What's a Pomegranate?
The pomegranate seeds were viewed with suspicion by the girls in my Brownie troop. One of the Girl Scouts said, "I'm not eating that!", as she stared into the cup of plump, bright red seeds. Another chimed in, "Try them, we eat them all of the time at my Grandma's house - they're good." And with that challenge, each girl slowly picked out a seed and placed it in her mouth.
Rediscovering Pomegranates
I wanted to introduce the girls to something unexpected and in the process, I rediscovered pomegranate for myself. Fresh pomegranates usually appear in the stores in October and can be found through December. While you can buy the seeds already removed from the fruit...that's just no fun, and it's more expensive. I challenge you to buy a pomegranate for this salad. I found the best explanation of how to remove the seeds on the Simply Recipes website.
Adding a Burst of Flavor
This salad combines fresh greens with thin slices of apple- I like Honeycrisp but any type of apple would work. Toss with a lightly sweet Maple Dressing, then top with toasted walnuts and those wonderful pomegranate seeds for a burst of flavor.
Yep - I'm a Girl Scout Leader
This winter Dean and I are off of the boat and in Steamboat so I agreed to lead a troop of 8-year-old Girl Scouts. As you might imagine, I have been introducing them to new foods and we're working on several outdoor badges. They all ended up loving the pomegranate seeds, but I totally forgot how pomegranate juice can stain. So moms...sorry to send your daughters home with pink fingers!
Recipe
Salad Greens with Apple, Pomegranate Seeds and Maple Dressing
Ingredients
- 5 cups mixed greens torn into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup thinly sliced apple
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ⅓ cup walnuts coarsely chopped and toasted
Maple Dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- In an 8-ounce jelly jar combine the dressing ingredients. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and shake until the ingredients are emulsified.
- Place greens and apple in a large bowl. Drizzle the greens lightly with several tablespoons of dressing and toss with two forks. Add additional dressing until the leaves are moistened.
- Move the dressed salad to a salad bowl or individual salad plates. Top with pomegranate seeds and toasted walnuts.
Roz Fowler says
This was such a great recipe and a beautiful holiday salad! We have already made it twice and I plan on making it again for a an upcoming dinner party. Thanks so much for this wonderful, delicious recipe!
Karen Massey says
Roz, I am thrilled that you’ve been enjoying this recipe. Making this salad has helped me rediscovered pomegranates- they’re so festive!