Fresh, festive, and bursting with flavor, this Pomegranate Feta Salad is anything but ordinary. Peppery greens, sweet-tart pomegranate seeds, rich feta, and crunchy candied walnuts come together with a vibrant honey lemon vinaigrette for a salad that steals the spotlight.

A fresh salad with arugula, candied walnuts, pomegranate seeds, red onion slices, feta cheese crumbles, and a gold serving spoon—perfect as a vibrant side to your favorite chicken potato broccoli casserole.

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Winter Pomegranate Holiday Salad
Ingredient notes
How to make pomegranate feta salad with arugula
Time saving tip
Storage Tips
What to Serve with Pomegranate Salad
Recipe Tips & Tricks
More festive salad ideas
Recipe
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Meet the Author

Winter Pomegranate Holiday Salad

This flavorful and festive Pomegranate Salad with Arugula and Feta Cheese is the kind of recipe that makes an ideal addition to fancy holiday meals or simple weekend dinners. Peppery arugula leaves, juicy pomegranate arils, and creamy feta create a variety of textures and flavor that makes this recipe so much more than just “a salad.”

A homemade honey lemon vinaigrette and candied walnuts add a tangy touch and irresistible crunch to the sweet in-season pomegranate and sharp arugula. This recipe ranks with my Berry Feta Spinach Salad and Peach Goat Cheese Salad with Chicken as a showstopper salad that feels special enough for all your holiday celebrations yet simple enough to make for a wintry weeknight.

Ingredient notes

A flat lay of salad ingredients: a container of arugula, a bowl of pomegranate seeds, honey lemon dressing, sliced red onion, glazed walnuts, and crumbled feta cheese—perfect as a side for chicken potato broccoli casserole. Each item is clearly labeled.

Pomegranate seeds - you can use prepared large pomegranate arils for this recipe to save time
Arugula - baby spinach or spring greens mix can also be used
Feta cheese - crumbled. You can also use a soft goat cheese
Honey glazed walnuts - for a sweet and crunchy component
Red onion - thinly sliced
Lemon honey vinaigrette - make my 5-minute homemade version

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make pomegranate feta salad with arugula

Caramelized walnuts spread out on parchment paper, resting on a baking tray with a glossy coating and some caramel pooling around the nuts—perfect as a crunchy topping for your favorite chicken potato broccoli casserole.

Step 1: Make honey glazed walnuts withonly 3 ingredients.

Five small dishes on a white surface, each holding an ingredient perfect for a chicken potato broccoli casserole: lemon juice, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, and a small dish of pinkish salt.

Step 2: Prepare the dressing.

A white bowl filled with arugula leaves, topped with crumbled feta cheese and pomegranate seeds, sits beside a hearty chicken potato broccoli casserole on a light gray surface.

Step 3: Add the arugula or other salad greens to a large bowl or platter. Top the greens with pomegranate seeds and crumbled feta.

A white bowl filled with arugula, walnuts, pomegranate seeds, feta cheese, and thinly sliced red onions sits on a light surface beside a pomegranate and a striped towel—an elegant contrast to heartier dishes like chicken potato broccoli casserole.

Step 4: Add sliced red onions and honey glazed walnuts. Then drizzle with homemade dressing.

Time saving tip

If you're making this salad for the Holidays or for a party, remove seeds from a pomegranate, prepare the honey lemon dressing and honey glazed walnuts ahead of time. Once you have these 3 stpes done, assembling the salad will take less than 5 minutes!

A jar of creamy yellow salad dressing sits on a white coaster, with a gold spoon dripping dressing above it—perfect for drizzling over chicken potato broccoli casserole. A sliced lemon, whole lemon, striped towel, and leafy greens are in the background.

Storage Tips

Store salad without dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Dress right before serving.

If you have leftovers of salads with dressing, store in the fridge for up to 24 hours in an airtight container.

What to Serve with Pomegranate Salad

This salad goes great with any protein. Try it with Buffalo Chicken Thighs or Air Fried Pork Kebabs for an easy weeknight or weekend dinner.

This salad is also perfect for the Holidays! Serve it alongside my Sourdough Stuffing, Roasted Sliced Sweet Potatoes, and Ricotta Mac and Cheese.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

This salad is best served right after dressing, as the arugula wilts quickly. To make ahead, assemble the salad, place it in an airtight container or cover the bowl or platter with plastic film but don't dress it until right before serving.
Honey glazed walnuts can be swapped for raw walnuts or pecans.
Learn how to quickly remove seeds from a pomegranate
Make it a full meal by adding some protein on top, such as grilled chicken or shrimp.
Arugula canbe replaced with baby spinach or spring mix.
Goat cheese works great in place of the feta.
My Maple Blasamic Dressing will also work on this salad.
If you have good quality bottled lemon or balsamic dressing, use it if you have no time or ingredients to make your own!

A white bowl filled with arugula salad topped with walnuts, pomegranate seeds, red onion slices, and feta cheese sits beside a gold fork, a small jar of dressing, and a pomegranate—perfect as a side for chicken potato broccoli casserole.

More festive salad ideas

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