Pomegranate Blueberry Salad

Pomegranate Blueberry Salad is a festive seasonal salad that's a breath of freshness! Dark lettuce leaves layered with pomegranate arils, chopped parsley, sliced shallots, avocado, berries and feta drizzled in a light salad dressing.

There's no denying that during the winter months, salads are less inviting. Comfort food easily becomes the first choice and it usually comes carb loaded and guilt-free!???? After all the roast meat, pasta, soup and bread salad is a very welcome.

Unfortunately strawberries are only seasonal round November but we have blueberrie that are always fantastic with incredible health benefits. Seasonal equals affordable and more nutritional value.

Pomegranate Blueberry Salad

Salads are so versatile and the ingredients never have to be complicated. You layer the ingredients that you love right? You wouldn't make a spinach and strawberry salad if you couldn't imagine the two together. So once again back to my kitchen motto "work with what you have" and make it work.

The world will surely open up for those who are ready.

Love All The Ingredients In This Salad

If you are wanting substitutes for some of the ingredients simply use what's seasonal right now where you are. I also have a few suggestions to bulk this salad up if you want, the point is to enjoy making it! Here's our seasonal complementary ingredients;

Lettuce You can use your favorite lettuce. My family loves their paler shades of green lettuce but my preference is definitely the darker leafy greens which are higher in antioxidants! I know that you can see spinach in this photo but it's a mix pack of greens which include some spinach leaves. You can find those at your local stores like a variety pack of colorful leafy greens.

Cherry tomatoes I always think of our weekend away when I ordered an omelette for breakfast and it came with whole tomatoes. I remember thinking 'what a challenge we have with those uncut cherry tomatoes' which had already started rolling around.

Nothing worse than trying to catch a rolling tomatoes while trying to enjoy your your salad so cut them in half.

Shallots Milder sweet taste than red onion but feel free to soak the red onion in ice water to alleviate the burn.

Feta Needed for that zingy taste and coarse texture.

Pomegranate Fresh, healthy, colorful and vibrant! Plus it has that tang with sweet that's mouthwatering. To see how I cut my pomegranate and get those arils out take a look at this French Toast Pomegranate recipe.

Blueberries Oh the juiciness and natural sweetness of fresh blueberries makes it all worth while.

Avocado Add a creamy richness and be generous with the avocado especially as there's no protein so it bulks it up a little.

Way To Bulk Up This Pomegranate Blueberry Salad

You may need some protein for example;

• Try chicken and you don't always have to make you own the rotisserie chicken is very delicious in a salad. If you insist, make this grilled chicken breast on the grill for a quick addition.

• Bacon is also a good one to add.

• I've added feta but you can crumble it if you like as opposed to a block although that does make a lovely change. Goats cheese, fresh mozzarella cheese are other options.

Let's Make Pomegranate Blueberry Salad

You can find the full recipe card below.

Start with the Dressing

Get a large bowl and add all the dressing ingredients to the bottom of the bowl. Use a whisk and whisk it all up tasting as you go - mustard, salt, etc. add if necessary. Don't leave the Dijon mustard out it's the emulsifier in this dressing.

Making the Salad

Simply add all the ingredients on top of the dressing and toss to combine.

Notes and Suggestions:

Avocado - It's best to add the avocado after the tossing of the salad so it keeps it's shape as much as possible.

Balsamic Vinegar - Feel free to use apple cider that's also good with this salad. If you can find like a sherry vinegar or Vino Cotto grab it with both hands! There is lots you can do with it!

If you really want to push those flavor profiles then a drizzle of pomegranate paste (smile as I write this because it's such a great drizzle!)

Maple syrup is not always affordable or easily found so you can try honey but if you've got Vino Cotto then leave the sweet out because it has everything in it! I would also but that's just me, sprinkle a little coconut sugar into the dressing for that crunchy sweet salad dressing vibe 🙂

Storing

I think as like most salads they are best fresh however, as you can see in this recipe the dressing in not on the salad. It really doesn't always have to be. Besides, there's a better chance of storing the salad in the fridge and it staying fresh without the dressing.

Pomegranate Recipes

More Salad Ideas

• Broccoli Salad With A Creamy Dressing
• Mediterranean salad
• Caprese Salad (Insalata Caprese)