Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Pecans

Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Pecans is an easy healthy salad perfect for any meal, but it's definitely special enough to grace your holiday table. Unexpected ingredients come together in this beautiful yet very tasty salad.

You'll ❤️ This Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad

"Feeling inspired by pomegranate and pears I came across in the store! This salad is colorful, beautiful, and delicious. There are so many ways you can customize it too! " -Kori

Fresh and Healthy

There is nothing like a fresh healthy cold salad to offset a beautiful roast and a warm side dish.

Let's face it we eat richer foods during the holidays, so having a healthy fresh salad loaded with nutrients is just the thing we need!

Easy

You'll love that there is no cooking involved! Save time with pre-shredded or sliced brussel sprouts and pomegranate seeds all ready to go from the store.

Beautiful

This really is a gorgeous salad. The combination of textures from the green brussel sprouts and kale paired with the rich red pomegranate seeds, ripe pear, and the toasted nuts just set it off perfectly!

With the greens and reds, this is festive salad that would be perfect on your holiday table.

Gluten free, Low Carb, and Keto

"The beauty of this salad is that you can customize and add or substitute ingredients to fit your dietary needs!" 🙂

With only 8.5 grams of net carbs, 24.4 grams of healthy fat, and 4.4 grams of protein this salad recipe should fit nicely into your fat, carb, and protein requirements.

The pomegranate seeds and pear slices will add to the sugar content and carbs. If this is a concern for you, you can reduce the amount used in the entire recipe OR you can do what I do and make the recipe as is then pick half of them out of my serving so someone else gets more goodies! 🙂

What You'll Need

Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• White Wine Vinegar
• Dijon Mustard
• Kosher Salad
• Ground Black Pepper

Salad

• Brussel Sprouts
• Kale
• Pecans
• Pear
• Pomegranate Seeds
• Optional: sugar substitute (with a 1:1 sugar ratio), sugar, or honey to balance acidity or tartness if needed.

Substitution and Variations

Here are some different ways you can make substitutions or customize your salad:

• Play around with different types of vinegar.
• Use all brussel sprouts and no kale if you prefer. You can also use all kale and no brussel sprouts but you will lose the texture that they provide. If you use only kale then don't soften as long. Check after 15 minutes instead of 1 hour.
• Substitute toasted walnuts or pine nuts instead of pecans.
• Substitute dried cranberries for pomegranate seeds.
• Add goat cheese or bleu cheese crumbles.
• Try some fresh herbs.
• Toss in some chives.
• Add bacon crumbles.
• Use an apple in place of the pear.
• Double or triple this recipe for a crowd. Halve the recipe if it's for only a few people.

How to Make it

Here are the step-by-step instructions for making kale and brussel sprout salad:

Make The Dijon Vinaigrette

In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper together.

Soften The Brussel Sprouts and Kale

"Time-Saver Tip: Use ready-to-go shredded brussel sprouts and pomegranate seeds from the grocery store."

Place the brussel sprouts into a large bowl and toss with half a cup of the vinaigrette and let sit for 30 minutes or until they are soft. Add the kale and let sit 15 more minutes.

Toss The Salad

Add pecans, pears, and pomegranate seeds.

Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the salad and toss right before serving.

Serve

Adjust salt and pepper if needed. If the salad is too acidic or tart for your liking you can add a little sugar (or sugar substitute) to offset this. Start with 1 tablespoon.

Transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Serve and enjoy!

How to Serve

This salad can easily be made for a weeknight dinner, but it is definitely pretty enough for Sunday supper or to grace your holiday table! Here are some main dishes and sides that would pair well with the Kale Brussel Sprout Salad:

Main Dishes

• Roast Turkey
• Prime Rib Roast
• Leg of Lamb

Side Dishes

• Crispy Brussel Sprouts in Air Fryer
• Easy Fruit Salad
• Crockpot Green Beans with Ham
• Zucchini Carrot Casserole
• Cauliflower Cheese Casserole

Top Tips

• Prep all your ingredients in advance and it will be easy to toss together the day you want to serve it.
• Sometimes you can end up with a very tart fruit or your vegetables or vinegar may be too acidic for your liking. To offset any tartness or acidity just add a little sugar, sugar substitute, or honey to the salad and it will balance the flavor. Add a little at a time and do a taste test.
• Make sure to finely slice or shred the brussel sprouts.
• Make sure you use a sweet ripe pear. We used an Anjou pear and it was perfectly ripe. In the images, we show the pear sliced, but finely sliced and then cut into bite-sized pieces will make it easier to eat.
• If you're in a hurry you can use shredded brussel sprouts or brussel sprout slaw from the store. You could also buy the pomegranate seeds already removed from the fruit!

FAQs

More Vinaigrette Salads

Want more salads with vinaigrette dressing? I think you'll enjoy these:

• Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad - another salad with fruit and nuts!
• Best Greek Salad Recipe
• Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
• Italian Antipasto Salad Recipe
• Zesty Italian Pasta Salad (with Pasta or Cauliflower)
• Watermelon Salad with Feta and Arugula