Winter Salad with Sage Vinaigrette

A winter salad that will leave you speechless! Crunchy romaine lettuce or baby spinach, juicy orange slices, toasted pecans, sweet pomegranate seeds and delicious gorgonzola. All topped with an amazing sage vinaigrette.

The more ingredients that compliment each other the better a salad tastes. Ever wondered why fancy restaurants have the most amazing salads? It’s because they add at least 3-4 different textures and flavors to a salad.

Here we have crunchy and juicy and hard and soft and light and strong and fresh and warm all the same time. An explosion for the taste spuds.

I call this a ‘winter’ salad because I created it in winter and but honestly, a winter salad with pomegranate tastes amazing all year round.

What to serve winter salad with

You can either enjoy this as main dish with some delicious homemade artisan bread OR you can serve as a side dish to a simple protein such as oven baked salmon fillet or chicken breast, or a sophisticated main such as Roast Lamb Shoulder.

We’ve eaten it as main with bread as a couple. It’s a serving for 2 people if served as main dish.

And, we’ve eaten as side dish for a barbecue with friends. In this case it serves 4 people because the heavy part of the meal is obviously the grilled good.

Winter salad with pomegranate

Pomegranates are in season from October through February and they are an amazing flavor enhancer in salads and other dishes.

They are weird to chew when eaten on their own but complement salads amazingly when mixed under into super fresh and crunchy salad leaves.

The hard seeds don’t feel weird anymore, they just feel like you’re having and extra crunchy leafy salad. BUT, once the crunch gives in, the sweetness of the seeds rushes out onto your tongue. It’s such a pleasure to chew on them.

Ok, now I’m writing really weird things about food. Can you tell I LOVE FOOD?!?!

Winter Salad with Sage Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

Servings: 4 people

A winter salad that will leave you speechless! Crunchy romaine lettuce, juicy orange slices, toasted pecans, sweet pomegranate seeds and delicious gorgonzola. All topped with an amazing sage vinaigrette.

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Ingredients

• 1 head romaine lettuce or 3 large hands full of baby spinach
• 3 medium oranges
• 2-3 small pomegranates
• 1 hand full pecans
• 3.5-5 oz Gorgonzola (100-150g, or any other blue cheese)
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 large sage leaves

Instructions

• Thinly slice romaine lettuce, wash and dry in a salad spinner. (If you don't have a salad spinner, spread out over a kitchen towel, cover with another kitchen towel and pat dry. If the lettuce is too wet, the water dilutes the dressing). Add to a big salad bowl.
• Cut off the peel of the oranges and cut into wheels. (Peeling won't be as good because it leaves the bitter white skin on the orange). Add to salad bowl.
• Take out pomegranate seeds. Add to salad bowl.
• Heat a dry pan over medium heat.
• Chop pecans and toast in pan by moving around every once in a while to avoid burning. Add to salad bowl.
• Break Gorgonzola into crumbs and add to salad bowl.
• In a mason jar or any other sealable container add mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and super finely chopped sage leaves, seal and shake until very well combined.
• Add vinaigrette to salad just before serving and mix well.

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 401mg | Potassium: 450mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 13865IU | Vitamin C: 6.9mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 1.9mg

Have you tried this recipe?Take a picture and tag @greenhealthycooking Can't wait to see your version!