Thanksgiving Salad with Homemade Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Celebrate this Thanksgiving with a fresh, vibrant, and beautifully balanced salad featuring a simple pomegranate vinaigrette. This salad offers a welcome burst of color and crunch on your holiday table and complements classic Thanksgiving dishes perfectly. It’s easily customizable, so feel free to mix in your favorite add-ins like creamy avocado, salty nuts, or even a touch of cheese if you like.
Why You’ll Love This Thanksgiving Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette Recipe
Every Thanksgiving, I love to bring something new and refreshing to the table. This year’s Thanksgiving salad is filled with crisp greens, juicy pomegranate seeds, and a tangy pomegranate vinaigrette that’s both sweet and tart.
It’s a light, refreshing side that contrasts with the richer, heavier dishes on the table. Plus, the ingredients are easily prepped in advance, so you’ll have one less thing to worry about on the big day. Holiday salads are a fun way to incorporate seasonal ingredients, but also serve as a beautiful centerpiece on the table (an added bonus!)
Ingredients You’ll Need
All you need are a handful of ingredients and simple steps to make this homemade dressing and beautiful Fall salad. Feel free to customize it to your liking– that’s what makes salads fun!
Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- Pomegranate juice: See below for making your own juice. Otherwise, you can use Pom juice or another high-quality brand you like from your local grocery store.
- White wine vinegar or lemon juice
- Pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
- Unrefined, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil: Or another neutral oil like avocado oil if desired.
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pomegranate seeds (also called pomegranate arils!)
Salad Ingredients
- Mixed greens of your choice (see recipe notes for recommended greens)
- Pitted dates or dried fruit of your choice
- Pickled onions or shallots
- Fresh red radishes or watermelon radish
- Avocado
- Toasted and salted nuts or seeds: Such as walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or pumpkin seeds for extra flavor and crunch.
- Cheese: Try Manchego, blue cheese, feta cheese, or goat cheese for extra creaminess and tang.
See the full recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and instructions.
How to Make Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Step 1: In a mason jar with a secure lid, add the pomegranate juice, vinegar or lemon juice, sweetener, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Give it a good shake until the vinaigrette is well-emulsified. Add the pomegranate seeds and stir gently. For best results, make the vinaigrette a day in advance to allow the flavors to develop. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
How to Assemble the Salad
Step 1: Place the chopped mixed greens in a large serving bowl. Drizzle just enough of the pomegranate vinaigrette over the greens to lightly coat them. Toss gently to ensure even distribution.
Step 2: Arrange the dates, pickled onions, radishes, avocado, and toasted nuts on top of the greens for a stunning presentation. Serve immediately for the freshest taste and crunch.
Recipe Tips
- Rather than tossing everything together, layer toppings on the greens for a beautiful presentation that shows off the colors and textures. This way, you have a gorgeous salad that’s tasty and eye catching.
- Toasting nuts or seeds brings out their flavor and adds a satisfying crunch. Use a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant.
- For maximum freshness, add delicate ingredients like avocado and radishes right before serving. This keeps the salad crisp and vibrant.
- If the salad will be out for a while, serve the pomegranate vinaigrette on the side. This keeps the greens crisp longer and allows guests to dress their own portions.
Deseeding Pomegranate: To quickly and cleanly remove seeds, cut the pomegranate in half horizontally. Hold one half over a large bowl, cut side down, and use a wooden spoon to tap firmly all over the skin. The seeds will loosen and fall out with minimal mess.
Making Fresh Pomegranate Juice: For the best flavor, make your own pomegranate juice. Place pomegranate seeds in a blender or food processor, pulse a few times, and strain through a fine mesh sieve to separate the juice from the pulp. Use a spoon to press any remaining juice through the sieve.
Health Benefits of Pomegranates
Incorporating pomegranate into your vinaigrette isn’t just for flavor—it also adds a nutritional boost! Pomegranates are:
- Rich in Antioxidants: Known for reducing inflammation and supporting immune health, pomegranate is a great addition to holiday meals.
- High in Fiber: Including fiber from pomegranate seeds supports digestion, helping to balance a heavier holiday menu.
- Loaded with Vitamins: Especially vitamin C and potassium, pomegranates help maintain heart health and immune strength.
Serving and Storage Tips
This salad pairs wonderfully with traditional Thanksgiving favorites like roasted turkey, sweet potato casserole, and stuffing. It can also be a great option for a lighter lunch or brunch during the holiday season. You can serve it as a side salad or add some leftover turkey to make it a main course!
To store, follow these simple instructions below.
Salad: If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. Keep in mind that avocado and delicate greens may wilt slightly.
Vinaigrette: The pomegranate dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week. If making ahead, add pomegranate seeds just before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, absolutely! You can make the vinaigrette up to one week ahead and store it in the fridge. Add the pomegranate seeds right before serving to keep them fresh.
To make fresh pomegranate juice, place one cup of pomegranate seeds in a blender and pulse a few times. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to separate the juice from the seeds, pressing down with a spoon to extract any remaining juice.
Avoid delicate baby greens that can wilt quickly. Instead, try sturdier greens like arugula, radicchio, endive, frisée, or Little Gem lettuce. Combining bitter greens with sweet elements like dates and pomegranate balances the flavors beautifully.
Absolutely! This salad pairs well with a range of cheeses. Try Manchego, blue cheese, feta, or goat cheese for extra creaminess and tang.
More Winter Salads
- Winter Salad with Grapefruit and Quinoa
- Winter Fruit Salad
- Thanksgiving Leftovers Salad
- Roasted Vegetable Salad
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Thanksgiving Salad with Homemade Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup pomegranate juice see notes for how to make your own
- 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1-2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup honey or agave
- â…“ cup unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
Salad
- 10 cups of chopped mixed greens of your choice*
- 5 large dates pitted and sliced or â…“ cup dried fruit of your choice
- ½ cup pickled onions or shallots**
- 4 small red radishes sliced super thin or ½ large watermelon radish, julienned
- 1 large avocado sliced
- Toasted and salted nuts or seeds like walnuts, pistachios, almonds or pumpkin seeds or candied nuts (I used Diamond salted walnuts)
Instructions
- Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a screw top lid and shake until emulsified.
- Arrange salad greens in a large serving bowl and toss to coat with just enough dressing. Top with desired add-ins and serve immediately.
Notes
- To make pomegranate juice: Place 1 cup of pomegranate seeds in a blender and pulse a few times to release their juice. You don’t want to blend completely. Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl or measuring cup and strain the crushed pomegranate seeds and their juice. Use a spoon to press any juice left from the seeds through the sieve. This will yield about ¼ cup of juice. Â
- *I do not recommend baby field greens for a buffet. They get soggy quickly. Personally, I like mixing different greens together, especially bitter ones (e.g. arugula, radicchio, endive, frisee)Â when there is a sweet element like fruit in the salad. But use what you enjoy and what is available in your area. I used 7 heads of Little Gem lettuce and 2 big handfuls of arugula.
- **Quick pickled onions: 1 small red onion or 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced 1 cup water 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 Tablespoon granulated cane sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt To make pickled shallots, combine the water, red wine vinegar, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the sliced onion and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the liquid and set aside in a bowl to cool.
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