Holiday Salad with Kale, Persimmon and Pomegranate

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Holiday Salad with Kale, Persimmon and Pomegranate is a festive kale salad tossed in a tangy, sweet citrus maple dressing.  It’s perfect as a Christmas salad, Thanksgiving salad or holiday potluck!

The past few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind for me.  I hosted Thanksgiving, then 3 days later I hosted my son’s 18th birthday party.  Needless to say there’s been a lot of entertaining going on, but ’tis the season!

Since my boy is all grown up, I definitely drowned my sorrows in a few cupcakes. 

This Holiday Salad with Kale, Persimmon and Pomegranate is how I bounce back from all the cupcakes.  It’s so full of flavor, it truly feels more like a treat than a salad.

The fact that it shimmers like Christmas doesn’t hurt either. 🙂

Holiday Salad

Do you serve salad on holidays?  I typically do because it’s always nice to eat some greens amidst all the indulgent dishes that come along with a holiday meal.

This kale salad with persimmon and pomegranate makes the perfect for a Thanksgiving salad, Christmas salad, holiday potluck, or a regular weeknight dinner.

We eat it weekly — it’s our favorite salad this time of year.

Why this salad recipe is perfect for the holidays

I love this recipe because it’s the perfect compliment to any holiday menu. 

It pairs well with the following:

• turkey
• ham
• beef
• vegetarian dishes

This salad is full of flavor, texture and color, which will give your holiday meals the wow factor they deserve.

Why you’ll love this kale pomegranate salad

This holiday salad recipe has all the elements.  It’s bitter, sweet, tangy and tart, with crunchy nutty pecans to round out all the flavors.

One of the best things about this salad is that it’s easy to prepare, and the hardy kale won’t wilt down on you, which means you can assemble most of it in advance.

See the recipe notes for more make ahead tips.

Ingredients for holiday kale salad

There are only a few simple ingredients for this easy holiday salad!

• Curly kale
• Persimmon
• Pomegranate
• Goat Cheese
• Pecans
• Olive oil
• White balsamic vinegar
• Orange juice
• Maple Syrup
• Dijon mustard

How to make Christmas / Thanksgiving Salad

This salad is very easy to prepare, and most of the components may be made in advance.

• Prep the curly kale by washing and draining it well.  Blot it dry with a towel, then tear into bite sized pieces.
• Place the kale, persimmon, pomegranate, goat cheese and pecans in a large bowl and set aside.
• Place the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt and pepper, to taste in a mason jar and seal with a lid.  Shake well until emulsified.
• Toss the salad with the desired amount of dressing (you may not need it all), until well coated.
• Serve and enjoy!

Recipe notes and substitutions

• Curly kale may be substituted with dinosaur or baby kale, or the lettuce of your choice.
• The curly kale won’t wilt, so you can assemble most of it in advance. For best results, add the dressing and pecans just before serving.
• Prepped kale may be stored in an air tight container for 2-3 days.
• Deseed your pomegranate 2-3 days in advance to make salad prep much faster.
• Prepare the dressing up to 5 days in advance.  Allow to stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes until the olive oil liquifies, then shake to emulsify.
• Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until fragrant.

Hungry for more salad?  See all of my Salad recipes.

More holiday salad recipes:

Apple spinach salad by Gimme Some Oven

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

Fig salad

Pear salad

Roasted beet salad

Holiday Salad with Kale, Persimmon and Pomegranate

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Holiday Salad with Kale, Persimmon and Pomegranate is a festive kale salad tossed in a tangy, sweet citrus maple dressing!

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Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 bunch curly kale (8 cups torn)
• 1 medium persimmon, chopped
• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
• 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces

For the dressing:

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Place the kale, persimmon, pomegranate, goat cheese and pecans in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Place the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste in a mason jar and seal with the lid. Shake vigorously until emulsified.
3. Pour the desired amount of dressing over the salad and toss until well coated (you may not need it all). Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• Curly kale may be substituted with dinosaur or baby kale, or the lettuce of your choice.
• The curly kale won't wilt, so you can assemble most of it in advance. For best results, add the dressing and pecans just before serving.
• Prepped kale may be stored in an air tight container for 2-3 days.

• Deseed your pomegranate 2-3 days in advance to make salad prep much faster.
• Prepare the dressing up to 5 days in advance.  Allow to stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes until the olive oil liquifies, then shake to emulsify.
• Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until fragrant.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 272 Total Fat: 23g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 18g Cholesterol: 7mg Sodium: 168mg Carbohydrates: 14g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 10g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 4g

Nutrition information is mean to be an estimate only. The numbers will vary based on the quantity consumed, brands used and substitutions that are made. This information includes all of the dressing, though you may not need it all.

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