Fall Salad With Pomegranate Dressing
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients:
Salad:
12 oz. spring salad mix
1 pear sliced or chopped
1 sweet apple, sliced or chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup roasted salted pepitas
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
4 oz. soft crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1 Recipe 5 Minute Perfect Caramelized Nuts (using pecans)
Roasted Squash:
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2"-3/4” cubes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp EACH cinnamon, salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dash of cayenne
Pomegranate Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar, more or less to taste
1 tablespoon poppyseed, optional
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp EACH garlic powder, salt, pepper
1/8 teaspoon ginger powder
Directions:
Pomegranate Vinaigrette:
Combine all of the Pomegranate Vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid. Either whisk or shake vigorously until combined. Store in the fridge until ready to serve (up to 5 days). Shake/whisk before serving.
Caramelized Pecans:
Prepare according to directions. Chop nuts after they are cooled. You can make the nuts days in advance and store them in an airtight container.
Butternut Squash:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Add butternut squash, followed by olive oil, maple, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and toss until evenly coated. Lay in a single layer and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
Assemble:
When ready to serve, toss all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. If serving right away and you don’t expect leftovers, then you can drizzle withthe desired amount of dressing and toss to combine. If you expect leftovers, serve dressing on the side.
Notes:
Prep Ahead:
Dressing: can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Squash: Roast the butternut squash, cool, and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Nuts: caramelized nuts can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Apples and pears: can be peeled, chopped/sliced up to 24 hours ahead of time, and soaked in a mixture of apple juice with a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice or pomegranate juice with a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice.
Red onions: Chop the red onions up to 24 hours ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you need to bring the salad to a gathering, then layer the ingredients in this order so it doesn’t get soggy, then toss when ready to serve: pomegranate arils, apples, pears, red onions, salad mix, seeds, nuts, and goat cheese.
TIPS FOR Fall SALAD:
Can I make my dressing sweeter? You can make the dressing sweeter by adding more sugar or tangier by adding more vinegar, according to your personal taste.
What if I can’t find pepitas? You can replace the pepitas with roasted, salted sunflower seeds if you can’t find them. I get my pepitas at the bulk section at Sprouts.
What if I can only find raw pepitas? If you can only find raw pepitas, then heat a drizzle of olive oil in a nonstick skillet, add your ½ cup pepitas along with ¼ teaspoon salt stir until toasted. Turn onto a parchment paper to cool.
What if I don’t know how to remove pomegranate seeds?: Don’t be intimidated! There are lots of tutorials online. I would Google “how to remove pomegranate seeds in water” for my favorite method. If you don’t want to purchase a whole pomegranate and seed it yourself, just buy pomegranate seeds in a container.
Can I use Pre-Cut Squash? Absolutely! If you don’t want to peel and chop your squash (probably the most time-consuming part of the Fall Salad, you can purchase pre-peeled and chopped squash. If they are chopped larger or smaller than 1-inch, then adjust cooking time accordingly.
Can I make my squash in advance? You can roast your squash a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator until it’s time to toss with your Fall Salad.
Can I use different nuts? If you don’t want to caramelize your own nuts, then you can buy them at specialty stores such as Trader Joe’s.
Can I add other vegetables? Absolutely! Red bell peppers, cucumbers, shredded carrots, etc., would all be delicious.
Can I add protein? Transform this Fall Salad into a meal by adding chicken, shrimp, or tofu.
Can I add grains? I think this Fall Salad would be superb with the addition of cooked quinoa or wild rice – yum!
HOW TO KEEP APPLES AND PEARS FROM TURNING BROWN:
My favorite way to keep pears and apples from oxidizing and turning brown after slicing is to put them in a bowl of apple juice. This way, they don’t become bitter like soaking in lemon juice can do.
If you only have lemon juice on hand, then mix ½ cup water and 2 tablespoons lemon and then toss your apples and pears in the mixture.
Both of these methods will prolong the oxidation process, but you still want to slice your pear and apple as close to serving as possible.
Recipe courtesy of Carlsbad Cravings.com