Pomegranate Salad With Spinach & Halloumi
This simple pomegranate salad is made with spinach, halloumi cheese, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing! It’s colourful, nutritious, and makes a beautiful side salad. Recipe is ready in under 30 minutes.
Those juicy, bright red pomegranates are in season and what better way to enjoy them than in a tasty and satisfying salad?! They add such a beautiful pop of colour, a burst of sweetness, and plenty of nutrition benefits to any dish.
This spinach pomegranate salad works wonderfully as a side dish at a fall or winter dinner party – it’s perfect for the holidays, too!
As a dietitian, I absolutely love adding pomegranate to salads. If you do too, you may also enjoy this Kale Salad With Sweet Potatoes, this Blood Orange Salad With Ricotta, or this Kale & Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad – all of them include pomegranate!
Ingredients needed & possible substitutions
- Spinach: I used baby spinach for this recipe, but you are welcome to change it up with another leafy green. Think something like arugula, baby kale, or a spring mix!
- Pomegranate: I used one regular-sized pomegranate, but you are welcome to also use pre-seeded pomegranate to make this salad come together really fast! You can aim for 1 cup of seeds.
- Halloumi cheese: Pan-fried halloumi was such a delicious way to switch things up, but you are welcome to use crumbled goat cheese or feta if preferred. Doing so will also cut down on cooking time.
- Pecans: You can use plain, raw pecans or even toast them if preferred! Feel free to swap with walnuts, or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free version.
- Avocado: One medium sized avocado is cut into chunks and added for extra creaminess.
- Cucumber: You may use either half a long English cucumber OR 2 Persian cucumbers.
- Olive oil: Used for the homemade balsamic vinaigrette, along with the rest of the ingredients below.
- Balsamic vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Garlic powder: I love the way garlic powder dissolves in the dressing, but you are welcome to use 2 freshly minced garlic cloves instead.
- Honey: Feel free to swap with maple syrup, if needed.
Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Visual guide: how to remove pomegranate seeds
While there are many ways of getting pomegranate seeds out of the fruit, my favourite way to do so is in a salad spinner filled with cold water. It helps prevent making a big, red mess (!!) and you can easily clean any white fleshy bits off the seeds.
To do so, slice a pomegranate into quarters. Place quartered pomegranate in a salad spinner filled with cold water. Break quarters in half, and remove seeds into the colander.
Repeat until all seeds are removed. Pull the basket out of the salad spinner to drain the water. Your pomegranate seeds are ready to use!
Visual guide: how to cook halloumi
If using halloumi for this recipe, start by slicing up the block of cheese in roughly 1/4-inch strips.
Heat a pan over medium. When hot, place halloumi strips DIRECTLY to the pan (no need to add oil). Cook about 2 minutes per side, until nicely browned.
Nutrition benefits of this pomegranate salad
- Pomegranates are high in dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, and folate! They’re also a good source of other micronutrients, like potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
- Spinach is rich in phytonutrients and micronutrients, like vitamin A, C, K, folate, and calcium.
- Halloumi cheese is rich in protein and calcium.
- Avocados are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and dietary fiber. They’re also a good source of vitamin C, B6, E, K, folate, magnesium, and potassium.
- Cucumbers are 96% water and super hydrating! In addition, they’re a good source of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin K and C.
- Pecans are a source of dietary fiber, healthy fats, and vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, and zinc.
More delicious winter salad recipes
- Roasted Pear Salad With Arugula & Gorgonzola
- Potato & Green Bean Salad With Maple Dijon
- Warm Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad
- Sweet Potato Salad With Smokey Tahini Dressing
- Simple Kale Apple Walnut Salad
Did you give this Spinach Pomegranate Salad Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
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Get the Recipe: Pomegranate Salad With Spinach & Halloumi
Ingredients
- 1 whole pomegranate (or 1 cup of pomegranate seeds)
- 1/2 a long English cucumber (or 2 Persian cucumbers)
- 1 medium-large avocado
- 1 block halloumi cheese (roughly 200g or 7 ounces)
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup pecans
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 a lemon, juice only
- 1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced)
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
- PREP: Remove seeds from pomegranate. For less mess, I like doing this in a salad spinner filled with cold water – please see blog post above or recipe video if you need a visual! Slice cucumber into small pieces and cube avocado.
- MAKE DRESSING: Make balsamic vinaigrette by adding all dressing ingredients into a small bowl or jar with a lid. Whisk or shake vigorously to combine.
- COOK HALLOUMI: Slice block of halloumi cheese into roughly 1/4-inch strips. Heat a pan over medium. When hot, place halloumi strips DIRECTLY to the pan (no need to add oil). Cook about 2 minutes per side, until nicely browned but not burnt. Remove halloumi from pan, and cut into smaller pieces.
- MAKE SALAD: To a large salad bowl, add spinach, chopped cucumber, avocado chunks, pecans, pomegranate seeds, and pieces of fried halloumi.
- ADD DRESSING: Pour balsamic dressing on top and toss to combine, adding salt and pepper as needed. Serve + enjoy!
Notes
- While this salad is best enjoyed fresh, leftovers will keep for a day in the fridge before getting too soggy.
- If you want to make this ahead of time, you may prep some of the ingredients in advance:
- Make dressing and storing it in an airtight container or jar in the fridge.
- Remove seeds from pomegranate and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- You may also chop the cucumber and fry the halloumi, storing those in separate containers in the fridge.
- When ready to serve, combine all prepped ingredients along with spinach, pecans, and freshly cubed avocado.
- Baby spinach can be swapped for a similar leafy green, like arugula, baby kale, or a spring mix!
- Pecans can be swapped with walnuts, or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free version.
- You may swap halloumi with crumbled goat cheese or feta if preferred. Doing so will also cut down on cooking time.
- For a vegan version, you can use a dairy-free alternative one of the cheeses listed above. The honey in the dressing can be swapped for maple syrup.
- If you want to add more bulk to this salad, feel free to add in a grain like cooked quinoa, farro, or couscous!
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
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2 Comments on “Pomegranate Salad With Spinach & Halloumi”
Halloumi!! I learned something today. I go shopping tomorrow and that’s been added to my list
It is such a delicious cheese!! Pan-fried and so warm and yummy. I hope you enjoy it, Alicia 🙂