Orange-Pomegranate Salad with Orange Champagne Vinaigrette

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If you love the idea of a lighter side dish or a main dish salad, check out this simple Orange-Pomegranate Salad with Orange Champagne Vinaigrette. Not only does it have that amazing citrus taste and flavor, but it also isn’t heavy on the tummy as so many other side dish recipes are. 

Be certain to also consider this Roasted Golden Beet and Goat Cheese Salad as it’s another fun salad recipe with loads and loads of flavor. 

Orange-Pomegranate Salad with Orange Champagne Vinaigrette

Anytime I can make my own salad dressing to pair perfectly with my salad, I’m 100% down to make that happen. Summer just seems like the perfect time to have a great salad as a side with your favorite grilled meat, or as your main dish.  And we all love the idea to eat a bit lighter during the hot weather.  No time to make the dressing – one of my favorites is a bottled poppy seed dressing.  

This salad is quite stunning as well because of all the bright bold colors. It truly is a wonderful salad with a ton of flavor.  A great salad to serve at a luncheon, shower, or brunch.

Ingredients for this Orange-Pomegranate Salad

I always like to gather my ingredients and prep them to make sure I have everything needed.

Prepping them ahead of time too is also a great time saver.

Orange Champagne Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of citrus champagne vinegar
• 1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
• 2 Tablespoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon of orange zest, preferably organic
• ¼ cup of orange juice, freshly squeezed (approximately 1 large orange)
• ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 large pomegranate
• 1 large avocado, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• 6 cups of mixed salad greens
• ½ medium red onion, sliced thin
• 1 large orange, sliced, peeled, and separated into bite-sized sections
• 2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled 
• ¼ cup of pecan halves

Have you ever used a fresh pomegranate?  Most refer to the inside as seeds, but they are also known as arils.

How to Make This Simple Salad

1. To prepare the dressing, add the vinegar, garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, orange zest, and orange juice to a blender or food processor. Blend on high until completely smooth, approximately 1 minute.  
2. If using a blender or processor with a vented top, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while blending, or add all at once if this isn’t possible. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and blend until thoroughly emulsified. Taste and add additional salt, if desired. Transfer to a serving container and set aside.  
3. Remove the arils, or seeds, from the pomegranate by slicing off the top and scoring down the sides in between the aril sections with a sharp knife. Carefully pull apart along the score lines and separate the arils from the pith. Place the arils in a small bowl and set aside.  
4. Coat the avocado with the lemon juice to prevent browning and set aside.  
5. Arrange the mixed greens on a large serving platter and top with the red onion, orange sections, avocado, and pomegranate arils. Top with the crumbled goat cheese and pecan halves. Drizzle with some of the orange champagne vinaigrette and serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side. Enjoy! 

Can you use another nut besides pecan?

You can. Use walnuts, slivered almonds, crushed cashews…literally anything that you want. It’s really all about the texture that it brings to the salad. Consider lightly toasting them for a little more flavor and crunch.

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Orange-Pomegranate Salad with Orange Champagne Vinaigrette

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This simple salad recipe is wonderful and easy to make!

Ingredients

Orange Champagne Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of citrus champagne vinegar
• 1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
• 2 Tablespoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon of orange zest, preferably organic
• ¼ cup of orange juice, freshly squeezed (approximately 1 large orange)
• ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 large pomegranate
• 1 large avocado, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• 6 cups of mixed salad greens
• ½ medium red onion, sliced thin
• 1 large orange, sliced, peeled, and separated into bite-sized sections
• 2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled 
• ¼ cup of pecan halves

Instructions

To prepare the dressing, add the vinegar, garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, orange zest, and orange juice to a blender or food processor. Blend on high until completely smooth, approximately 1 minute.

If using a blender or processor with a vented top, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while blending, or add all at once if this isn’t possible. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and blend until thoroughly emulsified. Taste and add additional salt, if desired. Transfer to a serving container and set aside.

Remove the arils from the pomegranate by slicing off the top and scoring down the sides in between the aril sections with a sharp knife. Carefully pull apart along the score lines and separate the arils from the pith. Place the arils in a small bowl and set aside.

Coat the avocado with the lemon juice to prevent browning and set aside.

Arrange the mixed greens on a large serving platter and top with the red onion, orange sections, avocado, and pomegranate arils. Top with the crumbled goat cheese and pecan halves. Drizzle with some of the orange champagne vinaigrette and serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side. Enjoy! 

More Salad Recipes 

• Farm Fresh Greek Steak Salad
• Simple As Can Be Taco Bar Corn Salad
• Broccoli and Bacon Salad with the Works

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