This delicious pear salad is one of my favorite recipes for the winter season when fruit like pomegranate is at its best. It is super simple to whip up and a delicious side for any cozy winter meal.
It may seem cliche to have a salad recipe for my first blog post of the year, but I couldn’t sit on this recipe any longer! I have been loving this pear salad with pomegranate and balsamic dressing. So much so, that I made it for a friends-giving this year. I just love the combination of the peppery arugula with the sweetness of the pomegranate and pear.
What You’ll Need for This Salad
- Fresh Greens: I love using peppery arugula for this recipe, but it also works well with other tender greens like a baby spinach and kale mix.
- Pear: You’ll want to use fresh pear for this salad rather than canned as canned pears are too soft.
- Pomegranate: Love the sweet-tart flavor and crunch from pomegranate in this salad.
- Almonds: Slivered almonds add a nice crunch.
- Vegan Feta Cheese: You can skip this if you want, but I love adding a bit of vegan feta to this salad. I used VioLife vegan feta.
- Olive Oil: Use a nice olive oil as the base of the vinaigrette for this salad.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Use this vinegar to whip up a simple dressing. I think balsamic pairs the best with pear and arugula but you could also use red wine vinegar.
- Maple Syrup: Adds just a little sweetness to the vinaigrette.
- Dijon Mustard: Rounds out the flavor of the vinaigrette. You definitely want to use dijon and not a regular yellow mustard.
What to Serve with This Salad
This salad would be great paired with a hearty pasta dish like this vegan lasagna or this baked ziti recipe. You can also do a classic soup and salad pairing to round out the meal. This one pot red lentil pumpkin soup would be great as well as this vegan crockpot minestrone soup.
You can also make this salad more filling by adding some cooked quinoa and/or some canned chickpeas.
More Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Winter Kale Salad
- Rainbow Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Roasted Cauliflower, Feta, and Lentil Salad

Pear Salad with Pomegranate and Balsamic Dressing
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 0 Min
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Category: Salad, Side Dish
Method: Fresh
Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This delicious pear salad is one of my favorite recipes for the winter season when fruit like pomegranate is at its best. It is super simple to whip up and a delicious side for any cozy winter meal.
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- Dash of sea salt
- Dash of ground black pepper
For the Salad:
- 2 small pears, sliced
- 5 oz package arugula or mixed salad greens
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1/3 cup crumbled vegan feta cheese (I used VioLife)
- 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Add all of your dressing ingredients to a jar and cover with lid. Shake well to combine.
- Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat evenly.
Notes
This salad is best served just after you prepare it, especially if you are using arugula which can wilt quickly. Luckily, it comes together in a matter of minutes so prep is simple.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 218 kcals
- Sugar: 5.5 g
- Sodium: 75 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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