This Holiday Crunch Salad is bursting with flavor! Made with quinoa, pomegranate seeds, avocado, toasted almonds, and fresh parsley, it’s a festive, healthy, vegan, gluten-free salad, perfect for the holiday table!
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. ~Alan Watts
Meet my new favorite holiday salad recipe! Holiday Crunch Salad is so festive and beautiful you’ll want to add it to your holiday menu. Made with pomegranate seeds, quinoa, sliced almonds, parsley, and avocado, tossed in a simple citrus vinaigrette, it’s light and healthy and couldn’t be any easier.
Tangy and bright, the flavors delight the palate. But the crunchy texture from the pomegranate seeds and sliced almonds is what got me hooked on it. It’s a healthy and festive side dish, perfect for midweek meals or the holiday table, full of protein and antioxidants.
Holiday Crunch Salad Ingredients
- Cooked quinoa- or sub other cooked whole grains
- Fresh pomegranate seeds (or sub-dried cranberries)
- Scallions or red onion
- Italian Parsley
- Toasted sliced almonds, or sub other nuts; pistachios, walnuts, or pecans
- Fresh avocado (optional)
- An Orange- you’ll use the zest and juice
- Olive Oil
- Red wine vinegar ( or sub apple cider vinegar)
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Spices: Cinnamon, Allspice – give this a unique flavor.
Holiday Salad Instructions.
- Cook Quinoa and let cool. Fluff with a fork.
- Place cooked quinoa, pomegranate seeds, scallions, parsley and almonds in a large serving bowl.
- Toss with olive oil, orange juice and orange zest, vinegar, salt and spices.
- Taste and adjust salt. Gently fold in the avocado right before serving (or serve the avocado on the side if wanting to keep leftovers).
Time Saving TIPS
- To save time, cook the quinoa the night before and chill in the fridge until you are ready to make the salad.
- Purchase pre-seeded pomegranate arils in the refrigerator section of your grocery store.
Serving Suggestions and Storage
The salad can be made 1 day ahead, but wait until serving to add pomegranate and avocado. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The salad can be served on its own as a festive holiday side dish or served over dressed greens (arugula, kale)for a heartier meal.
Health Benefits of Pomegranate
- Rich in Antioxidants: Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants like polyphenols, which help protect the body against oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. These antioxidants may also play a role in preventing chronic diseases, including heart disease and certain types of cancer.
- Heart Health: Pomegranates have been shown to support heart health by reducing systolic blood pressure and improving overall cardiovascular function. The high concentration of antioxidants in pomegranates can help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which plays a key role in the development of heart disease.
- Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Pomegranates are known for their anti-inflammatory effects due to their high content of antioxidants, particularly punicalagins.
- Improved Digestive Health: Pomegranates are a good source of dietary fiber, which is essential for healthy digestion and supports the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
- Enhanced Immune Function: Pomegranates are packed with vitamin C, which is well-known for its immune-boosting properties. Vitamin C helps stimulate the production of white blood cells, which are essential for fighting off infections. Including pomegranate in your diet can help strengthen your immune system and protect against various illnesses.
Faqs
Originating in Persia and the Himalayas, pomegranates became popular in Middle Eastern civilizations because they provided sustenance for long journeys across hot deserts. They eventually migrated to Russia, India and Mediterranean countries and as far east as China and Southeast Asia via the Silk Road. It was the Spanish who brought them to the Americas in the 1500s. Eventually, they migrated to California and Texas, where they were planted around missions by Franciscan monks.
Their name comes from the Latin meaning “seeded apple.” Some believe a pomegranate was the first apple, the one that caught Eve’s eye, in the book of Genesis. Throughout history, pomegranates seem to be revered – linked to health, fertility and rebirth. They were carved on the pillars of Solomon’s temple, buried in tombs with Egyptian kings and depicted in the art of Zen temples.
I hope you enjoy this salad! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
More favorite Holiday salads
And For more vegan make-ahead salad be sure to visit here!
How to cut a PomegranatE video!
Holiday Crunch Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 6-8
- Category: vegan, salad
- Method: tossed
- Cuisine: northwest
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Holiday Crunch Salad is bursting with flavor! Made with quinoa, pomegranate seeds, avocado, toasted almonds, and fresh parsley, it’s a festive, healthy, vegan, gluten-free salad, perfect for the holiday table!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa (4 cups cooked)
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 4 chopped scallions
- 1 cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 1/2 orange- zest and juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1–2 chopped avocados ( optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa with cold water to remove bitterness. Strain and place in a medium pot. Add 2 ⅔ cups water and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cover, lower to a gentle simmer, for 15 minutes. Let cool, fluff with a fork. Feel free to make this ahead and refrigerate.
- Place cooled cooked quinoa, pomegranate seeds, scallions, parsley and almonds in a medium bowl.
- Add the olive oil, orange juice and zest, vinegar, salt and spices and toss well.
- Taste and adjust salt. Gently fold in the avocado right before serving (or serve the avocado on the side, if wanting to keep leftovers).
Notes
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 287
- Sugar: 4.2 g
- Sodium: 153.1 mg
- Fat: 17.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.5 g
- Fiber: 6.3 g
- Protein: 6.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This recipe knocked my socks off! I needed to use some cooked quinoa and luckily had the other ingredients handy. I wasn’t expecting much from such a simple recipe but the flavors and texture were amazing. This is definitely going in my holiday dinner rotation!
Great!
This is so delicious, another fabulous way to enjoy pomegranate season!! (The pomegranate salmon was so amazing!).
I would definitely keep the avocado as a side, because I personally preferred the brightness of the salad without it.
This is a salad that I could eat all week for lunch, and never tire of it.
Thanks again!
Glad you enjoyed!
We really liked this one as a side to the turkey. Perfect as is, but I’m a light salter so I recommend cutting the salt in half in the dressing if you salt the cooking water for the quinoa. It’s also so pretty and the avocados add a lot.
Glad you enjoyed this one Isabelle! Good tip on the salt.
I made this salad for friends who were vegan and put baked sweet potatoes and a few cherry tomatoes for a gathering everyone loved it
Wonderful!
Excellent!
Sooooo good. Eating it now. Will make again for Christmas Eve dinner.
Wonderful!
My family love all your salads but this has to be our favourite so far – delicious! And the addition of quinoa makes for a heartier meal 😊
So happy you liked this!
Amazing!
Glad you enjoyed!