Fall

Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

by:
November 12, 2009
4.7
15 Ratings
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

Sweet, salty, tart, crunchy and spicy, this salad has perfect flavor and texture balance. The inspiration was pomegranate molasses, which I learned about when I worked on a Persian food class. I like how the molasses takes the acidic edge off the vinaigrette but it is still tangy and delicious.
brigidc

Test Kitchen Notes

Although this salad has lots of different ingredients, it's somehow not overly busy or complicated. We love how the fragrance and sweetness of the pomegranate molasses mollify the tartness of the sherry vinegar in the dressing, and how the shallots lightly pickle in the vinaigrette as you make the rest of the salad. Mellow pears, salty goat cheese, crunchy pomegranate seeds and toasted pistachios ensure that every bite contains a great mix of flavors and textures. Brigidc has carefully mapped out every step, and the result is a balanced autumn salad that can stand alone or work as part of a meal. - A&M —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Vinaigrette
  • 1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tablespoons sherry or apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepepr
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • For the salad
  • 4 cups arugula, lightly packed
  • 4 cups romaine, torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 ripe pears, cored and cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 3 ounces fresh goat cheese or feta, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
Directions
  1. In a small bowl combine the shallot, pomegranate molasses, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until the salt is dissolved.
  2. Whisk in the olive oil and let vinaigrette stand at room temperature until salad is assembled.
  3. Combine the arugula, romaine, pears and half of the pomegranate seeds in a large bowl.
  4. Crumble half of the goat cheese over the ingredients in the bowl (this works best if the cheese is very cold).
  5. Whisk the vinaigrette until uniform and add all but 2 tablespoons of it to the bowl.
  6. Gently toss the salad with your hands or salad tongs, coating the ingredients well with the vinaigrette. If the salad seems dry, add the vinaigrette in small increments until it is dressed to your liking.
  7. Crumble the remaining cheese over the salad and sprinkle the remaining pomegranate seeds and the pistachios over the top. Serve immediately.
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Relish
    Relish
  • Leslie Vasquez
    Leslie Vasquez
  • lora789
    lora789
  • Lindsay Christians
    Lindsay Christians
  • linda
    linda

70 Reviews

Odegaard December 26, 2023
This was beautiful and delicious. I'd forgotten to purchase the pomegranate molasses, but substituted equal amounts balsamic vinegar and it was still gobbled up at Christmas.
 
brushjl March 16, 2022
Great recipe. I skipped the dressing, I have plenty on hand. I added roasted baby artichoke and we had a wonderful salad.
 
N V. December 21, 2021
This is a wonderful fresh salad that pairs well with rich meats or stews. It is a repeat winner in our house.
 
Relish September 29, 2019
Wonderful salad. Next time I’ll decrease the olive oil a bit. I didn’t have shallots so added some thinly sliced red onion. Really good and pretty.
 
karenheff March 12, 2024
oooh! I just made that salad the other day, delicious! I'l try this dressing next time. Thanks!
 
Kerry G. March 14, 2018
I love this dressing. I used it to dress the date, feta, and red cabbage salad on the smitten kitchen website (and added arugula to that salad because I love arugula!)
 
karenheff March 12, 2024
oooh! I just made that salad the other day, delicious! I'l try this dressing next time. Thanks!
 
Joeyman9 December 17, 2015
We had a "test drive" last evening evening, in prep for Christmas dinner. Most ,excellent... The dressing is a keeper, the salad ingredients work really well together and the dressing makes this salad sing. Thank you for sharing a winner!
 
Leslie V. December 14, 2015
Had this last night and it was amazing! Absolutely will make it for a holiday dinner!
 
lora789 March 23, 2015
Great spinach salad http://lightfeeding.com/recipe/good-tasty-salad-everything-need/
 
Lindsay C. February 23, 2015
Nice combination of sweet, crunchy and tart, with a little zip from the arugula. Made a big double-batch of this salad yesterday for a wine tasting and an Oscar party, and it was a hit at both (I kept most of the elements separate until I dressed it and served it).

