This Pomegranate Arugula Salad is super simple, and it comes together in just 10 minutes! It has the perfect balance of sweet and salty with a balsamic vinaigrette that balances all the flavors really well. You can serve it as a side at your holiday dinner or for lunch or dinner with a choice of protein!
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What Makes This Pomegranate Salad Special
Sweet and savory - With pomegranate, apple, peppery arugula, and salty feta, this salad really has it all! Pistachios add a nice crunch, and balsamic vinaigrette really brings it all together.
Easy and simple - This salad comes together in just 10 minutes, and it's so easy to throw together. I like buying roasted pistachios and pomegranate arils that have already been removed from a pomegranate to really speed things up!
Side or a light meal - This salad is the perfect light side to serve with roasted turkey during the holidays, but you don't have to stop there. I also like serving it as a light lunch on its own, or adding some roasted chicken, fish, or other protein, and turning it into a meal!
Ingredients
- Arugula - You'll want to use baby arugula that often comes in plastic boxes pre-washed. It's smaller than regular arugula and more commonly available.
- Pomegranate arils - You can either buy just the pomegranate arils or the whole fruit. The ready-to-eat arils can be found in the refrigerated section next to other chopped fruits in most grocery stores.
- Apple - I recommend either a green or a yellow apple in this salad. I like yellow because it's not as tart as a green apple like Granny Smith, but it's still a nice contrast to the red pomegranate.
- Red onion - You can add either red onion or shallots based on your preference. You can soak the sliced onion in cold water for 5-10 minutes to remove some of its bite.
- Feta cheese - Buy a block of feta and crumble it yourself whenever possible. Pre-crumbled feta has unnecessary anti-caking agents, and it's drier.
- Roasted pistachios - I usually buy them already shelled and roasted to save time, but you can also roast them yourself. Instructions are in the recipe card.
- Balsamic vinaigrette - This is a very simple vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different greens - You can serve this salad with baby kale, mesclun mix, or even chopped romaine lettuce.
- Pear - If you don't have apples, the salad is also delicious with sliced pear. You can also check out Arugula Pear Salad, which is very similar to this one.
- Different cheese - Add crumbled soft goat cheese or blue cheese instead of feta if you prefer. You can also sprinkle the salad with grated or shaved Parmesan or pecorino. Use dairy-free feta to keep it vegan.
- Nuts or seeds - You can add roasted walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, or even sunflower seeds if you prefer.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start by making the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or a jar, whisk together balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, fine sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Pour in olive oil and continue to whisk until emulsified. Set aside.
- Spread the arugula on a large serving platter.
- Sprinkle it with pomegranate seeds, thinly sliced red onion, and crumbled feta.
- Slice your apple and toss it with fresh lemon juice to prevent it from browning.
- Arrange the apples on the salad.
- Sprinkle the salad with chopped roasted pistachios, drizzle with the dressing, and serve.
- Optionally, you can also drizzle it with a little bit of balsamic glaze or serve it on the side. Enjoy!
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Tips & Tricks!
- Apples - Toss the apples in a good amount of lemon juice right after slicing them to prevent them from browning. This works like a charm if you have enough lemon juice and make sure all slices are covered!
- Serve it on a platter, not a bowl - A serving platter makes for a nicer presentation and better serving because the pomegranate seeds and pistachios tend to all fall to the bottom in a bowl.
- Add the dressing last minute - If you're planning to have the salad sit out for more than 30 minutes before serving, I recommend skipping the dressing and adding it at the last minute right before you're ready to eat. This will prevent the arugula from wilting too early.
Serving Suggestions
This salad is perfect for roasted turkey dinners served along with other (usually heavier) sides like these Roasted Green Beans and Potatoes or these Rosemary Mashed Potatoes. It would also shine next to these Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts.
Aside from holiday dinners, I like adding roasted chicken, salmon, or other fish, either served on the side or added directly into the salad. You can also serve it on its own for a light lunch. Between the feta and pistachios, it's actually fairly filling!
Storing and Make-Ahead Options
Storing: Arugula wilts pretty fast, so this salad is best served and enjoyed right away while it's still crispy. If you need to, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Make it in advance: If you need to prep the salad ahead of time, you can prep parts of it so it comes together faster when you need to serve it. I recommend making the dressing, slicing your onion, roasting the pistachios, and removing the seeds from a pomegranate ahead of time, and then just putting everything together before serving. I don't recommend slicing the apple too early because it could brown.
FAQs
Yes, you can use any you like or have on hand. This salad would be great with mesclun, baby kale, dinosaur or curly kale, or romaine lettuce.
Yes, just swap the feta in the salad for vegan feta or another vegan cheese and use maple syrup in the vinaigrette instead of honey.
Similar Arugula Salads
If you want to try other salads featuring arugula and various fruits, check out the four recipes below! The strawberry one is my favorite for summer! Head over to Salads to see all the latest ones.
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Print📖 Recipe
Pomegranate Arugula Salad
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Pomegranate Arugula Salad is super simple, and it comes together in just 10 minutes! It has the perfect balance of sweet and salty with a balsamic vinaigrette that balances all the flavors really well. You can serve it as a side at your holiday dinner or for lunch or dinner with a choice of protein!
Ingredients
Balsamic vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Arugula salad
- 6-7 cups baby arugula (1 box)
- ¾-1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow or green apple, sliced
- 1-2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional, for the apple so it doesn’t brown)
- 3-4 oz feta, crumbled
- 2 tbsp roasted pistachios, chopped
- Balsamic glaze for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Start by making the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or a jar, whisk together balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, fine sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Pour in olive oil and continue to whisk until emulsified. Set aside.
- Spread the arugula on a large serving platter.
- Sprinkle it with pomegranate seeds, thinly sliced red onion, and crumbled feta.
- Slice your apple and toss it with fresh lemon juice to prevent it from browning. Arrange the apples on the salad.
- Sprinkle the salad with chopped roasted pistachios, drizzle with the dressing, and serve. Optionally, you can also drizzle it with a little bit of balsamic glaze or serve it on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
You can either toss everything into a serving bowl or layer all ingredients on a serving plate, which is what I recommend. It makes for a nicer presentation because arugula wilts down fairly quickly once you add the dressing, and in a big bowl, most of the ingredients would fall to the bottom.
Storing: This salad is best enjoyed right away, but you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days if needed. Just know that the arugula will wilt almost immediately.
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Veronika Sykorova says
This is such an easy salad for fall and winter and one of my all time favorites now. Hope you like it as much as I do! :)