Pomegranate & Pear Green Salad with Ginger Dressing
This gorgeous green salad recipe is bursting with fresh pomegranate, Bartlett pear and Honeycrisp apple! This salad will brighten up your holiday table.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 9, 2024
I can’t take my eyes off this salad! The concept came to me as I was improvising a big green salad for Friendsgiving this year. Salads are often overlooked at the holidays, so I set out to make a festive red-and-green showstopper.
I knew I wanted to incorporate ruby-red pomegranate arils and fresh pear, since they’re both so delicious this time of year. I added Honeycrisp apple, goat cheese and pecans for good measure.
To make the dressing taste festive and cut through the sweetness of the fruit, I added fresh ginger to my basic apple cider vinaigrette. Believe me, this salad tastes as good as it looks.
This salad might look fancy, but it’s simple to put together. You’ll want to pay extra attention to how you prepare the ingredients, so I’ve typed up some tips below. If you’re craving some greens to get you through the holidays, or already working on your holiday menu, this salad is for you!
Watch How to Make Pomegranate & Pear Salad
Salad Preparation Tips
Apple and pear: Slice straight down about 1/2″ from the core. Repeat on the remaining three sides, and discard the core. With the flat sides lying flat against the cutting board, cut them into very thin slices, keeping the pieces together as best you can. Then, fan out the slices into sections and place them around the salad as shown.
Pomegranate: There are a bunch of different ways to remove the arils from a pomegranate, but I usually do it like this.
Goat cheese: You can easily crumble cold goat cheese with a fork into a bowl. You’ll need half of a standard log of goat cheese for this recipe.
Pecans: Freshly toasted nuts offer tons of flavor, so that’s why I recommend buying raw nuts and toasting them as needed. It’s a simple step that makes a big difference, and your nuts will stay fresher longer this way.
Dressing: Simply whisk it all together! You can make the dressing a day or two in advance, if you’d like.
To serve: This salad really makes a statement when it’s spread across a big serving platter like mine (affiliate link). I usually recommend tossing your salad before serving, but this one is prettier if you simply drizzle dressing lightly all over it and let guests take their portions from there.
Watch How to Make This Pomegranate & Pear Green Salad
Please let me know how this salad turns out for you in the comments! I hope it makes an appearance at your holiday table, if not sooner.
Craving more cold-weather salads? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Arugula and Wild Rice Salad with Zippy Lemon Dressing
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts & Arugula Salad with Sunshine Dressing
- Roasted & Raw Carrot Salad with Avocado
- Greek Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing
- Vibrant Orange & Arugula Salad
Pomegranate & Pear Green Salad with Ginger Dressing
This gorgeous green salad recipe is bursting with fresh pomegranate, Bartlett pear and Honeycrisp apple! This salad will brighten up your holiday table, and liven up a regular weeknight dinner. Recipe yields 4 to 6 side salads.
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw pecans (halves or pieces)
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- 2 ounces (about ½ cup) goat cheese or feta, crumbled
- 1 large ripe Bartlett pear, thinly sliced
- 1 Honeycrisp or Gala apple, thinly sliced
- Arils from 1 pomegranate
Ginger dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, to taste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- About 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- To toast the pecans, place them in a skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring often, until they’re fragrant and starting to turn golden on the edges, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pecans from the heat and roughly chop them (no need to chop if you started with pecan pieces). Set aside.
- Arrange the arugula across a large serving platter (or bowl, but the salad looks prettiest on a platter). Sprinkle the chopped pecans and crumbled goat cheese over the arugula. Fan out your slices of pear and apple and arrange them across the salad in sections (see photos). Sprinkle all over with fresh pomegranate arils.
- To prepare the dressing, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until blended. Taste, and if it isn’t quite zippy enough, add another teaspoon of vinegar.
- Wait to dress the salad until you’re ready to serve (the dressing will wilt the greens over time). When you’re ready, drizzle the ginger dressing lightly all over the salad (you might not need all of it). Serve promptly.
Notes
Dressing adapted from the liquid gold salad dressing in my cookbook, Love Real Food.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Simply omit the goat cheese. Vegans, be sure to use maple syrup instead of honey.
Make it nut free: Substitute pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) for the pecans.
Prepare in advance: You could prepare the salad dressing, and arrange the arugula, pecans, goat cheese and pomegranate up to 1 day in advance. Cover and chill in the refrigerator. Slice and arrange the apple and pear just before serving, since they turn brown over time.
