Pear Pomegranate Salad combines mixed greens, candied pecans, pears, pomegranates, dried cranberries, and feta. Top with raspberry poppy seed dressing and enjoy!

A bowl of pear salad packed full with fresh and healthy ingredients, with dressing drizzled over it.

Pear Pomegranate Salad

Over the past few years, this salad has become a holiday favorite in my home—I can’t imagine Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without it!

Though it’s perfect for special occasions, this show-stopping salad complements a big holiday ham or turkey beautifully.

I’ve never served this salad without someone asking about those candied pecans and the amazing dressing! Made with real raspberries, the dressing truly steals the show on this Pear Pomegranate Salad.

Pecans being candied to perfection for adding a delicious crunch to the dish.

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.

Pear salad recipe displayed in compartments, with each ingredient neatly arranged in its own spot.

Pear Pomegranate Salad 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.

Dressing being poured over the pomegranates, ready to be mixed in with the rest of the ingredients.

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.

The delicious pear salad featuring sliced pears and dried cherries with dressing drizzled over them.

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 honeyroasted almonds.
  • Use Fuji or Honey-crisp apples in place of the pears.
  • Swap the raspberry dressing for a lemonpoppy seed dressing (recipe in this Quinoa Apple Salad)
  • Add some protein by tossing in some cooked and cooled quinoa or some leftover shredded chicken.
A salad using pears, about to be tossed and served, making it a delicious and healthy side dish.

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 Salad Recipes

4.94 from 16 votes

Pear Pomegranate Salad

This seasonal Pear Salad starts with mixed greens tossed with candied pecans, fresh Bartlett pears, pomegranate arils, sweetened dried cranberries, and feta cheese. Drizzle the delicious raspberry poppy seed dressing (made with real raspberries) over this salad and enjoy!
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 -8 as a side salad

Ingredients  

Candied Pecans — See Note 1

  • 1 large egg white
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 cups (1 pound) pecan halves

Salad

  • 1 bag (6-8 ounces or about 8 cups; 180g) fresh spring mix (baby lettuce & baby greens)
  • 1 cup (177g) pomegranate arils
  • 3/4 cup (99g) dried sweetened cranberries or dried tart cherries
  • 2 large Bartlett pears thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup (49g) feta cheese optional

Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons (43g) red wine vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (do not use regular mustard)
  • 1/2 cup (70g) frozen raspberries completely thawed
  • 1/2 cup (104g) vegetable oil (canola or olive oil will work)
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Instructions 

For the candied pecans

  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, water, and vanilla until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together white 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 out on the prepared baking sheet.
  • 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 of the ingredients except for the oil and poppy seeds in a blender or food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are well combined. Slowly add in 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

Note 1: This recipe for candied pecans will yield more than you need for Pear Salad. Sugaring the pecans works best with this volume; leftovers store nicely! Store leftover candied pecans in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months or in the pantry for 2-3 weeks. 
Note 2: Nutritional profile does not include the candied pecans, as that can vary based on how much you add.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 571kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 654mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 78g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hi there! Iโ€™m Chelseaโ€“the recipe developer, photographer, writer, and taste tester behind Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron (although my little ones help me out quite a bit with the taste testing part!). I LOVE getting creative in the kitchen and then posting my creations here for you to enjoy.

Thanks again for stopping by!

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4.94 from 16 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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27 Comments

  1. Gaye hunter says:

    Can you use fresh raspberries instead of frozen? Thanks

    1. Gaye hunter says:

      Sorry just saw previous response regarding raspberries! Thank you will try!

  2. Amy says:

    5 stars
    I love the addition of the pomegranates and the candied pecans. YUM!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Thanks Amy! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Theresa Berg says:

    5 stars
    Also how many servings is this recipe?

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      6-8 as a side. Enjoy!

  4. Theresa Berg says:

    Can you make the candied pecans ahead of time? Just trying to save time on Christmas Day!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Yes definitely! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Bibi says:

    Is there a reason for using frozen and thawed raspberries? Is using fresh raspberries okay?

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Fresh is fine too! ๐Ÿ™‚ Usually in the winter I’ll use frozen because they are (typically; at least where I’m at) sweeter than fresh.

  6. Charnelle Diefenbacher says:

    Is there a substitute that coulf be used for red wine vinegar?

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Yes! I’d use white wine vinegar in it’s place ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Jen says:

    I wonโ€™t have time to make the dressing. Is there something you can recommend a dressing that I can buy instead.

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      If you are able to make it ahead of time (it keeps for a week) this really is the star of the salad!

  8. Chris says:

    To make this a complete meal what meat or fish could I add

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Grilled chicken breasts would be delicious with this salad!

  9. Patricia Pines says:

    5 stars
    The salad was a hit at my work Turkey Day lunch! Everyone went “nuts” over the candied pecans and the salad bowl is empty. I will be making it for a Sunday lunch and for next Thursday. Hope to post a pic before they devour those salad.
    Thanks for a great recipe! Best, Patricia

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Haha! I’m so thrilled to hear this was a hit ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you so much for the comment Patricia!

  10. Romas David says:

    5 stars
    You are doing great work. I love reading your blogs and articles, I am a die-hard follower of your work. Thanks for giving so much knowledge to the readers through your inspiring words.