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THE Christmas Salad: Kale, Shaved Brussel Sprouts, and Pomegranate
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t love eating salads in the winter – the cold weather is for comfort food, but this festive winter greens pomegranate salad made with shaved Brussel sprouts, kale, pomegranate seeds, and tossed in a creamy pomegranate balsamic vinaigrette is one salad that will be making my Christmas table. Everything from the flavor to the rich red and green colors is seasonal perfection!
A Beautiful Christmas Salad That Comes Together in a Pinch!
This salad really is one of the easiest things to make – it comes together in 5 minutes with a few wholesome ingredients! I love using a mixture of Tuscan Kale and shaved Brussel Sprouts for the base of this salad, then adding color, flavor, and even antioxidants with pomegranate seeds! If you’re in a rush, you can grab all of these items pre-shaved, chopped, and seeded from your grocery store and throw this together on the go. It looks so beautiful that if you’re bringing it to a party, no one will suspect how fast it came together!
Creamy Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette for the Win
What really makes this salad special is the dressing! My homemade Creamy Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette is creamy, tangy, and a little sweet – bringing out all of the flavors of the greens and pomegranate seeds in the salad. This recipe is based off of my classic creamy balsamic vinaigrette dressing, then to add to its already delicious flavor I tossed in a few tablespoons of pomegranate seeds! I love how easy it is to make homemade dressings, they taste so much better than store-bought dressing and don’t contain any additives or refined sugars.
To make my Creamy Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, all you need to do is blend olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and pomegranate seeds until creamy. Pour the dressing over your salad and toss until coated. I love to top the salad off with a few more pomegranate seeds after it’s tossed to add some extra color, too!
Why I Love This Recipe From a Health-Perspective
Earlier this year, I discovered that my body produces antibodies that attack my thyroid. My doctor highly recommended that I stick to an anti-inflammatory diet because of the correlation between thyroid function and inflammation. I create most recipes, including these Brûléed Pumpkin Pie Bars, with anti-inflammatory properties in mind. I’ve noticed that eating as clean as possible has made me feel better, heal faster, and help with my overall cognitive function. I am by no means a doctor or registered dietician, but I did want to share my personal “why” for creating recipes like this one because eating this way really has positively impacted my health, and I figured maybe it could help others, too.
All that said, I am very intentional with my ingredients, I like to develop recipes that are both delicious and that will work for me by offering extra nutritional benefits to my body. Brussel spouts, kale, and pomegranate seeds offer excellent health benefits, making this salad the perfect side dish to a lean protein like chicken or turkey for a balanced meal! If you wanted to make it more hearty, you could also toss in a healthy grain like farro.
Ingredients:
- Tuscan Kale
- Shave Brussel Sprouts
- Pomegranate Seeds
- Olive Oil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Make This Salad
This salad is fairly simple to put together! Here’s how to make it:
Assemble Your Salad Ingredients: Start by adding your shaved Brussel sprouts, Tuscan kale, and pomegranate seeds to a large salad bowl.
Make Your Dressing: Add your olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and pomegranate seeds to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Serve and Enjoy: Toss your salad and dressing together, then top it off with some additional pomegranate seeds and serve!
Tools:
- Blender
Full Recipe:
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Winter Greens Pomegranate Salad With Creamy Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 5 cups of Tuscan Kale (chopped)
- 2 cups of Brussel Sprouts (shaved)
- 1/4–1/2 cup of Pomegranate Seeds
For the Creamy Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 4 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 2–3 tbsp Honey (depending on how sweet you like your dressing)
- 2 tsp Djion Mustard
- 3 tbsp Pomegranate Seeds
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Assemble Your Salad Ingredients: Start by adding your shaved Brussel sprouts, Tuscan kale, and pomegranate seeds to a large salad bowl.
- Make Your Dressing: Add your olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and pomegranate seeds to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Serve and Enjoy: Toss your salad and dressing together, then top it off with some additional pomegranate seeds and serve!
For more recipes like this one, follow me on social media at @dinneratallis!