This kale and pomegranate salad is tasty, healthy, and full of vibrant flavours and colours. Packed with different veggies, and pecans and topped with goat's feta (optional). This salad is perfect for the festive season.
While this recipe may be classed as more of a winter salad, many of you live on the other side world where the festive season is indeed in winter, so I'm hoping that you will enjoy this recipe.
We are just coming into summer here in New Zealand but many of these ingredients are still available. Our garden has a never-ending supply of kale which is always handy!
One of my other favourite Christmas salad recipes is this sweet potato and feta salad, it has delicious cinnamon and balsamic glazed sweet potatoes which give it an extra festive flair.
Key Ingredients
- Kale or choice, I used curly kale.
- Butternut squash or if not available orange kumara/sweet potato could be used.
- Fresh apple, I prefer green apples in this salad.
- Red or white cabbage.
- Brussels sprouts or if these are not available you could use a mix of red and white cabbage.
- Pomegranate arils or seeds
- Goat's feta, optional
Step by Step Instructions
- First, get prepared and preheat your oven to 220°C/430°F
- Place the diced butternut squash or kumara on a baking sheet lined with baking/ parchment paper. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven when cooked, and set aside.
- While the butternut squash or kumara/sweet potato is cooking prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Chop and dice the apples into small squares. Remove the stems from the kale leaves and chop them into fine pieces. Finely shred, grate, or chop the cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
- Next, make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add all of the kale salad ingredients on a platter or a bowl, top with pomegranate arils and goat's feta, drizzle over the dressing, and enjoy!
Swaps and variations
- I used curly kale, any type of kale or spinach leaves could be used.
- If you can't get hold of brussels sprouts or don't like them then you can add more cabbage.
- Butternut squash, pumpkin or orange sweet potato/kumara work well as different variations in this salad. If you want to keep this salad low-carb then omit all altogether.
- Walnuts can be used in place of pecans or sunflower and pumpkin seeds if you are looking for a nut free version.
- A crumbly goat's feta is my favourite for this salad, if you can't tolerate or don't like goat's feta then you could look for a plant-based or Vegan feta, do a drizzle of cashew cheese, or leave it out.
- Plain pecans, roasted or honey roasted work well in this salad.
If you are looking for other festive recipes for the warmer climate this beetroot, avocado and quinoa salad with spiced walnuts and mint is a crowd-pleaser.
This collection of 20 Easy Christmas Salad Recipes is perfect if you are looking for some inspiration for your festive entertaining.
If you make this kale and pomegranate salad I would love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me #lovefoodnourish on Instagram – I love seeing your creations!
Kale and Pomegranate Salad
A bright, healthy, and vibrant salad perfect for entertaining.
Ingredients
Kale Salad Ingredients:
- 5 cups chopped kale (remove stems)
- 2 cups chopped brussels sprouts
- 2 cups chopped red cabbage
- 2 green apples
- 2 cups diced butternut squash
- ½ cup pomegranate arils or dried cranberries
- ½ cup goats feta
- ½ cup pecans
Salad dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- First, get prepared and preheat your oven to 220°C/430°F.
- Place diced butternut squash or kumara on a baking sheet lined with baking/ parchment paper.
- Drizzle a small amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven when cooked, and set aside. While the butternut squash or kumara/sweet potato is cooking prepare the rest of the salad ingredients.
- Chop and dice the apples into small squares. Remove the stems from the kale leaves and chop the leaves into fine pieces. Finely shred, grate, or chop the cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
- Next, make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add all of the salad ingredients on a platter or a bowl, top with pomegranate arils and goat's feta, drizzle over the dressing, and enjoy!
Notes
- The nutritional calculation is an estimate only and is based on 6 servings.
- I used curly kale, any type of kale or spinach leaves could be used.
- If you can't get hold of brussels sprouts or don't like them then you can add more cabbage.
- Butternut squash, pumpkin or orange sweet potato/kumara work well as different variations in this salad. If you want to keep this salad low-carb then omit all altogether.
- Walnuts can be used in place of pecans or sunflower and pumpkin seeds if you are looking for a nut-free version.
- A crumbly goat's feta is my favourite for this salad, if you can't tolerate or don't like goat's feta then you could look for a plant-based or Vegan feta, do a drizzle of cashew cheese, or leave it out.
- Plain pecans, roasted or honey roasted work well in this salad.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 283Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 3.7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 11mgSodium 594mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 6.1gSugar 16gProtein 5.5g
This nutritional information is an estimate only and is provided as a courtesy to readers. It was auto-generated based on serving size, number of servings, and typical information for the ingredients listed in the recipe card. Please feel free to use your preferred nutrition calculator. Please consult your doctor about any specific dietary requirements.
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