Pear Pomegranate Salad combines mixed greens, candied pecans, pears, pomegranates, dried cranberries, and feta. Top with raspberry poppy seed dressing and enjoy!
author’s note
Fresh Pear Pomegranate Salad Guests Remember!
This Pear Pomegranate Salad has become one of the most-made holiday dishes in my home. I started making it a few years ago for Thanksgiving, and now I cannot picture a holiday meal without it. It’s fresh, colorful, crunchy, sweet, and salty with the feta. The raspberry poppy seed dressing ties everything together and is honestly the part people always ask about first.
I can’t count how many times someone has asked me, “What did you put on this salad?” The candied pecans also get a ton of attention. They taste like a treat all on their own, so they make this salad feel special without any extra effort on the day you serve it.
Candied Pecans
For Pear Pomegranate Salad, make the candied pecans a day or two ahead. This lets them cool and harden, making assembly quicker on the day you serve it—great for holiday meals.
The candied pecans recipe below makes more than needed for this salad. Store leftovers in the freezer for up to 2 months or in the pantry for 2-3 weeks. Use them as a snack or a topping for Yogurt Bowls, Acai Bowls, or other salads.
Shortcuts
- Candied Pecans: Make them ahead for an easy assembly, or buy pre-candied pecans from the store.
- Pomegranate: Use pre-seeded pomegranate arils (see “quick tip” below).
- Pears: If fresh pears aren’t available, use canned pears in 100% juice and slice thinly.
- Dressing: Prepare 1-2 days in advance and store in a Mason jar in the fridge. Stir before using. If short on time, mix equal parts store-bought poppyseed dressing and raspberry dressing as a quick option.
Quick Tip
Already seeded pomegranates are typically sold in small plastic cups in the produce section of the grocery store. They can sometimes be tricky to find and are usually only sold in the US from October to February.
Let’s Talk Pears
Pears ripen after being picked and become sweeter as they do. Some, like Bartlett pears, change color from green to yellow when ripe.
To check ripeness, gently press the area around the stem. If it gives slightly, the pear is ready.
For the best texture in Pear Pomegranate Salad, use ripe pears. Crunchy, unripe pears are not ideal.
Pear Pomegranate Salad Variations
- Use dried tart cherries in place of the dried cranberries.
- Swap feta cheese for goat cheese, or simply leave out the cheese altogether.
- Swap candied pecans for honey–roasted almonds.
- Use Fuji or Honey-crisp apples in place of the pears.
- Swap the raspberry dressing for a lemon–poppy seed dressing (recipe in this Quinoa Apple Salad)
- Add some protein by tossing in some cooked and cooled quinoa or some leftover shredded chicken.
Storage
Pear Pomegranate Salad Storage
This salad doesn’t keep well after it’s made. Eat it soon after making, or the raspberry dressing will wilt the greens, the pears will brown, and the pecans will soften.
If preparing in advance, store all the parts separately and slice the pear just before putting together.
More Delicious Salad Recipes:
Pear Pomegranate Salad
Equipment
- Sheet pan (15" x 10")
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cups pecan halves 1 pound
- 6 to 8 ounces fresh spring mix 8 cups, baby lettuce and baby greens
- 1 cup pomegranate arils
- 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries or dried tart cherries
- 2 large Bartlett pears thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup feta cheese optional
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard not regular mustard
- 1/2 cup frozen raspberries completely thawed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil canola or olive oil will work
- 1-1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Instructions
For the candied pecans
- Preheat oven to 250°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, water, and vanilla until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add pecans to egg whites and stir to coat the nuts evenly. With a slotted spoon, remove the nuts and toss them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture until coated. Spread the nuts on the prepared sheet pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring and tossing every 15 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Coarsely chop about 1/2 cup for the salad.
For the salad
- Very thinly slice the pears. In a large bowl, add the spring mix, pomegranate arils, dried cranberries, pears, and feta cheese.
For the dressing
- Combine all dressing ingredients except the oil and poppy seeds in a blender or food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are well combined. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream. Blend until emulsified and smooth.
- Stir in the poppyseeds. This dressing is supposed to be pretty thick—when you toss it with the salad, it does thin out a little with the juices from the salad ingredients.
- Toss the dressing and candied pecans with the salad. Only dress and add pecans to what you will eat because leftovers don’t save well. You can store the salad, pecans, and dressing separately for delicious leftovers!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So delicious!!! Have made this many times. I like to let my pear perfectly ripen before making. And I sometimes swap out the feta for goat cheese. And dried cranberries for dried dried blueberries. If you’re hesitating, just go for it. You won’t be disappointed!
Yay! I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Tara!
Made the dressing with raspberries. Very good. When I was out of raspberries, I substituted frozen thawed fresh cranberries and added a touch extra sugar to balance the cranberry’s extra tartness. Also yummy!
Delish! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks! 🙂
How long will the dressing keep in the fridge?
4-6 days!
Served this alongside Christmas dinner and it was a hit, thank you!
I am so happy to hear that! Thanks Carla! 🙂
Delicious addition to our Christmas dinner!
So thrilled to hear that!! Thanks for the comment Suzanne! 🙂