Holiday Pomegranate Salad Recipe

5 from 2 votes

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To cure your holiday season food hangovers, here’s a tasty and light Holiday Pomegranate Salad Recipe that you can whip up in a flash that’s perfect for lunch, dinner, or holiday parties. When I was writing this holiday salad recipe, I wanted it to have not only festive and seasonal ingredients, but be bursting with red and green! I combined crunchy lettuce, pomegranate arils, crispy bacon and toasted hazelnuts, then tossed them all together with a homemade dressing made with pure maple syrup and balsamic vinegar drizzled over the top. It’s the perfect festive salad for your holiday menu!

holiday salad with a bite on a fork

Why You’ll Love this Christmas Salad Pomegranate Recipe!

I love making this gorgeous salad during the Christmas season. It’s so simple to throw together on a whim and everyone loves it! This green salad has everything you could need! Fresh from the lettuce, yet crunchy from the bacon and hazelnuts! And let’s not forget that wonderful burst of flavor and color from the pomegranate arils. This Holiday Salad is everything you need this Christmas season. Plus I have make-ahead instructions for the dressing, so you’re not rushing around last minute.

Need more salad ideas for this time of year? Check out my archive of salad recipes!

close up photo of holiday salad

Holiday Salad Ingredients

This is a pretty simple salad! Green Salads are so adaptable and easy to add things you love and omit the things you don’t love. Here is what I used in this salad!

Pomegranate Salad Ingredients:

  • lettuce– mixed greens or romaine. Any leafy greens you like will work!
  • pomegranate arils– for bursts of berry flavor! Peel and remove arils from a pomegranate. You can also buy them ready-to eat from the grocery store, and not have to mess with doing it yourself.
  • bacon– for crunchy bacon flavor! Any salad with bacon is a winning salad in my world!
  • toasted hazelnuts– for a sweet, buttery and warm flavor.

Maple Bacon Dressing Ingredients:

  • bacon grease– from all that bacon you just cooked
  • maple syrup– for best results use a good quality pure maple syrup
  • balsamic vinegar– adds a sweet, tangy flavor to the dressing
  • salt + pepper– add as much or as little as you like.
holiday salad ingredients

How to Make Holiday Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

For full recipe details, including ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card below. Here is step-by step (it’s really very easy!) how I make this Holiday Salad.

Large Mixing Bowl

This salad recipe makes enough for 6-8 servings. You’ll want to use a large mixing bowl to have room to toss everything together. You can transfer it to a prettier large serving bowl later.

Chop and Prep

Cook and crumble your bacon. If you want a fail-proof and way less messy way of cooking bacon, check out my how to make bacon in oven (425°) post. Be sure to set aside 3 tablespoons of bacon grease for the dressing.

Wash and chop your mixed greens or lettuce of choice. Remove the arils from a pomegranate. Toast the hazelnuts by heating in a dry skillet over medium heat until the color just starts to change. Do not walk away while doing this as they burn very easily. Throw mixed greens, pomegranate seeds, crumbled bacon and hazelnuts into a bowl and toss.

Make the Dressing

For the dressing, make sure the bacon grease is still hot/warm. Add bacon grease, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and salt and pepper to a jar with a lid or small bowl. Shake or whisk it all up until combined.

Drizzle dressing over the salad and toss. Serve immediately.

Pomegranate Salad Recipe Make-Ahead Tips

Pro-Tip: I have one make-ahead tip about the dressing for you! Since bacon grease solidifies as it cools, here is what I suggest. Mix all the ingredients together in a jar. When ready to toss with the salad, pop the dressing in the microwave for a few seconds until things become liquid again. Shake it again then drizzle over salad and serve immediately!

holiday salad on a plate and tablescape

Storing Directions For Holiday Salad

Most green salads don’t store very well once dressing has been added to it. This one is no different. If you think you might not eat all of it the day you make it, you might want to only add dressing to half of the salad. Store any salad without dressing on it in an airtight container lined with a dry paper towel. The paper towel will absorb any moisture. I would still try and eat the leftovers in the next day or two at the most.

salad on a plate

Pomegranate Holiday Salad Recipe FAQs

What else would be good in this holiday salad?

This holiday salad is totally customizable! Add what you think would be tasty or omit something you don’t like. One thing I didn’t add to my salad was cheese. A few ideas that I think would be good are- mandarin oranges, brussels sprouts, feta cheese, bleu cheese, red onion, dried cranberries, parmesan cheese, crunchy pistachios, or sunflower seeds.

Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of balsamic for the dressing?

Yes! If you want to substitute with ACV, that would work but will change the taste of the dressing. Can also use olive oil.

bite of salad on a fork

More like this Winter Salad Recipe!

Here are a few Christmas Salad recipes to consider adding to your holiday meal. These aren’t necessarily “for Christmas” salads, but ones I feel would be good with a variety of main dish options.

This festive holiday salad pairs well with so many main dishes, and should definitely be on your holiday table this year! The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends! Happy Holidays!

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

holiday salad on a plate
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5 from 2 votes

Holiday Salad Recipe with Maple Bacon Dressing

A tasty and light Holiday Pomegranate Salad that is not only festive in color but has all the seasonal flavors you crave!
servings 6 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 8 cups mixed greens
  • 12 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 3/4 cups toasted hazelnuts chopped
  • 1 whole pomegranate peeled and arils removed

For the Dressing:

  • 3 tbsp warm bacon grease reserved from cooking the bacon
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Toss all ingredients for the salad together in a bowl.
  • Place all ingredients for the dressing into a small jar and shake until combined. Pour dressing over salad, toss and serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 317mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 622IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: holiday salad

 

5 from 2 votes

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25 Responses
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  4. Kadi

    Hi! I just found your site through StephanieCooks and love your recipes and pics! I love the looks of this salad and am thinking of bringing it to the inlaws for Christmas Eve. However, I’ve never made a dressing out of bacon grease. If I mix all the dressing ingredients together a few hrs before being served, will the dressing solidify with the bacon grease in it? Is this dressing a “serve immediately” dressing or can I make it ahead of time and warm it up hrs later?
    Thanks!!

    1. Lauren

      If you make this in advance, the dressing will solidify but if you microwave it for 15 seconds or so, that should do it. Also, toss the salad with the dressing right before you serve!

  5. Sew Create It - Jane

    That salad looks so yummy!

    Just wanted to say I just found your blog and have been reading and printing so many of your recipes…they all look so good! I noticed on your mash potato post that you went to French immersion school as a child…now that’s a term I haven’t heard since my days living in Montreal…I was sent to French immersion too! I don’t use my French much now that I live in the UK! :o)

    Look forward to reading and printing more yummy delights ;o)

  6. Sally @ Spontaneous Hausfrau

    What a beautiful salad for detoxing! I’m with you on the blahs and the blechs. I’m ready to hurl those leftovers out the window.

  7. marla

    Lauren, this salad looks wonderful! Love the idea of the bacon grease & maple syrup. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Sorry to read about your knee..

  8. Kathryn

    I love the colours in your pictures – the salad just jumps off the plate! I hope you had a great day yesterday and that your knee recovers quickly!

  9. Living The Sweet Life

    YUM!! I recently started adding pomegranate to my salads, it adds such a nice crunch and just the right amount of sweetness.

    This is an absolutely beautiful salad

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