A balanced and flavorful seasonal winter salad with pomegranate seeds plus homemade blood orange poppy seed dressing.
Winter will give way to spring very soon but don't wait for that transition to enjoy delicious, in-season produce. There is plenty of fresh flavor to be had right now and this salad is proof. It combines tender super greens like baby kale, spinach, and swiss chard with juicy pomegranate, crisp carrots, crunchy walnuts, sweet pears, and creamy blue cheese. Even better, everything is topped off with a delicious blood orange poppy seed dressing. This is peak flavor play. Let's get into it.
Check out these seasonal salad recipes, too!
- Autumn Salad with Maple Orange Dressing
- Chopped Southwestern Salad with Salsa
- Massaged Kale Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
What's in a Winter Salad
Colorful green salads are typically associated with warmer weather but winter green salad recipes are truly a thing of beauty. I follow my homemade salad formula to make this winter rainbow salad and the result is perfectly delectable. Truthfully, I built the salad around the homemade salad dressing recipe by answering the question what flavors go well with blood orange? Here's the breakdown:
- Crumbled Gorgonzola - for creaminess and protein
- Matchstick Carrots - for color
- Pears - for sweetness and texture
- Pomegranate Arils - for juiciness
- Super Greens Salad Mix - for the green base
- Walnut Pieces - for crunch and more protein
Blood Orange Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe
It's surprisingly simple to make blood orange vinaigrette salad dressing. So simple that I think you'll make homemade dressing more often after reading this post. Here's exactly what you need to make my blood orange poppy seed salad dressing.
- Blood Orange Juice
- Ginger
- Honey
- Olive Oil
- Poppy Seeds
- Sea Salt
- White Vinegar
This homemade poppyseed dressing recipe is good on just about any salad and something you'll want to have on hand at all times. Which might lead you to wonder when is blood orange season? Blood oranges are in season from December through April, making them perfect for a winter salad dressing!
Beyond the winter and early spring, you can make a citrus vinaigrette like this with oranges, lemons, limes, or grapefruit instead of the blood orange. You may just need to adjust the amount of honey a bit depending on which fruit you choose.
You'll want to try these blood orange recipes for happy hour.
I hope you enjoy making and eating a super greens winter salad like this one while you can still find ripe, juicy blood oranges and fresh winter produce in season. Sharing is caring so be sure to pin this blood orange winter salad recipe on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
How to Make a Winter Salad
Balanced seasonal winter salad with a rainbow of ingredients and sweet homemade dressing
- 5 ounces matchstick carrots
- 5 ounces super greens salad blend
- 4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese
- 4 ounces pomegranate arils
- 4 ounces walnut halves or pieces
- 2 pears cut into small cubes
- ½ cup blood orange juice about three blood oranges
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon poppy seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- sea salt to taste
In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients.
Add all blood orange poppy seed salad dressing ingredients to a small jar or other sealable container, close, and shake vigorously to combine.
Pour salad dressing over salad ingredients and toss until all greens are coated and salad is well mixed.
Store any uneaten salad in the refrigerator. Keeps for up to two days.
Marta says
I've always been a fan of lemon poppy seed dressing so I was intrigued when I saw this blood orange poppy seed dressing. It was so perfect for the winter salad. I added more arugula to mine and the sweetness of the dressing played so beautifully with it.
Brittany F. says
The bold colors and bright flavors in this salad are the perfect cure for winter blues! I loved how delicious this salad is. Your recipe also gives me another way to use the pears from my pear tree.
Jessica says
I've made this salad 3 times in the past two weeks. I love all the colors and textures and the dressing is so delicious. Make extra dressing to have around because it tastes good on everything!
Lilly says
The blood orange dressing is the best! I love the taste of it, especially on this salad. I will definitely be making this again
Kaluhi says
Such a delightful salad! Super nutritious and very yummy too! I particularly enjoyed the ginger notes in the dressing. I will make this again and again!
Marcus Avery says
Not only is this salad beautiful to look at, but it also tastes amazing! The bold colors and flavors work so well together. And don't get me started on the blood orange poppy seed dressing! I'm going to start using it as a topping for everything.