I substituted tart cherry juice, reduced on the stove with a pinch of sugar and lemon, for the pomegranate molasses. It takes an age -- I think mine took two hours -- but it was easy and tasted great (and since I already had it, it saved me an extra $10 purchase).
 
Winston December 22, 2014
This was a HUGE hit last night at our annual Cookie Swap….The colors for Christmas were perfect and the flavor !!! Just perfect…I are my own pomegranate molasses from a reductions of juice with sugar and lemon…I will make again and again !!
 
koc October 14, 2014
Delicious! Also comes together quickly if you're using store-bought or pre-made molasses. Like others I made the pomegranate molasses from scratch (a reduction of pomegranate juice, sugar and fresh lemon juice-googled a recipe for it). Used crumbled aged cheddar in place of feta or goat cheese. I'll be making this often, thanks!
 
lpaulk January 5, 2022
Accidentally clicked on "flag inapprpriate" and can't unblock, so sorry!
 
lpaulk January 5, 2022
Meant "unclick"!
 
skenny89 August 25, 2014
I made this salad for Christmas and even though I couldn't find Pomegranate Molasses and was up last minute making it at 3am the night before ( it's actually pretty simple just a juice and sugar reduction just takes time like any reduction) The flavor was totally worth. I killed myself cooking but all anybody could talk about the next day was this salad. even if you never use salad recipes, made this. you'll be dying to make it again.
 
chrisi May 9, 2014
This looks delicious, but where do you get pomegranate molasses?
 
allison April 6, 2015
Whole Foods Market
 
AJ January 30, 2014
Mucho Gracias as to where/how to produce Pom Molasses...
 
linda January 30, 2014
This is AWESOME! Made it for the first time for Christmas dinner and it was a huge success and so pretty with all the different colors. It's not a staple in my house. I made the dressing from scratch (googled a recipe for homemade molasses) but now I've found a decent pomegranate pre-made vinegrette at the grocery that I like as well so we eat it even more often!
 
linda January 30, 2014
I should say it is NOW a staple (didn't mean to say not a staple)
 
Kathy R. January 24, 2014
A Middle Eastern market is the best place to find pomegranate molasses. Failing that, just boil down pom juice until it is thickened.
 
AJ January 24, 2014
Luv your Salad site.....but where do you get pom molasses????
 
jodee M. September 2, 2013
where would one buy pomegrante molasses? whole foods and a local grocer didn't have it. Can i make it by mixing pomegrante juice and molasses?
 
Texas S. September 2, 2013
spicehouse.com carries it. They even have a few recipes online using it. I'm not a shill for them, but I am a longtime loyal customer.
http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/pomegranate-molasses
 
Texas S. August 2, 2013
I had a wonderful salad the other night at Nieto's restaurant in the suburbs of Chicago, made with citrus, arugula, hazelnuts and a raspberry vinaigrette, which I don't like. Another salad had a pomegranate molasses vinaigrette I thought would work and they kindly substituted it for me. Tonight I made a salad of red-tinged Boston lettuce and thin slices of black plums, toasted hazelnuts and this version of pomegranate molasses vinaigrette. Oh, so yumm. It's going into regular rotation here - thank you so much for sharing it. And come the fall, we will do the pear salad as written.
 
ChelleT March 13, 2013
I know that this is a contest winner and that pretty much every comment raves about it, but my boyfriend and I did not like it at all. We tried the pom molasses before making the dressing and were already not excited about the taste, but we pressed on because of the rave reviews. If you don't like pomegranate molasses you will not like this recipe. It tasted too syrupy sweet, almost like cough syrup. Maybe it was just a bad molasses that we used, because the whole thing sounds great. Sorry to be the one negative review in the bunch.
 
