Name: Harvest Salad with Pears and Pomegranates
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 bag, baby spinach blend salad greens; 2 green onions, sliced; 1 large ripe pear, sliced; 1/3 c. pomegranate seeds; 1/4 c. goat cheese crumbles; 1/4 c. glazed pecans (like Emerald brand); For Dressing:; 1 tsp. minced garlic (or one clove); 1/4 c. honey; 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar; 1/4 c. olive oil; ground pepper (a few turns of the pepper grinder)

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Harvest Salad with Pears and Pomegranates

Looking for an amazing pear salad recipe? My Harvest Salad with Pears and Pomegranates is fantastic! Beautiful enough for a Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish and simple enough to make for weekday lunch paired with chicken or turkey!

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This Pear Salad recipe is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner

One side dish I always try to have on the table for a holiday meal (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) is a fresh, crisp salad. Often, we have lots of carb-heavy sides like potatoes and gravy and stuffing during the holidays.

Yes, these are definitely delicious and I would not serve a holiday meal without them, I feel like this Harvest Salad with Pears and Pomegranates is necessary to break to all the “beige.”

Here’s how this delicious Harvest Salad with Pears comes together:

Step 1: Start with your greens

You can use virtually any lettuce mix – I like to use a colorful spring mix for this salad. Baby spinach, escarole, freesia, and other colorful greens lend well to the color and texture of this salad.

Step 2: Add fresh pears

Sweet and firm pears are the centerpiece to this pear salad recipe. I chose red pears, however, you can also use Barlett, yellow or Asian pears as well.

Step 3: Other Add-ins to the salad

During the fall and early winter, Pomegranates are at their peak. You can find them in the produce section of most grocery stores. Peel of the outside rind and you’ll find beautiful, sweet magenta seeds in the center.

The pomegranate seeds add a lovely complimentary color and crisp texture to this salad.

I also added pecans and goat cheese to this harvest salad. The crunch of the pecans and the sweet creamy flavors of the cheese take this salad from great to exceptional!

Do you love pomegranate arils? Check out these other recipes that feature pomegranate:

Step 4: The Dressing

This honey balsamic dressing is one of my favorite dressings for a salad like this. If you’re making this salad as a side dish for a large meal, I recommend serving the dressing on the side.

Let your guests dress their own salad. If there are leftovers, store the dressing separately. This way the salad will keep longer and not get wilted and mushy.

Pear Salad Questions:

What type of pears should I use for a pear salad recipe?

I like red pears for this pear salad. You can also use Bartlett, Yellow or Asian pears.

I don’t like pecans. What other nuts can I use instead of pecans?

Walnuts, pistachios and almonds are all great alternatives in this Harvest Salad.

If you loved this delicious Pear Salad, then be sure to check out some of my other similar salads and sides that are great for a holiday meal:

Need some main dish inspiration for your holiday dinner? Check out our popular main dish holiday recipes:

Here’s the recipe for my delicious Harvest Salad with Pears: