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This Winter Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts and Balsamic Fig Vinaigrette is my go-to “house” salad. I make it on repeat all winter long. Baby arugula, mixed greens, juicy pomegranates, sweet and spicy maple roasted walnuts, and plenty of crumbled goat cheese. All tossed together with a delicious balsamic fig vinaigrette for a salad that’s simple to put together, healthy, and pairs perfectly with just about any meal. You’ll never tire of this beautiful winter salad.
This post is sponsored by POM Wonderful.
Ingredients
- Raw walnuts
- Pure maple syrup
- Ground cinnamon
- Crushed red pepper
- Flaky sea salt
- Mixed greens
- Arugula
- Fresh pomegranate arils
- Cara cara orange
- Dried cranberries
- Crumbled goat cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Fig preserves
- Kosher salt and black pepper
I’m not sure why winter gets such a bad rap when it comes to produce. Pomegranates alone are reason enough to LOVE the fall and winter produce seasons. I mean, right?
Yes, yes, correct.
Clearly, I am overly excited about this salad. It has been my go-to winter salad for over four years, and I make it ALL. THE. TIME!
This is also my staple Christmas Salad. I usually end up making it for both Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner. It’s just so simple to throw together, plus it pairs well with everything and is so delicious.
Also? This salad is truly a combination of my favorite foods…greens, pomegranate arils, roasted walnuts, and goat cheese.
Here is how I make my simple winter salad.
Start with the walnuts and toss them together with maple syrup, cinnamon, and cayenne. These are my healthier take on candied walnuts, and they’re every bit as addicting as they sound. Perfectly sweet, hinted with cinnamon, and just a touch spicy too. Finish these off with flaky sea salt to seal the deal.
While the walnuts are baking in the oven, toss together the salad base. I like to use a blend of baby arugula and mixed winter greens…usually baby kale and baby spinach. Next add in plenty of pomegranate arils. The pomegranate arils are the heart of the salad, so be generous. To make things incredibly easy, I love using POM POMS Fresh Pomegranate Arils. They come already deseeded in a convenient package of ready-to-eat pomegranate arils. The lack of preparation needed makes the enjoyment of these pomegranates that much better.
Plus, adding the POM POMS arils to my salad adds a ruby red pop of color and a sweet burst of flavor – which you all know I LOVE.
Once you’ve added the pomegranates, crumble over some creamy goat cheese and the base of your salad will be complete.
The vinaigrette…
This is my favorite, and only has three simple ingredients, extra virgin oil, balsamic vinegar, and fig preserves.
It’s the perfect balance of savory, tangy, and sweet. I love tossing my simple winter salad with this vinaigrette for the perfect finish. It makes every bite that much more delicious.
As said, I’ve been making this salad for years, but yet I still look forward to it every single December. And, it’s my most requested salad. Even my brothers enjoy this one. When the brothers enjoy something, especially a green something, you know it’s got to be a VERY GOOD recipe.
So with that, I’m hoping you all give this delicious winter salad a try.
My suggestion? Include this in your holiday menu. It’s so easy to toss together, and yes, it’s loved by everyone! Enjoy. Enjoy!
PS. looking for something similar-ish winter salad but with beets? Try this winter beet and pomegranate salad with maple candied pecans and balsamic citrus dressing.
If you make this winter salad with maple candied walnuts, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Winter Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 589 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw walnuts
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper
- flaky sea salt
- 6 cups mixed greens, I use baby kale and spinach
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 cups POM POMS Fresh Pomegranate Arils
- 1 blood or cara cara orange, sliced (optional)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
Balsamic Fig Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fig preserves
- kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the walnuts with the maple syrup, cinnamon, crushed red pepper, and salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring twice throughout cooking, until the walnuts are toasted. Remove from the oven and spread the walnuts in one layer. Sprinkle with flaky salt. 2. Add the greens to a large salad bowl. Add the POM POMS, oranges (if using), cranberries, goat cheese, and walnuts. Gently toss the salad. 3. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Enjoy!
{This post is sponsored by POM Wonderful. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}
This post was originally published on December 18, 2019
This is the best tasting salad I’ve ever had – no joke! I changed one thing only because I forgot to pick up fig preserves. So I used Medjool dates and blended 2 of them to make a paste-like preserve, at least the texture was similar. The taste was amazing!! I can’t wait to make it again!!
So perfect! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I made this salad last Christmas and it has become the standard to which all other salads are measured! My entire family loved it and says it is their favorite salad of all time! I replaced the walnuts with almonds since my mother is allergic but it was still a tasty addition!
Thank you Rachel!! xTieghan
Love the salad servers in the picture for the recipe. Can you say where they are from?
HI! They are from Anthropologie, but they are a few years old now. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
I added some cubed honey crisp apple and a good salad got even better. Delicious.
Thank you so much Janet!
What’s the serving amount on this recipe please?
This will serve about 6. Hope you love the salad!
I made this last weekend for a party. Absolutely delicious! I used a thick aged balsamic that I had on hand. Everyone loved it!
Sounds amazing! I am so glad yo and your guests love this! Thank you Leslie!
Made this salad 3 times within two weeks because it’s so delicious. It was also a huge success at a baby shower. Thank you so much for sharing it with us! Greetings from Germany.
Awh yay! So happy it was a hit!! Thank you Anja!
This was a fantastic salad! I just made last night for Christmas dinner and got rave reviews! I used a baby kale mix and arugula which worked well. The walnuts are DELICIOUS – I left about a handful out just to have as snack. A MUST TRY RECIPE
I made this salad this weekend for a dinner party, was a huge success!!! Going to another party in 2 weeks, will bring it there as well! Def a keeper!
SO happy it was a hit!! Thanks Vickie!
Fig preserves? Do you mean fig jam?
Either or will work great. Hope you love this salad!
AMAZING is the word I have for this salad. I was checking out new recipes for Christmas Dinner 2015 and came upon your website. We’re not big salad eaters here, but thought the “extras” would entice. Not only did they entice, the salad was devoured and has been requested since. 10 out of 10 – we’d do it again 😉 Who knew home-made dressing could be so delicious, yet so easy? Thank you, Tieghan!!
YEAHHH!! This is awesome, so happy the salad was a hit! THANKS! 🙂
Made tonight for holiday gathering without using those salad packs as I had ingredients on hand. Added 1/2 tsp Dijon with tarragon for a little bite, skipped cheese for allergy reasons and it was AWESOME! I’m planning to eat it with grilled chicken for dinner tomorrow. Thank you for sharing!
So happy you loved it! Merry Christmas! 🙂
Would love to be added to your email list.
Hey Melinda! I just added you! You should have a confirmation email in your inbox now. Let me know if you have any problems! Happy Holidays! 🙂
I made this for lunch today and, to make it more substantial, I marinated chicken breasts in some extra dressing and roasted them, before shredding them. It worked really well. The candied walnuts are awesome!
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Awe! THANK YOU!