Storage suggestions: This salad is best served promptly. If you know you’ll have leftovers, dress individual servings as needed and store the salad and dressing separately. Leftover dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Thank you Kate for this gorgeous salad! Not only is it beautiful, it is so delicious. We loved the ginger dressing. Thanks for including the tips to remove the arils from the pomegranate. I actually had a lot of fun making this beautiful salad! It’s definitely one it’ll be making over and over again! It was a wonderful addition to our Christmas brunch.
You’re welcome, Liz! I’m happy you enjoyed eating and making it.
I made this salad and brought it to our family Christmas dinner and it was a hit! So delicious, just the right flavor combination and nice break from the heavier feeling dishes. Only substitution I made was feta for goat cheese since I don’t personally like goat cheese and I thought it was great with the feta. Will definitely make again!
Great to hear, Nicole! Thank you for your review.
I made this salad about a month ago and loved it so much that I made it for a big solstice feast my boyfriend and I hosted for my family. Everyone loved this salad. We caramelized the pecans, which adds a bit more sweetness if you’re into that. My nieces (6 & 8 years old), who are normally quite picky, enjoyed this salad because of the kid-friendly ingredients (fruit, nuts, cheese). My sister, who might be pickier than my nieces, loved the dressing and asked me to make it again for different salads we had the following week.
How fun! Caramelized pecans sound delicious! Thank you for sharing, Kiirsti.
What if you’re not into goat or feta? Any other cheese suggestion?
Hi Joanne! You could omit. Or a parmesan could be interesting. I haven’t tried it though.
We use to make Salads everyday, when we moved to Texas. That was 7 years ago. That salads with apples and pears was my favorite one to eat ,
I will get back to eating Healthy ,
Thanks a lot Kate for sharing those great recipes !!!!!
You’re welcome, Bridgett!
Absolutely delicious – the salad turned out very similar to the picture and everyone was impressed :) The dressing was divine. A delicious and pretty salad. Thanks
Delicious, I added cucumber and shallots! Will definitely make it again. Tasty dressing
Simply stunning and a gorgeous start to Christmas in July* week! I liked it so much I licked the plate clean (literally).
*excuse for party in Southern Hemisphere winter. This year a household-only party in lockdown.
Just recreated this salad with what I had at home (a lollo rosso/bionda mix instead of arugula, walnuts instead of pecans, feta instead of goat cheese). It was absolutely AMAZING. Will definitely make this again.
Thank you for sharing this! Wrestling the pomegranate was worth it for such a delicious and good-for-you meal. The flavor combinations are amazing!
We tried this salad this evening for dinner. With pears and pomegranates in season, it is a perfect combination. We love the combination of flavors! It came together suprisingly quickly, given that it looked so impressive on the platter! And it paired wonderfully with your stuffed acorn squash recipe. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kristi! Thank you for your review.
Prepared a modified version this salad for our dinner. We didn’t have goat cheese, so I used shaved parmesan. I should have reduced the sea salt a bit, but overall, it was delicious and well received.
I like your change-up of the cheese! Thank you for sharing, Jane.
Love this recipe so much!! I plan to make this for Thanksgiving this year! We’re not fans of pecans thought, what would be a good substitute? Almonds? Walnuts?
Hi! Either would be a great alternative. Thank you for your review, Sofia.
I’ve been looking forward to serving this salad for Thanksgiving since finding the recipe a month ago. It was a huge hit and will become a regular for our family. The salad was as tasty as beautiful!
Happy Thanksgiving! This is a great salad to have at the holidays. I’m glad you all loved it, Wendy.
This, like all the other recipes from C + K, is delicious! It was the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving table and inspired my sister to recreate it for her own Thanksgiving dinner. Beautiful with minimal effort and tastes even better than it looks!
Thank you, Eileen! I’m excited you loved it.
I made this salad for my husband’s birthday. It was amazing. The ginger dressing is delicious. I didn’t add all the dressing to the salad because we had it a second time the next day. I will definitely make this again. It was lovely and colorful and so very delicious.
I’m glad it was such a hit and fun addition to the birthday celebrations. Thank you for your review, Sandie!
This has become my go-to favorite salad and everyone who tries it wants the recipe! It is scrumptious. Instead of arugula only I play with the greens. My favorite is curly spinach (not the slick kind). I take the stems out and tear it into bite size pieces by hand. To that I add arugula—again torn into smaller pieces. For Christmas this year I did all that but with addition of sunflower sprouts chopped added in. Instead of pecans I use walnuts and to keep it vegetarian/vegan I substitute vegan feta cheese crumbled into the salad. I use honey crisp apples and Asian pears for a little bit of an “upscale” touch! I buy the pomegranate seeds from Trader Joe’s—no mess but fresh. Honestly, I a making another big batch of this for me to nibble over the holidays. To mix the dressing I put all of the ingredients in a mason jar, shake, and voila! Thank you so much for this “signature” salad. Never fails—even my carnivores love it.
