Crunchy Apple-Pear Salad with Pomegranate, Pine Nuts & Yogurt
by Aimee
My garden has been dormant for only a few weeks yet I already miss the crunchy, sweet carrots, bundles of kale and bouquets of fragrant herbs.
Salad planning has to much more intentional now that winter is here, and I have to load up on even more vegetables on market days if I want to have fresh salads throughout the week.
Last week, when I was all out of leafy greens, I found inspiration in a case of jumbled assorted apples and pears that we had in our cold room. I know I’m forever adding apples to salads around here, but this one is extra special, believe me.
Together with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, a drizzle of maple syrup and a dollop of yogourt, the apples and pears became a delightfully crunchy and refreshing salad.
When it is all mixed up on the plate, with the yogourt coating the fruit and pine nuts scattered throughout, this Crunchy Apple-Pear Salad with Pomegranate, Pine Nuts & Yogurt is reminiscent of a classic Waldorf. But while the Waldorf was never much of a looker, this salad is sure to stun on the holiday table.
If there ever was a Christmas morning salad, this is it. Now I know many of you are all about your sticky buns and monkey bread on the 25th, and I am right there with you (only my temptation is a plate of my Christmas Stollen Madeleines with preserved lemon, currants and slivered almonds) but consider this salad as a side of fruit.
This salad was inspired by a beautiful recipe for Apple Carpaccio from the brand new cookbook Jamie’s Christmas. It’s an excellent book, full of vibrant recipes for the holiday season, and hey, made my list of favourite cookbooks in 2016.
I’ve replaced the honey drizzle in Jamie’s recipe with some of Quebec’s finest maple syrup, added thinly sliced pears, and zested the entire dish with orange peel. The resulting colorful salad is perfect for a brunch, lunch or even a light dessert at the end of a big meal.
| Crunchy Apple-Pear Salad with Pomegranate, Pine Nuts & Yogurt | Print |
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 2 teaspoons icing sugar
- 1 pomegranate
- 4 clementines
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 1 Honeycrisp apple
- 1 Anjou pear
- ½ cup full-fat Greek yogourt
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 sprigs fresh mint
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Rinse the pine nuts under cool water and drain well. Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with icing sugar. Toast in the oven for 5-6 minutes until light golden. Cool completely.
- Slice pomegranate in half. Hold one half over a bow, cut side down, and smack it with a wooden spoon so that the seeds fall down through your fingers. Reserve the seeds.
- Squeeze the other half of pomegranate into a large bowl. Juice three of the clementines into the bowl as well.
- Core the apples and pear with an apple corer, if available, then slice the fruit as thinly as possible. (I use a mandoline slicer) Place three quarters of the slices into the fruit juice to soften, and slice the remaining into matchsticks.
- Arange the thinly sliced fruit o n a large serving platter and top with matchsticks. Dollop the yogout o top and drizzle the whole salad with maple syrup.
- Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and the pine nuts on top of the salad. Tear a few mint leaves off the stalk, bruise slightly and sprinkle on the salad.
- Zest the remaining clementine all over the salad and drizzle with a little of the remaining pom-citrus juices. Serve at once.
I do love the crunch of winter salads.
Here are a few more favourites to add into rotation over the next few months:
- Roasted cabbage salad with brown butter croutons
- A Christmas salad of winter greens and fruits
- Carrot, Cabbage and Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
- Apple and Kale Salad with Parmesan and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Black Beans
- Carrot Salad with Cilantro & Cinnamon
Eat Seasonal
We’re back for our last instalment of seasonal recipes in 2016! Ice cream, pasta, cheesecake, salads and more.
Roasted Persimmon Ice Cream by Cafe Johnsonia
Pomegranate Vinaigrette by Joy Food Sunshine
Potato Leek Soup with Italian Sausage by Completely Delicious
Winter Greens with Pomegranate Seeds and Olives by Letty’s Kitchen
Asian Kale Power Salad by She Likes Food
Pesto Pasta with Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Bacon by Vintage Mixer
Winter Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Bowls with Gingerbread Granola by Floating Kitchen
Mini Cranberry Orange Cheesecakes with Gingersnap Crust by Flavor the Moments
Beet and Root Vegetable Tian with Apple Cider Reduction by Food for my Family
Crunchy Apple-Pear Salad with Pomegranate, Pine Nuts & Yogurt
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