Recipe: Pomegranate Salad

Photo by Asia Bradlee

It’s time to show pomegranates some love. Not only are the fruits in season, their colorful seeds are also high in antioxidants, adding an extra dose of nutrients to your winter menus.

For this pomegranate salad, we opted for homemade whole-grain mustard dressing over store-bought, but you can accent it with any dressing of your choice. Dijon and honey mustard would add great flavor profiles to the dish, and adding chicken or another lean protein is a great way to make it a bit heartier.

Ingredients
Serves 2

4 cups arugula
1/2 cup brown rice
1 pomegranate
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 pear
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbs whole-grain mustard
2 Tbs lemon juice

Directions

Start by combining the brown rice and 1 cup of water in a pan; bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let the rice simmer until all of the water is absorbed.

Cut the pomegranate in half. Fill a large bowl with water, submerge the pomegranate in the water, and pick out the seeds. By removing seeds in the water, excess pulp will float to the top and the seeds will sink, making it easy to separate. Once the seeds are removed, slice the pear lengthwise, or dice if you prefer. Set the fruit aside.

Make the dressing by combining the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, mustard, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.

Split the arugula between two plates. On each plate, place half the pears, pomegranate seeds, brown rice, pumpkin seeds, and meat, if you chose to include it. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing.