Winter Kale Salad with Pomegranates and Apples
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This showstopper winter kale salad with pomegranates and apples is absolutely beautiful. Full of crunchy textures and sweet & tart flavors, this healthy salad is a quick 15-minute prep and the perfect choice to add vibrance and color to your celebrations this holiday season.
For more festive salad recipes, consider my apple cranberry coleslaw and my Kale Crunch Chick-fil-A Copycat salad.
Recipe at a Glance: Winter Kale Salad
⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
🍽️ Servings: 8
👍 Difficulty: Easy
😋 Recipe Highlights: A vibrant winter salad of massaged kale and arugula topped with crisp apple, juicy pomegranate seeds, and creamy gorgonzola, all brought together with a quick apple cider vinaigrette.
🛒 Featured Ingredients: Kale, arugula, red onion, pomegranate, apples, gorgonzola, apple cider
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This winter kale salad with pomegranates and apples is one of my absolute favorite seasonal salad recipes.
Kale is a wonderfully hardy winter green which makes it easy for me to grow in cooler Midwest weather. I have even picked fresh kale from my outdoor garden box as late as Thanksgiving! Who would have thought you could still be picking fresh greens this time of year?
Because of its seasonality, kale is the perfect base for this easy winter salad. This recipe is also very fast and simple making it an easy way to serve more greens at your holiday table. For other winter salad ideas, try my easy red cabbage slaw.
This big salad is a beautiful addition to your holiday spread, along with my orange glazed Brussels sprouts and mashed white acorn squash. I don’t know about you, but I’m always craving more healthy recipes among all of the heavy sides.
Key Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients for this winter kale salad with pomegranates and apples salad base–for the full list of ingredients, please visit the recipe card.
Chopped Kale – Kale is a hearty winter green. It is rich in antioxidants and beta-carotene. It also holds texture very well when covered in dressing, making it a great choice to serve at the holidays.
Baby Arugula – The sharp bite of arugula adds the perfect touch to a winter salad. Arugula is also a cold-hardy crop, and you can get it fresh into early winter.
Pomegranate Arils – This seasonal winter fruit gives sweetness, flavor, and extra nutrition. If you cannot find pomegranate at your local grocery store, swap it for dried cranberries. They will offer a similar tart punch of flavor.
Gorgonzola – Gorgonzola adds a beautiful creamy tang to this salad. It is one of my favorite soft cheeses, but bleu cheese, feta, or goat cheese could also be used.
Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients for the dressing–view the full ingredient list in the recipe card:
Apple Cider – Apple Cider gives a strong apple flavor with some sweetness to offset the tang in this vinaigrette. Apple juice can also be used.
Maple Syrup – This adds a touch of light, natural sweetness and characteristic winter flavor to the salad dressing..
How to Make Winter Kale Salad
To make our winter kale salad with pomegranates and apples, we start by whipping up our quick and easy vinaigrette.
1. Make the Dressing.
Add all of your vinaigrette ingredients to a mason jar and shake vigorously to combine. Set aside.
2. Massage Kale.
Next, cut the kale leaves off of the thick stem and chop your kale into bite-size pieces, or simply use a bag of pre-chopped kale. Next, add your chopped kale to a small bowl and pour a little bit of the dressing you just made over it. Massage the kale with your hands until it softens.
If you are not sure how to massage kale, check out my recipe video in the recipe card.
3. Make Salad Base.
Add your massaged kale salad to a larger serving platter or large bowl, then add the baby arugula and red onion slices. Toss lightly with some salad tongs.
4. Assemble Final Salad.
Chop the apple into bite-sized pieces, then squeeze half a lemon over them and stir to coat (or use 1 tbsp bottled lemon juice). Distribute the apple pieces over the top of the salad, followed by the pomegranate seeds and gorgonzola. Drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad. Enjoy!
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Make it Your Own
Salad Topping Ideas: Glazed pecans, honey roasted pistachios, and dried cranberries would be a great way to add more flavors and textures.
Alternate Vinaigrette Suggestions: Is apple cider not really your thing? Try this salad with my balsamic citrus vinaigrette dressing or my lemon honey dressing instead.
Not a fan of gorgonzola? Try different cheeses, such as blue cheese, feta cheese, or chunks of sharp white cheddar.
Try other winter greens: If you aren’t a fan of the distinct taste of arugula, you can use baby spinach instead. Shredded green cabbage or shredded Brussels sprouts would also make a delicious base with great texture.
Kale Salad with Apples & Pomegranate FAQs
The process of softening raw kale for a salad is called massaging. You add some salad dressing or olive oil to the kale and then use your hands to massage it all together.
There are over 150 varieties of kale and all of them are great. However, there are four main types:
Curly kale is the most common type of kale, and it’s the kind I used in this recipe, though other kinds of kale can be substituted if desired.
Lacinato kale, or dinosaur or Tuscan kale, is popular in Mediterranean dishes and a great choice for cooking.
Russian kale is the most cold-tolerant kale variety, and it’s the type I grow in my garden. It can survive in temperatures as low as -10 degrees Fahrenheit! I grow it because it’s not common in grocery stores, I can grow it into early winter, and it’s a more tender kale than curly or lacinato kale.
Ornamental kale is also a variety that is typically grown for flower arrangements and not for eating.
Any of the kale varieties can also be grown for microgreens.
Kale is a wonderful dark, leafy green with many great nutritive properties. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is chock full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this beautiful wintry salad at your holiday gatherings alongside any of the following:
I know you will absolutely love this easy kale pomegranate salad recipe as part of your holiday meal, and your guests will appreciate a fresh salad as part of your holiday spread. If you make this salad, please leave a comment and review!
📖 Recipe
Winter Kale Salad with Pomegranates and Apples
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons Apple Cider
- 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
Salad Ingredients
- 3 cups Chopped Kale
- 3 cups Baby Arugula
- 1/4 small Red Onion thinly sliced
- 1 Apple medium or large
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice fresh or bottled
- 1/2 cup Pomegranate Seeds
- 1/2 cup Gorgonzola Cheese more to taste
Instructions
Make Dressing
- Prepare the dressing by adding all of the ingredients to a mason jar. Put a cap on the jar and shake vigorously to combine.1/4 cup Olive Oil, 2 tablespoons Apple Cider, 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard, 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup, 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt, 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper, 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
Salad
- If your kale is not pre-chopped, wash, dry, and destem your kale and chop the leaves into smaller pieces for the salad. Add the kale to a small bowl and pour a couple of tablespoons of your prepared dressing over it. Massage the dressing into the kale with your hands to soften it.3 cups Chopped Kale
- Add your massaged kale to your serving dish along with the baby arugula and sliced red onion. Gently toss to mix.3 cups Baby Arugula, 1/4 small Red Onion
- Chop your apple into bite-sized pieces. Squeeze about 1 tbsp of lemon juice over the apple pieces and toss to evenly coat. This prevents browning. Add your apples across the top of your salad.1 Apple, 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- Sprinkle your pomegranate seeds evenly over the top of your salad, followed by the gorgonzola cheese.1/2 cup Pomegranate Seeds, 1/2 cup Gorgonzola Cheese
- Drizzle your dressing evenly over the top of the salad. Depending on how much greens you use in the salad base, you may or may not use all of it. Use tongs to lightly fluff the salad after you drizzle the dressing to help distribute it, but be careful not to destroy the presentation of all the beautiful fruit on top!
Video
This is delicious! Vibrant, crisp, tangy, crunchy–it’s got it all.
What a beautiful salad! I love the combo of sweet flavors. I also love how festive it is. 🙂