Thank you for such a wonderful salad recipe. We had this at our Christmas dinner. Everyone enjoyed this salad. Delicious!
What an amazing salad! Crisp and refreshing – the perfect balance to a rich meal. I subbed spring mix for arugula, but otherwise made exactly as described.
Sounds delicious, Kathryn! Thank you for your review.
My daughter and I made this salad for Christmas dinner. It was a huge hit. We added baby spinach to the arugula. We will be making it again very soon!
Utterly delicious. I love the ginger-pear combination! For the first time in my life, I am starting to feel confident with homemade salad dressings, thanks in large part to this blog. Thank you thank you!!
I’m delighted you think so, Anna! I appreciate your review.
I made this for Christmas dinner, and it was such a hit! My husband has now requested that we use this ginger dressing on every salad moving forward. I really enjoyed the pop of pomegranate and the creaminess of the goat cheese. Thank you Kate, for ANOTHER amazing recipe I will continue to use.
Wonderful, Lucia! I appreciate your review.
This is a wonderful salad- and my entire family were in agreement! Even though your presentation is really spectacular, for simplicity’s sake, I decided to cut the fruit in bite size pieces, and tossed them into the argula with chese and most of the pomegranate. After an initial toss, I added about 2/3 of the dressing and tossed again quickly, (and saved the rest for people to drizzle over theirs if they wanted more). After seving on salad plates, I also topped the salads with the remaining arils. Not quite as dramatic as yours, but still very colorful and festive.
Also- as an FYI- I made a few small adjustments.I used 3 small bartlett pears, 2 tsp of fresh grated ginger, 2 Tbsp of maple syrup,and 1 1/2 tsp of the apple vinaiger-(the apple vinegar is really a must!).
This was a great find. Thank you so much!! Happy holidays to everyone.
Thank you for sharing! That sounds like a great way to adjust. I appreciate your detail, Bev.
Made this salad to go with our NYE dinner. It’s such a pretty salad and the flavors really come together deliciously! I used some candied nuts that I had made for the holidays. They added a nice crunch to the salad and the ginger dressing was just right. I will make this one again! Thanks!
This salad is so good! The dressing is the bomb! So delicious! I received some pears for Christmas and they all ripened at the same time. I was very happy to use one up in this salad…I did not have the pomegranates, so made without…still loved it. I’m sure the pomegranate would just up the level!
Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you, Jamie! I’m excited you enjoyed it.
This salad was as delicious and beautiful. I made it over the holidays and everyone loved it. I will definitely make it again. I gave C and K’s cookbook to several friends for Christmas and keep several on hand for gifts. Thank you for all your hard work creating healthy and yummy recipes!
Thank you for sharing you love this recipe and my cookbook with others!
Made this today for Easter and it was a hit! Everyone loved the salad and it looked beautiful. Thanks for an easy & delicious salad!
Absolutely delicious! Saving this dressing recipe to make on repeat!
Your pomegranate and pear salad was the best EVER. Would be great for a dinner party. We ate the salad with chicken kabobs.
Thank you, Michelle!
Great dish. Simple, full of mixed flavours and seems healthy.
This salad dressing is fantastic. I blanched some sugar peas and tossed them with the remaining salad dressing – so good. Thanks.
You’re welcome, Beth! Thank you for your review.
Delicious salad was a hit with the hipsters :)
This sprawling salad simply shrieks “I’m special!” The nutty sweetness of toasted pecans and musky tones of goat cheese play off beautifully against the bold contrasts of pungent arugula and fruity apples and pears. The pomegranate takes it to another dimension altogether. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the dressing. I kept adding more vinegar to balance the oil, and I really didn’t think the ginger added much. Next time I will probably use one of my other favorite Cookie & Kate basic vinaigrettes. Irregardless, the visual presentation and flavor/texture contrasts of this salad have earned a place in my “favorites” section of recipes! Thanks Kate for another winner!
Thank you for sharing, Pat!
My husband could not stop raving about this salad–and it was so easy. He is not vegetarian, but whenever I make something by you, it’s a hit. I made your veggie black bean enchiladas last week and he was VERY skeptical but loved it!
I’m glad it was a hit! Thank you for sharing, Fiona.
Hi, am planning on making this beautiful salad for Thanksgiving and wondered if you used a special tool to get the apples and pears so evenly & thinly sliced?
