Pair this Citrus Salad with Crockpot Ham with Honey Lemon Glaze, a side of Butternut Squash Orzo with Feta and Sage, and Cannoli Bundt Cake for Dessert.
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
This colorful citrus salad tastes as good as it looks. It's an easy recipe that includes a homemade citrus vinaigrette yet is impressive enough to serve for holidays, made with peppery arugula, bright citrus, and creamy goat cheese.
This salad is a show-stopper at holiday tables but it's simple enough for weeknight dinner or meal prepping to take for a healthy lunch.
Made with oranges, this salad can be easily made year-round so it's great for offering something cheery and bright during the fall and winter months, but it's certainly fitting for summer too.
The flavors are awesome. A base of peppery arugula and baby spinach blends perfectly with the sweet blood orange vinaigrette and creamy goat cheese. Tart bursts of pomegranate and sharp red onion balance out the flavor.
This salad is easy and refreshing. It would be perfect with grilled chicken or salmon for a main dish.
You can use bottled dressing, but it's quick and easy to whip up the homemade citrus vinaigrette to compliment the main ingredients.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
Here's a look at what you'll need for this salad and dressing:
- Greens. A salad blend that includes baby arugula and baby spinach is ideal for this salad. The peppery flavor of arugula paired with the sweet citrus and creamy goat cheese in this salad really works. If arugula is too spicy for you, try a simple store-bought spring mix instead.
- Dressing. The delicious homemade citrus vinaigrette dressing is very simple to whisk up; however, to save time, you can substitute a store-bought citrus dressing, a balsamic vinaigrette, or a creamy poppyseed dressing.
- Fresh thyme. This is optional. Adding fresh thyme to the dressing adds a layer of herby flavor. It's not necessary but adds depth of flavor. I especially like to add this in the summer when I have fresh thyme growing at home.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
This salad is simple to prep. No cooking and just a little chopping and shaking!
Here's a look at the steps:
- Add salad greens to a large bowl or platter.
- Layer salad greens with onion and oranges.
- Add pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds.
- Layer in fresh pepper and goat cheese.
- Whisk together dressing ingredients.
- Drizzle dressing over salad and serve.
Simple!
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Substitutions
Substitute the goat cheese for feta crumbles.
Substitute the roasted salted pepitas for sunflower seeds, walnuts, or pecans.
Substitute the salad dressing for a bottled balsamic vinaigrette or creamy poppyseed dressing, if you prefer.
Variations
Switch up the toppings of this salad to make it your own! Here are a few ideas:
- Add creamy avocado slices.
- Swap the pomegranate for sliced strawberries or raspberries.
- Try adding nuts. Pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, or sliced almonds instead of pumpkin seeds.
- Add a protein. Grilled or sliced rotisserie chicken can take this salad from a side to a meal.
- Swap the herb. Fresh thyme adds a nice aroma, but fresh mint would be lovely, too!
Storage
This salad is best enjoyed freshly made; however, if you anticipate you will have leftovers, serve the salad with the dressing on the side. Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, with the dressing separate. When ready to serve, give the salad dressing a quick whisk or shake to reincorporate it before using.
Can I use canned fruit for this recipe?
While fresh citrus is ideal for the best flavor and texture, you can use pre-packaged citrus segments if fresh fruits are not readily available. Just make sure to drained away excess liquid before adding to the salad to prevent the salad from becoming soggy or watery.
Can I adjust the sweetness of the salad?
The sweetness of the salad can vary with the natural sweetness of the citrus fruits used. So if you'd like to sweeten the salad, add extra honey to the dressing. Alternatively, if you find the salad too sweet, you can balance the sweetness with a hint of acidity by adding a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.
★ More Salad Recipes ★
Browse all my easy and delicious salad recipes and Pin your favorites for later!
Pomegranate
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad
- 10 oz baby arugula and baby spinach blend
- ½ red onion sliced
- 1 blood orange peeled and sliced
- 1 mandarin orange peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils (seeds)
- 2 tablespoon roasted salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 4 oz honey goat cheese (I used Montchevre)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Dressing
- ¼ cup blood orange juice (1 orange)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves (optional)
- ½ cup olive oil
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Instructions
- Prepare salad ingredients. Peel oranges and slice. Thinly slice red onion.
- Layer salad ingredients. Add arugula and spinach to a large platter or salad bowl. Lay slices of red onion, blood orange, and mandarin orange on top of the greens.
- Garnish salad with pomegranate arils, roasted pepitas, and crumbled goat cheese. Grind fresh black pepper over the top of the salad, if desired.
- Prepare the dressing. Add blood orange juice, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, and salt to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Add fresh thyme leaves for a more herbaceous flavor. (optional)Continue whisking then stream in olive oil until incorporated into the dressing.
- Add dressing to salad. Drizzle dressing over the salad or serve with dressing on the side for guests to add their own desired quantity.
Notes
- 2 clementines or 1 naval orange can be used in place of the mandarin orange.
- Use a serrated knife or paring knife to remove the orange peels to give the orange slices a pretty hexagonal shape.
- Remaining salad dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. If the vinaigrette beings to separate in the fridge, just whisk it again or shake it up in a jar to re-emulsify it.
- Use a hand frother to quickly emulsify the dressing. Or make dressing in a mason jar with a lid and shake to emulsify.
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