This kale pomegranate salad (aka Christmas Salad) is tremendous straightforward to whip up and makes for a festive and wholesome possibility for the vacations.
For those who didn’t suppose I used to be having fun with salads all through the vacations, do you even know me?! I stick by my salad day-after-day technique year-round and whereas I do sometimes go a day with out a full blown salad, consuming plenty of veggies is all the time high of thoughts!
This Christmas salad is the right addition to your vacation meal. It’s festive, tasty and ridiculously easy to make… you actually can’t go improper!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Festive and attractive – With vibrant pomegranate seeds, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy candied nuts, this salad is as lovely as it’s scrumptious.
- Balanced flavors – The tangy balsamic dressing, candy pomegranate seeds, and creamy goat cheese create an ideal stability of flavors in each chunk.
- Simple to prep forward – Make the dressing and prep the kale forward of time to save lots of your self some vacation stress. Simply assemble and serve!
- Versatile and customizable – This salad pairs properly with nearly any predominant course and may be simply tailored to suit completely different preferences or dietary wants.
Elements Wanted
- kale – on this recipe you should use both Curly kale or Lacinto kale! Massaging the kale within the dressing helps break down robust leaves and amps up the flavour.
- goat cheese – gentle in taste, supplies a pleasant creamy texture to this salad.
- pomegranate seeds – you should buy an entire pomegranate and take away the seeds (referred to as arils) your self or you’ll be able to simply purchase a bundle of arils on the grocery retailer. You need to be capable to discover each within the produce part!
- candied walnuts – or candied pecans for a festive and candy contact. I usually make my selfmade candied walnuts, however I typically use Diamond glazed walnuts if I’m in a time crunch, that are all the time a success with the fam!
- balsamic dressing – we’re utilizing a selfmade balsamic dressing for this salad which is made with further virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic and salt.
Discover the total ingredient checklist with measurements within the recipe card under.
Salad Substitutions
- Kale: Not a fan kale? No worries! Child spinach, blended greens, and even arugula make glorious swaps for a milder, softer base. For those who’re new to kale, although, give it a attempt—it’d simply shock you (particularly when massaged).
- Goat cheese: If goat cheese isn’t your jam, crumbled feta or blue cheese are unbelievable alternate options.
- Pomegranate seeds: Recent pomegranate seeds add the right pop of sweetness, however dried cranberries, cherries, and even mandarin orange slices make nice substitutes.
- Candied walnuts or pecans: Use plain toasted nuts for much less sweetness or swap them for sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds when you want a nut-free possibility.
Find out how to Make Christmas Salad
Step 1: Add all dressing substances to a blender and mix till mixed and easy. Or add all of the substances to a mason jar and shake to mix.
Step 2: In a big mixing bowl, mix kale with about ½ of the dressing and use your palms to therapeutic massage the dressing into the kale. Add extra dressing as wanted.
Step 3: Add pomegranate seeds and goat cheese to the salad bowl (saving slightly of every for topping).
Step 4: Toss the whole lot collectively and season with sea salt and pepper to style. Add extra dressing if wanted. Switch to a serving bowl, sprinkle with candied nuts, extra pomegranate seeds and goat cheese. Get pleasure from!
Brittany’s Ideas
- Chill the dressing: For those who’re making the dressing forward of time, let it chill within the fridge for a couple of hours. This enables the flavors to meld collectively, making it much more scrumptious.
- Avoid wasting toppings: Reserve a handful of pomegranate seeds, goat cheese crumbles, and candied nuts for sprinkling on high proper earlier than serving. It provides the salad a elegant, festive look.
- Add the dressing slowly: Begin with half the dressing, toss the salad, after which add extra if wanted. You don’t wish to overdress the kale, as it might develop into soggy.
- Make the dressing prematurely: The dressing may be made as much as 3 days prematurely to avoid wasting time the day you wish to serve this salad. Make it and retailer within the fridge till able to prep the total salad.
Find out how to Serve
This festive Christmas salad is flexible and pairs superbly with a wide range of dishes, making it excellent for vacation gatherings or perhaps a cozy dinner at dwelling. Listed below are some serving concepts:
Storing Leftovers
Any leftover Christmas salad may be saved in an hermetic container for 1-2 days. The dressing will start to wilt the kale however it is going to nonetheless be okay to eat.
Incessantly Requested Questions
Lower the pomegranate in half and maintain it over a bowl, minimize facet down. Gently whack the again with a wood spoon to launch the seeds. That is fast, straightforward, and retains the seeds intact.
The kale ought to flip a deeper inexperienced and really feel softer to the contact. It’ll additionally shrink barely in quantity. You don’t must overdo it—only a minute or two of massaging will do the trick!
Completely! Be happy to make this salad your personal. Add your favourite veggies, use your most popular nuts or seeds and cheese and swap the dressing together with your go-to. The choices are infinite!
Extra Vacation Sides
Remember to take a look at all of my vacation recipes on EBF!
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