Hi! Just thinly sliced. I hope you loved it!
Such a delicious and beautiful salad! I make this for Thanksgiving every year now
I’m glad you loved it, Anna!
This sounds wonderful! What would you suggest as a sub for oil in salad dressings?
Hi! I hope you try it. I don’t have a great alternative to oil, sorry.
Oh Kate, this salad is a feast for the eyes! Just what I have been looking for to serve at a dinner party I’m having for my Bible Study ladies. (Am roasting some Cornish Game hens and will serve with brown and wild rice risotto and steamed snow peas.) I’m thinking, though, that I may use Gorgonzola instead of the goat or feta, because it “pairs” so nicely with pears (pun intended!). Any thoughts about that? Do you think the gorgonzola may be too strong? I just hope I can put mine together as artistically as you did! Beautifully presented. Thanks much.
You can try i, but I like it as is. Let me know what you think, Phyllis!
Love this salad!!! I made it for Thanksgiving and will again!
You’re welcome, Jane! I’m glad you loved it.
This is the most perfect salad ever! It’s beauty caught my eye in the photo. When I read the recipe, I knew this would be the perfect accompaniment to the Thanksgiving dinner! The ginger dressing is so yummy and fresh!
I wish my mom was still around to enjoy this – she is the one who introduced me to the “wonderfulness” of a fruit, veggie, cheese, nut salad combo many decades ago! Thank you.
Congrats on the birth of your baby Grace.
Thank you, Sunny!
Hi !! Just wanted to let you know that I love love love your recipes, I have made many of then and definitely will try this one out.
I’ve got a party coming up and I stumbled across this recipe-this salad is simply beautiful! I whipped up a small taste-test version tonight, and when my husband walked by, he stopped and said, “Wow….that’s a beautiful salad…..”. The ginger adds just the right zip to the vinaigrette, and the other ingredients complement each other perfectly. This will be going on our regular salad rotation….and will likely become our go-to for parties. Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Stephanie! I’m glad it was a hit.
I stumbled upon this blog when I was looking for a salad dressing to pull together some ingredients I already had on hand. It was excellent. So, last year when I needed a quick salad to put together to go with pomegranate seeds for my son’s birthday lunch, I gravitated toward this blog. This time of year we make sure to get pomegranates. We also had a couple of Lucy gold and Lucy red apples on hand and used that in place if the honey crisp. Instead of slicing into thin slices I julienned the apples. I’ve since made it several times and is my current favorite. I don’t even really generally like salads but I look forward to eating this one. Now if I look up a recipe and thus blog comes up, I’d go here first as this blog has become one of my most reliable sources to consistently produce great results the first time.
I’m delighted to hear this salad won you over! I appreciate your review, Jo.
This was SO delicious! I am hoping to make it for my family this coming week :) As a side salad to a soup, would you have any recommendations as to what soup you might pair it with?
Hi Taylor! It would pair well with my creamy soups.
Thank you so much! And a belated congratulations on your new little one, too! :)
Thank you, Taylor!
This salad is amazing. I use toasted walnut oil vs. olive oil for the dressing and I could drink it, My favorite dressing by far. I just found this recipe 2 weeks ago and I have had some variation of it just about every day since.
Love it.
A delicious salad with the sweetness of the fruit balanced by a smooth, flavorful dressing with a kick of ginger. Perfect for Christmas! I’m making it again for Christmas dinner after bringing it to a friends and enjoying it so much.
The ginger dressing – WOW! Just divine! As for the presentation/deco, so colourful and so very Christmasy! Making: It’s dead easy too! What a bonus on a busy day!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Oscar! I appreciate your review.
My husband and I love cheese but just not goat or feta. Would you suggest any other type of cheese that might go just as well with this recipe?
Thank you!
So excited to try this recipe!
Jac
You can try some parmesan instead. Let me know what you think! I hope you enjoy it!
I came by to say thank you for inspiring me with your beautiful salad presentation. I have a similar white platter and never thought to serve a salad on it. It was so pretty! People definitely eat with their eyes first. As I placed the colorful salad on the buffet line at our church potluck, there were compliments even from the men! It was the last dish in line but the first entree that disappeared with people wanting more! Thank you! Your photos are always inspiring!
Our group had a Cook Out and most who attend don’t like salads. Well, I fix 2 platters and what do you know nothing was left. Lol
I did add some freshly squeezed lemon juice just to keep fruit from turning brown. The lemon brighten the fruit. Than I added white wine in the dressing enhanced the flavor.