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So gorgeous! I think I could eat this daily for lunch all through fall and winter, and never tire of it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Oh my good gravy.
I mean, no gravy. Just pretty Thanksgiving salad. I mean, salad that tastes like gravy. I mean, no, wait, ummm…
Can’t.
Think.
This wild rice salad blows me away.The flavors and colors make me want to cry happy tears. Kind of like the ones that almost came out of my eyes at lunch when I saw this salad awaiting me at the bottom of my lunch bag. It was a beacon of hope and I am 99.3487% sure that angels sang.
If those ruby pomegranate seeds don’t get to you, then you might not be real. The juicy little bursts of bright red are my bestest favoritist produce of winter. Why I haven’t used them more often in recent memory probably has something to do with The Sacrifice of the White Shirt, but all that aside, these little pups are just adorable and juicy-perfect.
Now, kale. I know we normal people all have mixed feelings. But baby kale is where it’s at. If you can do spinach, then baby kale is just one half step up on the weirdo-healthy-person food ladder. You’re like: Lindsay, my family won’t like kale. I PROMISE, almost promise, that they will. Chop it up real small and you get the benefit of the supernutrition and the eye-popping freshness of green without the overwhelming chomp factor. Say yes. Now. In three, two, one, YES.
A few more food thoughts –> The toasted walnuts add crunch. The feta adds feta. And the homemade dressing? It’s just a slight spin off of the homemade dressing from the brussels sprouts salad and it is D-licious.
Use onion or shallot, saute to reduce the bite (or not, if you’re a flavor bite kinda person) and drizzle to your heart’s content.
Let me tell you the beautiful truth: I made this in less than 20 minutes.
And great recipes that are simple + healthy + gorgeous in < 20 minutes = my perfect life.
This is real math, and better yet, real food.
I see this at my Thanksgiving table this year. And every day from now till then and forevermore amen.
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Pomegranate, Kale, and Wild Rice Salad with Walnuts and Feta
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4, as a side 1x
Description
Pomegranate, Kale, and Wild Rice Salad, with walnuts and Feta cheese and a simple homemade dressing. So healthy, so good!
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 cups chopped baby kale
- 2 cups cooked wild rice (you can use leftover rice or buy precooked)
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
- 1/4 cup feta cheese (omit for vegans)
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup minced onion or shallot
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons honey (sub agave for vegans)
- 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 squeeze lemon or orange juice
Instructions
- Prep the salad ingredients (chop, rinse, toast, etc). Chill the ingredients in the fridge while you’re making the dressing if you want a cold salad.
- Mince the shallot or onion and saute in 1/2 tablespoons olive oil to reduce the bite. When soft and fragrant, remove from heat and transfer to a food processor. (If you want a stronger flavor for your dressing, skip the sauteing altogether. The shallot in particular works well for this.)
- Pulse the onions or shallot with the remaining olive oil, water, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, and orange juice until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust. Add additional olive oil or water to keep the mixture moving through the food processor.
- Toss the salad ingredients together with the dressing just before serving. I prefer to serve this at room temperature or chilled slightly.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Lunch
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: thanksgiving salad, healthy salad, kale salad, wild rice salad
I have made this salad multiple times. My sister first made it for us when we were helping our son move and it was such a welcoming boost of energy for us. It’s easy to adapt to whatever ingredients you have on hand. Thanks again for another great recipe!
This recipe is always a crowd favorite! I bring it to nearly every potluck and it becomes the topic of conversation— “what’s in it? … can you send me the recipe?” I have also made it vegan by replacing the honey with maple syrup and serving the feta on the side. Excellent recipe!!
Wonderful recipe! Now I know what to do with the black rice I brought back from Italy. I did substitute Arugula for the kale and had to use frozen pomegranate seeds, so they didn’t add the pop. Can’t wait to make it again when they’re in season.
Love this salad and it is always a hit. I made it this week for my hubby and me to had leftovers. I added halved boiled eggs (6mins in instant pot), leftover green beans, tuna fish, kalamata olives and cherry tomatoes, added some dressing- it was great. I won’t hesitate to make this ago when it is only 2 of us.
I prepared it and it was delicious.
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First of all i loved salad and the way you make it’s amazing
This is delicious! Made it for Friendsgiving, and every bite was eaten!
This is my absolutely favorite kale salad recipe! As soon as pomegranates arrive in the stores I get hungry for it. I’m making it today for friends to welcome fall!
The perfect fall salad right here! Enjoy, Lisa!
I’ve made this salad a half dozen times for potlucks and it’s always a HUGE hit! But tomorrow night, I want to make it for dinner with other items. Any (vegetarian, if possible) suggestions for what to pair with this salad to make a stunning date night dinner?
This salad is AMAZING! I made it last night for my daughter who is home from nursing school – we all LOVED it! Now I’m going to make it for my husbands Christmas potluck and our family Christmas dinner! Worst thing is we ate it all and no leftovers today! Doubling next time!!!
LOVE this salad! I don’t care for raw kale, so I sub spinach, and I always make it with quinoa. If I don’t have pomegranate on hand, blueberries and/or strawberries are delicious too!
Glad to hear it, Ashley!
Can I used canned wild rice? Would I just drain it or do I need to warm it up then allow to cool?
Should just be able to drain it!
My favorite salad!! We’ve been making this for years now after finding your website. Always such great ideas!
This salad very much reminds me of Byerly’s/Lund’s “Minnesota Nice” salad…which is not only delicious, but one I have had co-workers steal from me! Soooo might be nice to have my own that doesn’t cost $7.50
Pomegranate is especially good for men because it has special nutrients in it to help flush unhealthy Estrogen levels in a man to an all time low. I love this juice because it’s rich in taste and keeps you coming back for more.
Very cool idea, guys. I like it lots.
I just found out that pomegranates are out of season. Any suggestion for a substitute?
Some dried cranberries would be delicious as well!
This works really well with strawberries when pomegrantes aren’t in season! Delicious!!
I’ve been making this every Thanksgiving for the last several years. It’s SO good and is such a hit, even with the supposed kale-haters of the family. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Glad to hear that, Sarah!
This salad is absolutely delicious. Hits all the flavor profiles. I especially love the addition of pomegranates. I have made this recipe twice in one week – will also be serving on thanksgiving day.
That seems like a lot of onion/shallot. Is 1/2 cup correct?
It’s super yummy, not too much at all 🙂
Love this salad! How long do you think the dressing would keep in the fridge?
It should last for a week or two!
wao nice and delicious recipe. I like pomegranate kale wild and rice salad. I really appreciate admin.
This is the best salad I’ve ever eaten!!!!! It is like a party in your mouth. I made it for my mom and sister ( who doesn’t like fruit in her salads); they loved it.