This style of salad is often served on Thanksgiving since pears, persimmons, and pomegranates are at their seasonal peak. This simple, fresh salad adds some needed balance to the typical holiday table, full of more prepared and cooked dishes.
Thanksgiving Salad
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 to 6 (makes about 1 cup dressing) 1x
Ingredients
- Salad:
- 8 cups spinach leaves (loosely packed)
- 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1 Asian pear (or other firm pear), thinly sliced
- 1 ripe fuyu persimmon, thinly sliced
- seeds from half to 1 pomegranate
- ½ cup pecan halves
- 1 medium, ripe avocado, sliced (optional)
- Ginger-Pear Dressing:
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup peeled and chopped pear
- 2 green onions (green parts only)
- ¼- to ½-inch piece fresh ginger (peeled)
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the spinach, pat it dry with paper towels, and place half into a salad bowl along with half the cabbage.
- Place half of the pear, persimmon, pomegranate seeds, pecans, and avocado (if using) on top of the spinach and cabbage.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2, to create a second layer.
- Blend the dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth (it will have a slightly frothy consistency due to the pear). Serve the dressing on the side.
Notes
Variations: This type of salad lends itself well to variation in the following ways:
Cooked red or golden beets pair well with spinach.
Walnuts, slivered almonds or pumpkin seeds make fine substitutes for the pecans.
Finely chopped Brussels sprouts or broccoli are nice additions.
Arugula leaves, green or red onion slices, tomato, and/or cucumber would also work.
Cooked cubes of winter squash would be great.
Try golden raisins, dried cherries, or tangerine segments instead of pomegranates.
Any type of lettuce or packaged greens will work instead of spinach.
Dressing: This is a fun dressing that reminds me of a margarita drink, with its sweet but zesty flavor. But feel free to use your favorite dressing with this salad, or use a good quality balsamic vinegar if you want to keep it really simple, or lemon or lime juice.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: One-sixth of recipe (266g)
- Calories: 213
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 40g
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 9g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 0g
Oh my gosh! I really love this autumn salad: it is so beatiful! I bet it tastes really amazing! Plus, it's healthy: there's a bunch of healthy fats, vitamins, and fiber; moreover, it's vegan. I like it, because now we try to live a cruelty-free lifestyle.
Thank you very much for sharing this recipe, Cathy! I'm in constant search of healthy recipes, so I'm happy I came across your blog. It's a real catch for me and all the people who try to keep up healthy eating habits.
Thanks so much, Anna! 😉