Arugula and Pear Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

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I can’t get enough of this flavor combination. This Arugula and Pear Salad with Pomegranate Dressing is absolute perfection. The textures, the flavors, the colors; it’s a beautiful salad to share with your friends and family, or to enjoy on your own. I promise, you are going to be having this one on repeat.

This healthy vegan salad has it all, it’s fresh, tart, sweet, crunchy, juicy and flavor-packed. And it’s gorgeous, so it’s the perfect addition to your next dinner party. It’s going to be a hit! Arugula and pear are an incredible bittersweet combo. Crispy chickpeas, toasted walnuts, juicy pomegranate seeds and red onions take this fall salad to the next level. And can we talk about the vibrant Pomegranate Dressing?! It brightens up the whole dish. I posted the recipe for the Pomegranate Dressing a few days ago, and though I think it’s great on a lot of salads, I think it’s especially delicious on this arugula and pear salad.

You can serve this nutritious salad as a side dish or eat it as your main meal. It has a good dose of plant-based protein (hello there, chickpeas and walnuts), healthy fats (from the walnuts and the olive oil used to make the dressing) and fiber-rich carbs. It’s hearty and wholesome and it will keep you full for hours. It’s also super easy to make, but it looks fancy and gourmet.

If you try this fall salad recipe, let us know what you think, leave a comment below or tag us on Instagram @mondaydreamsblog. We love hearing from you!

Arugula and Pear Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

Simple, fresh and flavor-packed Arugula and Pear Salad with Pomegranate Dressing. This crowd-pleasing salad is gorgeous and full of good stuff! The perfect side dish to share with your friends and family.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Servings 2 mains - 4 sides

Ingredients

SALAD:

¼ cup walnuts
⅔ cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp olive oil
6 handfuls of arugula, roughly chopped
1 medium/big pear, thinly sliced
½ cup basil, finely chopped
½ small red onion, thinly sliced*
¼ cup pomegranate seeds
Sea salt and pepper to taste

POMEGRANATE DRESSING (makes extra):

1 cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled
¼ tsp ground ginger

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 °F / 180 °C.
Place the walnuts on a baking sheet (no oil) and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Remove and let cool. Then roughly chop the walnuts.
Pat dry the chickpeas with a paper towel. Place the chickpeas on a baking sheet, add olive oil and toss with a spoon until they are evenly coated. Bake for 15 minutes, shake the pan and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool.
While the chickpeas are in the oven make the dressing. Place all the dressing ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Set aside.
To serve the salad, I like to layer all the salad ingredients (arugula, pear, basil, onion, pomegranate seeds, walnuts and baked chickpeas) in a pretty way, drizzle them with a few tablespoons of pomegranate dressing and season it with salt and pepper. Or you can place all the salad ingredients in a medium bowl, add a few tablespoons of pomegranate dressing, sea salt and pepper and gently toss to combine.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
This salad is best enjoyed right away. Dressing leftovers can be stored in a jar in the fridge for 7 – 10 days.

Video

Notes

* I don’t like the strong taste of raw onions, so I place the sliced onions in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. After ten minutes, I drain and rinse the onions with cold water. Bye-bye pungent taste, hello delicious mild flavor.

Gaby

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