half hour or so before adding the nuts and cheese and serving.