Pomegranate Seeds: Arugula Pear Salad
This arugula pear salad is a satisfying salad made with arugula, pears, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, almonds and a satisfying honey lemon vinaigrette.
We have been eating this pear arugula salad on repeat lately. It’s a simple yet flavor-packed Fall/ Winter salad. It’s got great texture and crunch thanks to the pomegranate seeds and almonds. It is sweet yet savory and comes together in a matter of minutes.
If you’ve been loving pears as much as we have, check out our Pear Cranberry Crisp, Spiced Poached Pears, or Baked Dutch Oven Pork Loin recipes.
What makes this recipe work
- This salad comes together quickly! It only takes about 5 minutes to make.
- All you need are a handful of lighter ingredients to make it.
- It’s got goat cheese, pears, pomegranate seeds and sliced almonds inside.
- It is simple to customize to your tastes or add protein to.
Recipe ingredients
- Arugula– we like using organic arugula in this recipe, but any arugula will work.
- Olive oil– a good quality extra virgin olive oil makes the dressing extra flavorful.
- Apple cider vinegar– this adds nice acidity to the dressing.
- Honey– we love using raw honey in dressings, but feel free to use any type of honey that you like. You can use 1 or 2 Tablespoons of it in the dressing, depending on how sweet you want it to be.
- Lemon juice– this gives the vinaigrette a good flavor.
- Thyme– this is also used to flavor the vinaigrette.
- Pears– make sure to use ripe pears for the salad for our favorite juicy flavor.
- Sliced almonds– these add a nice crunch to the recipe.
- Pomegranate seeds– these add sweetness and crunch. This Roasted Acorn Squash with Pomegranate and Pistachios recipe by A Dash of Megnut is exactly how we love using pomegranate seeds with veggies this time of year.
- Goat cheese– this cheese compliments the flavors of the salad well.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/ Substitutions
- You can add grilled chicken to the salad.
- You can omit the goat cheese if you want this salad to be dairy-free.
- Instead of arugula, you can use spinach.
- Instead of olive oil, you can use avocado oil.
- Instead of apple cider vinegar, you can use another type of vinegar.
Step by step instructions
Step 1
Step 1: Mix the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper and thyme together to make the vinaigrette.
Step 2
Step 2: Put the arugula into a large bowl. Add the dressing and mix.
Step 3
Step 3: Add the pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, sliced almonds and pears to the bowl.
Step 4
Step 4: Mix everything together.
Recipe FAQs
How do you store this salad?Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Can you make this salad in advance?Yes! Just don’t add the dressing to it. Add the dressing to it before eating it.
What other dressing works for this salad?You could use a balsamic dressing, a mustard dressing, or even a blue cheese dressing here.
Prep 10 minutesTotal 10 minutesMakes 4 people
Ingredients
- 7 ounces arugula
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 2 pears,, sliced
- 2.5 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 Tablespoons honey, (it depends how sweet you want the dressing to be)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
Method
- In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper and thyme until the dressing thickens.
- Put the arugula in a large bowl and add the dressing to it and mix.
- Add pomegranate seeds, sliced almonds, sliced bosc pears, and crumbled goat cheese to a large bowl and mix.
- Pour most of the dressing on top of the salad and mix.
Notes
- You can add grilled chicken to the salad.
- You can omit the goat cheese if you want this salad to be dairy-free.
- Instead of arugula, you can use spinach.
- Instead of olive oil, you can use avocado oil.
- Instead of apple cider vinegar, you can use another type of vinegar.
