Happy Almost-Thanksgiving! So far this year, I have been to a Friendsgiving and helped out my boyfriend with his office Thanksgiving potluck, so I have had two opportunities to test out this delicious, fall-inspired salad. Autumn has some of my favorite produce! This pear and pomegranate fall salad is the perfect dish to bring to a Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or holiday potluck this season. I used a combination of arugula and baby spring mix, but any dark leafy green would be great.
There are two versions of this salad: the lazy girl’s version, and the show-off version. To be honest, the lazy girl’s version has won both times I’ve made this so far. The lazy girl doesn’t candy her own pecans, and doesn’t de-seed her own pomegranates. But she still makes her own dressing!! Because making your own salad dressing take less than 5 minutes and is truly a million times better than store-bought dressing (also without the bad oils and weird additives and emulsifiers). Also, I roasted my own butternut squash, but I’m pretty sure you could find pre-roasted squash somewhere if you wanted to continue on the lazy girl route. However, roasting your own butternut squash will definitely give you an extra caramel roast-y flavor that store-bought will not!
versions of pear and pomegranate fall salad:
If you want to be a show-off (and I mean that in the best way possible), here’s how:
- Candied pecans: I like this recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod. Basically, you need pecans (duh), an egg white, sugar, cinnamon, water, and vanilla extract (which I would consider optional). So yummy! Lazy girl’s version: Buy pre-candied pecans at the store (still tasty, but definitely not as tasty!)
- Pomegranate seeds: Cut a whole pomegranate in half, and remove seeds in a bowl of water to reduce the amount of counter-staining juice you get everywhere. Pop the seeds straight into your bowl! Lazy girl’s version: Buy a container of pomegranate seeds (Trader Joe’s actually has a very good price for a lot of organic pomegranate seeds, but buying whole pomegranates will definitely be cheaper).
homemade salad dressings:
I always recommend making your own salad dressing! It is so easy and you can make tons of different varieties. Store-bought salad dressings tend to use canola or soybean oil as the base, which are both pro-inflammatory oils and I do not recommend them. At home, I love to use olive oil exclusively in salad dressings. The only salad dressing brand that I would recommend buying is Primal Kitchen – they use avocado oil and olive oil, only!
Here’s what went in this red wine vinaigrette:
- 2 parts olive oil
- 1 part acid: red wine vinegar + lemon juice*
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- Garlic powder (or minced garlic)
- Salt
- Pepper
*If you’ve never made homemade salad dressings, you can play around with the ratio of oil:acid that you prefer. Some people will do 3 or even 4 parts oil to 1 part acid – whatever your taste buds prefer!
Pear and Pomegranate Fall Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 6 oz baby arugula
- 6 oz baby spring mix leaves
- 1/2 cup candied pecans (see text)
- 1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (see text)
- 1/8 cup red onion sliced finely
- 1 small butternut squash diced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- Juice of 1/4 of a lemon
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp garlic powder, or 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss the diced butternut squash in a drizzle of olive oil, a teeny pinch of salt, and the cinnamon.
- Roast butternut squash for 35-45 minutes, depending on oven strength. The squash should start to crisp and brown.
- Add greens, pecans, red onions, goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, pear, and cooled butternut squash to a large bowl.
- Whisk together: olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper for salad dressing.
- Adjust seasonings to taste and mix together well.
Notes
- Honey-Walnut Goat Cheese Spread (5-Minute, 4-Ingredient) - August 6, 2021
- Vegan Red Pesto Recipe (Pesto Rosso) - February 24, 2021
- My Favorite Digestive Enzyme + The Basics of Digestion - November 5, 2020
