Orange Pomegranate Salad with Goat Cheese, Avocado & Pecans
Home » COOK » Recipes » Recipes By Course » Salads »
Doesn’t this bright and colorful Orange Pomegranate Salad just look so delicious? Bright red pomegranate arils and vibrant sections of orange whet the appetite with strong visual appeal, while creamy goat cheese and avocado balance the satisfying crunch of the red onion and pecans. A little drizzle of the homemade citrus vinaigrette pulls it all together for a truly satisfying meal.
Affiliate Disclosure
We have included affiliate links to products and services related to the topic of this post.
This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you purchase after clicking on those links.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Read Our Full Disclosure and Privacy Policy
Orange Pomegranate Salad
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions; to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required, and to understand the steps and timings involved.
Of course, salads can be eaten all the year around, but there is something about the summertime that makes me crave salads even more.
I think it’s the combination of bright, fresh ingredients, all tumbled together and full of different flavors and textures that makes salads a winning meal in my eyes.
This orange pomegranate salad falls into that winning category!
Brightly colored orange pieces and pomegranate seeds (arils) sit atop a bed of leafy greens, red onions, and creamy avocado chunks. Throw on some chopped pecans, and crumbled salty Feta cheese and you have got a very delicious salad on your hands.
The dressing is made with a citrus champagne vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, and orange juice and adds a special something!
If you love trying out new salad combinations, you have to give this one a try!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It doesn’t include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, and pepper, as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen already. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Fresh Produce – Garlic, Oranges, Pomegranate, Avocado, Lemons, Mixed Salad Greens, Red Onion.
- Dairy – Goat Cheese.
- Citrus Champagne Vinegar – if you can’t source this you can use regular champagne vinegar, or another citrus vinegar such as balsamic or white wine.
- Honey – try to buy locally produced honey if possible.
- Dijon Mustard
- Pecan Halves
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. You can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Pomegranate
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is pomegranate, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Moroccan Lamb Salad with Bulgar Wheat & Harissa Garlic Yogurt Dressing
- Jewelled Persian Rice with Pomegranates, Walnuts & Parsley
- Giant Couscous Salad with Roasted Aubergine, Parsley & Pomegranate
More Salad Recipes
Looking for more salads to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Roasted Golden Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
- Chicken Strawberry Salad with Feta and Pecans & Homemade Dressing
- Classic Caesar Salad
How Do I Make Orange Pomegranate Salad?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Orange Pomegranate Salad with Goat Cheese, Avocado & Pecans
Doesn’t this bright and colorful Orange Pomegranate Salad just look so delicious? It's quick to make too!
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup citrus champagne vinegar*
- 1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ¼ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed (approximately 1 large orange)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Salad
- 1 large pomegranate
- 1 large avocado, chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 6 cups mixed salad greens
- ½ medium red onion, sliced thin
- 1 large orange, sliced, peeled, and separated into bite-sized sections
- 2 oz (50g) goat cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup 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 them aside.
- Coat the avocado with 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!
Notes
*If you cannot source citrus champagne vinegar you can use regular champagne vinegar instead and add some extra lemon juice to the dressing, to taste. Or use a different kind of citrus vinegar, such as balsamic. You may want to add to taste as the kinds of vinegar have different strengths.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 613Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 34gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 306mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 15gSugar: 32gProtein: 11g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Full Meal!
This salad works as an appetizer/starter, a main dish, or a side, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party or special occasion:
- Appetizer: Garlic Parmesan Shrimp with Roasted Garlic Dip
- Main Dish: Grilled Carne Asada
- Beverage: Watermelon Moscato Slushie
- Dessert: Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too!