Easy Kale and Pomegranate Harvest Salad
This colorful harvest kale and pomegranate salad is a rainbow of vibrant deliciousness. Think juicy pears, crunchy fresh kale, topped with bright red pomegranates bursting with sweetness. And add a make-in-minutes flavor popping vinaigrette and you’ve got a feast for your eyes and your tastebuds.
Jump to RecipeMmm, harvest. That wonderful time of year when the produce is plentiful, colorful, and ready for picking. For me, harvest season is all about fresh, vibrant, cozy, and comforting food. The juicy pears are the stars of this simple salad. And along with toasted crunchy walnuts, flavor-bursting pomegranates, and lots of fresh parsley, it’s a salad that’s fit for any occasion. This easy salad is a delicious side dish that works well with everything.
Why you need to make this easy kale and pomegranate harvest salad
- It’s a colorful, flavorful salad packed with crunchy textures
- Sweet juicy pears meet crispy salad and toasted walnuts…yum
- A nutritional powerhouse salad
- Easy to make
- A healthy salad that’s great both as lunch and dinner
- Packed with immune system-boosting vitamins and minerals
- A great make-ahead salad
- Vegan
Let’s talk kale
Kale is one of those ingredients people have mixed feelings about. And I’m one of those people. Mostly I think kale is AMAZING when it’s cooked making it softer, almost silky. But fresh kale is where I have mixed feelings. That is until I realized the secret to raw kale is all about using baby kale and chopping it finely. Chop it into thin slices and let the vinaigrette do its magic of softening the kale and bringing out all the flavors.
How to wash and clean kale
Fill up a container with cold water and add a little salt. Fully submerge the kale in the water and swish it around well to remove any diet. Leave the kale to soak in the salted water for 1-2 minutes, before rinsing the kale under running water.
Use a salad spinner to fry the kale, or gently dry it with a clean cloth.
Note:
If you don’t have a large bowl to fill with water you can use a clean sink filled up with water when rinsing your kale.
Ingredients to make Harvest Pear, Kale, and pomegranate salad
This easy salad is simple, delicious, and only requires a few easy-to-get ingredients. All you need for the salad is:
- 3 pears, sliced
- 2 cups baby kale, chopped
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley
Ingredients to make 2-minutes easy vegan vinaigrette dressing
- sweet mustard, vegan
- olive oil
- maple syrup or agave
- apple cider vinegar
- salt
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
How to make the best juicy pear and kale salad
This simple vegan kale and pomegranate salad is a make-in-minutes kind of salad. Just chop the kale, slice the pears, and shake the dressing. That’s about it. Minimum effort for maximum flavors. Just how I like it.
Making the simple vinaigrette dressing
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar and close the lid. Shake vigorously to combine. That’s it. Your vinaigrette is ready to work its magic.
How to make harvest pear salad
- Place the finely chopped kale in a bowl or on a plate. Top with sliced pears, pomegranates, parsley, and toasted walnuts.
- Finally, drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.
What to serve with kale salad
Kale salad is great as a side dish because the flavors work well with just about everything. It’s a crunchy, fresh, and tasty salad that you really can’t go wrong with. But if you still need a few ideas for what to serve with kale salad I’ve got you covered. Here are some of my favorite serving ideas.
Try serving kale salad with
- Easy sesame-crusted rice truffle patties
- Easy vegan BBQ ribs recipe
- Grilled Barbecue Portobello mushroom steaks (vegan)
- Vegan Chickpea cocktail meatballs
- The best easy vegan crusted cauliflower roast
Variations of kale salad
There are so many great variations you can make to this versatile salad. Don’t have pears ready to use? You can easily substitute the pears with apples. Can’t find pomegranates? Try using dried cranberries instead.
This easy salad will work with almost any fruits or berries you want to add. So go ahead and have fun coming up with your own variations.
How to make toasted walnuts
- Heat a non-stick pan and gently place the walnuts on the hot pan. Let the nuts toast for a minute before flipping them or stirring them. Let the walnuts toast for a few minutes until they are golden brown. Season with salt and any other seasoning you would like such as thyme, paprika, or pepper.
- Once the walnuts are toasted golden brown, remove them from the heat and pour them onto a plate to cook.
- Store the toasted and cooled walnuts in a clean container at room temperature.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Kale is considered a superfood because of its high nutritional value. Kale is great raw in salads. Just finely chop your kale and it will be tastier and more easily digestible which also means we get to absorb more of the vitamins and minerals.
Using baby kale makes it taste much less bitter. Another option is to soak the kale in cold salted water for 30-minutes, before rinsing it well and massaging the kale. This will soften the kale and make it less bitter. Also adding citrus juices like lemon or lime as well as a sweetener such as a maple syrup will help balance the natural bitterness.
Baby kale is much smaller than regular kale with thinner leaves making it ideal to use in salads and other raw dishes.
Kale can last for up to 7 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
No, and yes. Most of the salad can be made in advance and assembled last minute. The pears are best when sliced and added to the salad right before serving, but the rest of the salad ingredients can easily be prepared hours in advance
Harvest Pear and kale salad
Ingredients
- 3 Pears Sliced
- 2 cups Baby Kale Chopped
- 1 cup Pomegranate Seeds
- ¼ cup Toasted Walnuts
- 1 handful Fresh Parsley Chopped
Dressing
- 1 tbsp Sweet Mustard Vegan
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup or Agave
- 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- Juice from ½ Lemon
Instructions
Making the simple vinaigrette dressing
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar and close the lid. Shake vigorously to combine. That’s it. Your vinaigrette is ready to work its magic.
How to make harvest pear salad
- Place the finely chopped kale in a bowl or on a plate. Top with sliced pears, pomegranates, parsley, and toasted walnuts. Finally, drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.