Ceege March 7, 2013
Gosh, I am at a loss. Where do you find pomegranate seeds. Do I need to buy a fresh pomegranate or can you buy a jar of the seeds? I have never used one before and so not sure what to do. If I need a fresh one for the seeds, then what do I do with the rest of the fruit? Thanks for your help.
 
brigidc March 10, 2013
pomegranates are probably out of season by now--they usually start around November and you'll see them in stores until around the end of January. Some places sell the seeds in the refrigerated section of the produce dept.--like where you find all the cut-up fruit--in little clear plastic clamshell containers. I live in Idaho, and I've never seen the seeds-only product in my grocery store, but a whole pomegranate is a wonderful thing! Kind of messy, but once you break it open and take the seeds out, you'll find lots of uses for them, especially just eating as a pick-me-up snack.
 
Eileen B. January 6, 2013
How do you make the Pom molasses?
 
Eileen B. January 6, 2013
How do you make Pom molasses?
 
ABarry December 18, 2012
A friend of mine made this recently, and I was so impressed! The dressing itself is fabulous. He omitted the pistachios, but I think it could be just as wonderful with toasted hazelnuts or walnuts -- definitely adding this to my go-to list for salads.
 
shiiba December 18, 2012
Amazing recipe -- I've made it at least 4 times now. It's always the hit dish at a dinner party. Whole Foods sells pomegranate molasses -- it's a unique item, but really makes the dressing delicious.
 
CarlaCooks December 15, 2012
I made this salad last night for a dinner party and it was FANTASTIC!!! I love, love, love the dressing. And I totally agree with other commenters that it is a beautiful looking salad. My pears weren't ripe, so I substituted 1 green apple, and I only used arugula. Thank you so much for a great recipe!
 
Laura A. November 27, 2012
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a HUGE hit, not to mention easy to make and gorgeous on the table. I will definitely make this a go-to salad for special occasions and parties. Thanks!
 
rlouisecull October 15, 2012
This salad is beautiful and delicious! I followed the course of other commenters when I couldn't find pomegranate molasses and just reduced pomegranate juice. I'm definitely adding this recipe to my quiver for when I'm asked to bring the salad to a party.
 
rrcooks May 9, 2012
Such a great combination of tastes and textures - the pistachios are definitely worth the time and effort. Delicious - thank you!
 
lynda123 February 15, 2012
I made this for Valentine's...it is a beautiful salad, wonderful mix of flavours and color. I served it with the Salmon in papillotte and red peppercorns and the Snakebite cake, both from this site. Thank you Brigide and Food52 for a great meal!
 
angelink05 February 14, 2012
Hi friends
If you want to know more about salad then visit
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It has everything you would ever want and need about salads.It has a vast amount of information including recipes , nutritional facts and history

 
enbe January 30, 2012
Tried reducing 4 tbsp to 1 like foodiebiztraveler suggested and probably let it go too long (got 1/2 a tbsp). Added some more unreduced juice and the salad was really delicious. Perfect mix of bright fruit flavors and savory dressing.
 
Crispy January 27, 2012
Delicious salad! I bought what looked like an old pomegranate thinking I might be disappointed but it was perfectly ripe and the seeds tender. I used a mix of super greens and romaine and it was so good I made it again a couple of days later!
 
LilRhodyisCookin' January 24, 2012
Served this as a much needed greenery on the Thanksgiving table. It was a huge hit. Couldn't locate pomegranate molasses, reduced down regular pomegranate juice--tangy and delicious! I've made the dressing on multiple occasions since they shallots basically pickle in the pom. reduction, and who doesn't love a pickled onion in any form?
 
foodiebiztraveler January 10, 2012
Anyone have a time-saving tip for the roasted, chopped pistachios? I de-shelled them, chopped them and then roasted in a dry sauté pan...a LOT of work for a garnish, albeit tasty. Can one BUY chopped, roasted pistachios? Do they NEED to be roasted?

This salad IS delicious - probably the best I've ever made - but SO MUCH WORK!
 
csemsack November 14, 2019
Yes you can buy unshelled pistachios at your local grocer.
 
Kathy R. January 10, 2012
This is so good! I've made it twice in the past month. You can buy pomegranate molasses at a Middle Eastern grocery store.
 
