Citrus Pomegranate Kale Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

The BEST kale salad recipe! Peak seasonal produce like fresh mandarins, pomerganates & toasty pepitas make this salad a wintertime standout & perfect for any occassion! It’s festive enough for the holidays yet simple & easy to make ahead for a delicious weeknight side dish. You’re going to love this citrus pomegranate kale salad!

If you ask anyone in our friend group what dish I’m mostly known for – they’ll tell you it’s this citrus pomegranate kale salad! We bring it to every holiday party, barbecue, family gathering… basically any event that involves food, I’m requested to bring it. It’s THAT good! And so simple too!

This kale salad utilizes peak winter produce along with a sweet and tangy honey-lemon vinaigrette. While most winter side dishes are heavy on carbs and cheese, this side salad welcomes the lighter side of the season. It’s standouts include fresh clementines, sweet pomegranates and toasty pepitas all served over a bed of tender lemon-massaged kale. Once the vinaigrette is added to the mix it becomes the most craveable refreshing side dish.

Plus it’s versatility makes it so easy to pair with a variety of entrees!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Kale: Green curly kale works the best for this salad. You’ll need at least 2 bunches of kale.

Clementine oranges: Clementine or mandarin oranges both work for this recipe. We use the brand “Cuties” or “Halos” for our salad. They’re a variety of seedless mandarin oranges that can be found in most grocery stores and are super easy to peel. (I recommend using fresh mandarins whenever possible as opposed to canned mandarin oranges – they have much better flavor and texture!)

Pomegranate arils: I always suggest using fresh pomegranate arils whenever possible. (They have much better flavor than most prepackaged pomegranate seeds.)

Pepitas: A variety of pumpkin seed that are dark green in color and have a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. This recipe calls for roasting them which highlights their flavor and adds the perfect crunchy component to the salad. You can usually find pepitas in the nut/seed aisle or bulk aisle in most grocery stores.

Lemons: You’ll be using fresh lemon juice as base of the vinaigrette and a splash of juice is needed to massage the kale. (This vinaigrette is pretty heavy on the lemon – you can always add more olive oil to tone down the acidity if it’s too much.)

Olive oil: Olive oil is needed to make the vinaigrette and for massaging the kale. (We’ll typically use Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil for the vinaigrette. It’s in mild in flavor so it won’t overpower the delicate lemon and honey flavors.)

Honey: Used as the sweetener in your vinaigrette.

Cracked black pepper: Cracked black pepper is a MUST for the vinaigrette! Feel free to use as little or as much as you want.

How To Make A Citrus Pomegranate Kale Salad

1. Toast the pepitas. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Spread the pepitas out in an even layer on the pan and toast in the oven for 5-6 minutes. (The pepitas will have a nutty aroma and should be lightly golden once done.) Set them aside to cool completely.

2. Make the vinaigrette. Whisk the lemon juice, honey, olive oil and black pepper together in a small bowl or jar. Keep the vinaigrette stored in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the salad.

3. Massage the kale. Cut the kale leaves off the stems and chop them into bite-size pieces. Add the leaves to a large bowl, add a splash of olive oil and squeeze 1 lemon over the leaves. Use your hands to massage the kale until the leaves begin to soften and shrink in size (about 5 minutes). (Kale leaves are VERY sturdy so don’t be afraid to really manhandle them – we want to break them down/soften the leaves to make them easier to digest.)

4. Prepare the rest of the ingredients. Peel and section the clementine oranges and de-seed the pomegranate. (Sometimes we’ll cut the clementines in half if the sections are too big.)

5. Toss. Add the clementines and pomegranate arils to the bowl with your kale and drizzle your desired amount of vinaigrette over the top. Toss until the salad is coated to your liking.

6. Serve! Spoon the salad into individual bowls and garnish each bowl with toasted pepitas right before serving.

Serving this salad for a crowd? I’ll usually wait until right before serving to toss the salad then top it with a few more oranges and pomegranate arils. (Most of the oranges and pomegranates tend to fall to the bottom once it’s been tossed. Adding a few more pieaces to the top makes it easier for your guests to grab a little bit of everything without having to dig for them.😉)

Variations

The simplicity of this kale salad makes it a great base to mix and match ingredients! Use whatever you have on hand or try a new variation every time – the possibilites are endless! Here’s a few of our favorite swaps:

• Clementine oranges: Replace them with tangelos, navel oranges or even blood oranges instead! (Note: Using oranges will make your salad slightly sweeter than using clementines and tangelos.)

• Pomegrantes: Blueberries are a fantasitc replacement! (We always use blueberries whenever pomegranates aren’t in season.)

• Pepitas: Try using toasted sunflower seeds, pecans or walnuts instead. Candied nuts would also add a deliciously sweet component.

• Add cheese! Plain goat cheese would make a delicious addition to this salad!

FAQ’s

• Do I have to massage the kale for this salad? Yes! Massaging the kale breaks down it’s fibrous leaves making them softer and much easier to digest. Plus it brings out the kale’s mild earthy flavor.

• Can I prep this kale salad ahead of time? Absolutely! Kale salads are the best make-ahead side dish! You can prep the entire salad 1-2 days in advance and keep it stored in the refrigerator. (We’ll usually keep the ingredients – massaged kale, clementines, pomegranates & vinaigrette – stored in separate containers then toss it together right before serving.)

• Do I have to toast the pepitas? No. Toasting the pepitas is completely optional! I personally love the warm nutty flavor it adds but you can leave them raw instead.

• Do I have to make the full vinaigrette recipe? Not at all! This recipe is so simple – you can easily make as little or as much vinaigrette as you want! Here’s a basic recipe to follow depending on how much you need: 1 lemon, juiced + 2 tsp honey + 1 Tbsp olive oil + cracked black pepper

Why you’ll love this massaged kale salad recipe!

• A healthy winter salad! Green kale + pomegranates + oranges are all loaded with nutrients making this a nourishing side dish you’ll feel good about eating!
• Incredibly versatile! Easy to mix & match ingredients & it’s flavors pair well with a variety of entrees!
• Easy to make ahead of time! The kale’s sturdiness allows this salad to stay fresh for days in the refrigerator. (Plus it’s great for leftovers too – no need to worry about the kale wilting after being dressed.)
• Perfect for serving a crowd! It’s simple ingredients + refreshing flavors make this salad a guest favorite & a great option for the holidays!

More kale salad recipes you might enjoy:

• Apple Cranberry Bacon Kale Salad
• Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad
• Pear & Gorgonzola Salad with Candied Walnuts

[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments. I love seeing what you create!]