Winter Chopped Super Salad Recipe with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Photo by Paul Markert Photography

Pomegranate seeds give this winter salad a nutritious kick.

Serves 6 SERVINGS

Directions

• Bring 2 cups water and quinoa to a boil. Cover and turn reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes, then stir. Quinoa should be firm but cooked through. When done, the grain turns slightly transparent, and the curly, stringlike germ will have separated from the seed. Drain well, and set aside to cool.
• Cut pomegranate open at the crown, put into a large colander, and immerse colander into deep tub of cool water. With both hands, break pomegranate into 2 pieces, and gently pull seeds apart from white membrane and skin by tickling the little red seed ‘arils’ out of the white membranes. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the colander, and the excess skin and membrane will float to the top of the water. When finished seeding pomegranate, push aside anything on top of the water, and pull the colander out of the water. Set aside to drain. Sort through and clean up any white skin. These seeds can be put into a small covered container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• Wash, thoroughly dry and cut chiffonade into bite-sized pieces the spinach, kale (removed from center rib), and baby bok choy.
• Assemble salad: Place all salad ingredients into a large, glass mixing bowl. Drizzle with Pomegranate Vinaigrette (recipe follows), and serve immediately.

  Pomegranate Vinaigrette Recipe

  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice (from 1 medium pomegranate)• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar• 2 tablespoons honey• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard• 1 teaspoon sea salt• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper• 1/2 cup pumpkin seed oil (or olive oil)
• Cut pomegranate in half, and juice it with a large citrus juicer.
• Place balsamic vinegar, pomegranate juice, honey, mustard, salt and pepper into a small blender and blend. Pour into a bowl. Slowly whisk in pumpkin seed oil (or olive oil) until emulsified.
• Pour into a glass jar, cover and keep cool until ready to assemble salad.Learn more about nutritious seeds in How to Be a Seed Eater.

This recipe from Salad Days by Pam Powell makes an especially attractive accompaniment to dinner. Heart-healthy pomegranates, first grown in northern Iran or Turkey between 4,000 BC and 3,000 BC, are believed to be the earliest cultivated fruit.

Featured seeds: pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), flaxseeds, pumpkin seed oil

Winter Chopped Super Salad Recipe