DJ C. December 28, 2011
can anyone tell me where to find the pom molasses recipe? thanks
 
foodiebiztraveler January 10, 2012
I bought a bottle of POM 100% pomegranate juice. I measured about 4 Tbsp. of the juice from the bottle and reduced in a saucepan to 1 Tbsp. of "pomegranate reduction"/molasses and used that in the dressing. Delicious!
 
LiquidSmoke November 27, 2011
I made this salad a couple weeks ago as part of my mom's birthday dinner. She has digestive issues and doesn't like salad dressings that are too acidic. I'm happy to say she (and everyone else at her dinner) loved this salad.

This recipe is a keeper.
 
Alamobecky November 27, 2011
I was a rock star at our Thanksgiving table with this salad. Made pomegranate molasses using Alton's method
 
ladylinks November 28, 2011
Ditto!! Loved that Alton Brown had such a foolproof pomegranate molasses recipe to go along with this deliciousness. My family was so happy to have such a refreshing salad to go along with our Thanksgiving meal.
 
DJ C. December 28, 2011
I'm new here ... can someone tell me specifically where to find the pomegranate molasses recipe? I want to try this salad soon. thanks
 
em-i-lis November 24, 2011
Wonderful! We just enjoyed this with our Thanksgiving meal and thought it was a great addition.
 
sayatexplores November 20, 2011
This salad looks fantastic. You've extended some classic combinations into a complex mosaic of flavors. It all comes very well together.
 
ChristineB November 7, 2011
Delicious!! It was a huge hit at a dinner party I hosted a couple nights ago, served along side thick, bone-in pork chops and these Crispy Cream-braised Potatoes and Fennel http://www.food52.com/recipes/14606_crispy_creambraised_potatoes_and_fennel YUM!!
 
Ordinary B. March 5, 2011
I have developed a goat cheese obsession lately, and this salad looks wonderful. I've added it to the menu plan for this week. Now I just have to see if I can find pomegranate molasses...
 
HouseHusband February 25, 2011
I love it! Hate harvesting the pom seeds, but they're always worth it. I break the pomegranate apart into a bowl of water and the pith float to the top. Makes life that much easier! Thanks and congrats!
 
melissav January 24, 2010
I finally made this and wish I hadn't waited until the end of pomegranate season to try it. This is a really beautiful salad! Thank you for the recipe.
 
emilyl220 November 26, 2009
I made this last night for our pre-Thanksgiving dinner. It was a HUGE hit! Congratulations on a well-deserved dish! (PS - thanks to those who responded about Pomegranate Molasses...I found a recipe to make it by hand!)
 
Mardi M. November 25, 2009
Congrats - this looks like a wonderful dish I will have to try soon!
 
Maria T. November 25, 2009
Congratulations, well deserved, great recipe.
 
Jennifer A. November 25, 2009
Congratulations!
 
Trendy K. November 24, 2009
If you really can't find pomegranate molasses, you can probably reduce sweetened pomegranate juice. Yes?
 
maryvelasquez November 25, 2009
I have pomegranate molasses on hand, but I opt for fresh juice if I can get it. I don't always reduce it. Certainly the consistency is different, but the flavor is great.
 
lenny November 23, 2009
I love this salad with Ricotta Salada!
 
lenny November 23, 2009
Oops, Ricotta Salata!
 
SunnySideUp (. November 21, 2009
this looks and sounds delicious!
 
pauljoseph November 19, 2009
The Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette gets my vote!
congratulation.
 
emilyl220 November 19, 2009
This looks delicious. Thanks for sharing! I'd love to make this for Thanksgiving, but where would I find pomegranate molasses? If I can't find it, does anyone have a suggestion for a comparable substitute?
 
Kelsey B. November 13, 2009
I love the idea of pears, pomegranates and pistachios - yummy!
 
biceinparadise November 13, 2009
Great flavor combinations and a reflection of the season's beauty! Goat milk feta would be perfect with this....
1 vote here