With all of the heavy dishes that come with the holidays, I always look to include a delicious salad to lighten things up. This year, I am skipping my traditional lettuce salad and going with a kale pomegranate salad instead.

This salad looks absolutely stunning with the mix of vibrant green, bright orange and ruby red. I love using pomegranate arils in my salads and they great with the tangy dressing and tart oranges also included in the salad. You could toss in some pistachios if you want a little added crunch but I kept this one nut free. Or toss in some crumbled blue cheese for added flavor.

Ingredients for Kale Pomegranate Salad:

3 cups kale, washed and torn
1 orange, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
1/4 cup roasted chickpeas
Dressing:
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Let’s Make It:

1. In a large bowl, toss together kale, orange slices and pomegranate arils.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, honey and olive oil. Drizzle over salad just before serving. Top with roasted chickpeas.

You can make the dressing for this salad ahead of time. Just be sure to give it a good shake or whisk it again before adding to the salad to make sure that all the ingredients are still well combined.

I am excited to serve this salad for Thanksgiving. I am hoping it will get some of the doubter in my house to love kale as much as do! If not, we can always go back to a spinach salad for Christmas.

What are some of your favorite lighter holiday side dishes? Do you try to make sure you offer plenty of green vegetables along with mashed potatoes and heavier items?

Essential Items for This Recipe:

Salad Bowl // Salad Serving Set // Small Mixing Bowl // Whisk