Looking for a salad that will steal the show at your next holiday gathering or any winter get-together? Winter Salad with Avocado Pomegranate, and Maple Glazed Pecans is gonna be your new Best Friend.
Winter Salad with Avocado Pomegranate
This salad is everything! Just as it is. But if you want to do more and make it a super hearty main dish, feel free to toss in some diced ham, turkey, or chicken. Or maybe some crumbled bacon. But it’s absolutely glorious just as is.
About Winter Salad with Avocado Pomegranate and Pecans:
The fun thing about a salad around the winter holidays is that there are all kinds of items that might be a little spendy, just happen to be on sale!
I think of the season that opens with the pre-Thanksgiving sales and wraps up with New Year’s as the “Trifecta of Holiday Sales.” Even if you don’t celebrate these holidays, take advantage of the prices.
So load your salad up with all good things – Pomegranates, full of Vitamin C and Flavonoids, keep for weeks, wrapped in the fridge. Avocados, full of the life-giving healthy heart oils, crispy apples, so refreshing, and of course, the Pecans – they just about steal the show.
Winter Salad with Avocado Pomegranate – see the maple dijon dressing! So good!
Making Winter Salad with Avocado Pomegranate and Pecans:
Knock those pecans out a day or two ahead, and then it’s all about assembly. Have your lettuce in your bowl, and the ingredients at hand.
These days you can buy the pomegranate arials at the store, but if not, pomegranates drop to a low around the winter holidays. I’ve attached a short video just in case you need to prepare them yourself.
With the nuts and pomegranate seeds out of the way, the only things that really require any thought are the avocados and the apple. Both are tossed with a bit of lemon, but they shine if cut and added at the last minute.
Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Let’s Talk About the Dressing Options:
This salad goes very well with several dressings on my site, but my newest crush, and the dressing I made just for this salad, is Maple Dijon Vinaigrette.
If that doesn’t suit, my Honey Citrus Vinaigrette, or this Sweet Sorghum Vinaigrette (sorghum is such a cool ingredient) might suit. All of the above will complement the ingredients in the salad nicely.
Sweet Sorghum Vinaigrette
Leftover Winter Salad with Avocado Pomegranate and Pecans:
Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for one to three days; salads, once dressed, don’t last long, but one like this built on sturdy greens will do better than some.
You may wish to remove the avocado first, which will not fare well.
Other Salad Recipes You Might Like:
I love a big salad, and I have a few on my site that you might enjoy; check out the menu at the top of the page. In the meantime, here are a couple to get you started.
- Cubby’s Beet and Goat Cheese Salad – loaded with avocado, pistachios, Mandarin oranges, and beets.
- Healthy Harvest Salad – apple, pear, pecans, dried cranberries with a garlicky Dijon dressing.
- Spinach Quinoa Salad – So good you’d never guess it was healthy, with chickpeas, blueberries, apples, or pears.
Spinach Quinoa Salad with Candied Pecans
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
Saving Money on Pomegranates:
- Pomegranates are in season from September through November; by Christmas, they’re starting to wane. They’re a good buy in season and on sale. The Arils are available longer, fresh or frozen.
- For price comparison, a 3″ diameter pomegranate holds about 2/3 cups of arils, a 4″, about a cup, and a 5″ about 1 1/4 cups.
- Keep on the countertop for up to a week or two; wrapped loosely in plastic, they’ll keep in the fridge for a few weeks. If past prime, they dry beautifully for decorations.
Saving Money on Nuts:
- Stock up for the year on nuts (and dried fruit) from fall, through the Winter holidays.
- At the grocery, check snack, baking, bulk, and discount aisles. Discount groceries usually have good pricing but limited choices. Buyers’ clubs are known for their quality. Farm & Tractor Supply Stores are hidden gems for dried fruit and nuts.
- Repackage any nuts in flimsy wrappings and keep in the freezer for long-term storage.
Saving Money on Apples:
- Apples are in season from late summer through fall; the quality, varieties available, and pricing will be best. Take advantage and use more. Apples begin moving out of cold storage late January through February, and there are often sales.
- At the grocery store, larger bags are often a bargain. Inspect carefully for damage or bruising. If in brown bags, don’t be shy about taking some to visually inspect those at the bottom; don’t make a mess.
- You may find surprising bargains at orchards and farmers’ markets in season, especially in the “imperfect” section.
Saving Money on Lettuce:
- The best pricing is by the head/bunch, especially on sale. It tastes better, is fresher, lasts longer, and has less chance of contamination.
- When compared by weight, bags run 4 to 10 times the price of lettuce by the head, depending on how good the sale is.
- A little flex: to save time and fridge space, pick up a sturdy head of romaine or other lettuce of choice and supplement it with one of the mixed bags; they’ll be on sale before almost any holiday.
- Wash all greens thoroughly before using, except (according to the FDA), packaged, labeled prewashed. Avoid cross-contamination.
Hello Frugal Friends, and thanks for visiting. I had just as much fun dreaming up this gorgeous salad as I had sharing it with friends and family. And sharing it here with you. That brings me joy! I hope it does the same for you.
Mollie
Winter Salad with Avocado Pomegranate
Winter Salad with Avocado Pomegranate and Maple Glazed Pecans
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish Salad
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Pecans:
(make ahead so they can cool)
- 1 1/2 cups whole or large pieces of pecans
- 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
- several grinds pepper
- pinch of cayenne
For the Winter Salad:
- 6 – 8 cups sturdy mixed lettuce
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 large or two small apples, sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- arils from 1 pomegranate
- 1/4 of thinly sliced shallot or small amount of red onion, thinly sliced (if using red onion, soak in cool water for 10 minutes, drain, and pat dry)
- 1 recipe Maple Glazed Pecans, above
- slices or chunks of cooked chicken, turkey or ham, optional for a main dish salad
Instructions
For the Pecans:
Combine pecans, maple syrup, salt, pepper & cayenne in a bowl; mix until evenly coated.
Spread on nonstick, or parchment paper-lined baking sheet sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 325°F for 20 – 25 minutes, stirring twice, until nuts are lightly browned. Watch carefully towards end.
Cool on baking sheet; the nuts will become dry and crunchy as they cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for a day or two.
For the Winter Salad:
Wash & dry lettuce, place in a large bowl. Toss avocado and apple slices each in a tablespoon lemon juice.
Arrange apple, avocado, pomegranate arils, and Maple Glazed Pecans over lettuce. Strew with the shallot or red onion. If using chicken, turkey or ham, toss atop.
When ready to serve, toss with dressing of choice. Recommended dressings: Honey Citrus, Sweet Sorghum or Maple Dijon.
It’s going to take more than 10 seconds, but it mostly works.
_________________________________________
I’m posting Winter Salad with Avocado Pomegranate and Maple Glazed Pecans at Fiesta Friday this week.
Pingback: Fiesta Friday #200 - Fiesta Friday