Thanksgiving Salad (with Pomegranate, Pear, Pecan + Brie)

Thanksgiving Salad is a gorgeous, vibrant, delectable salad to perfectly round out your Thanksgiving menu, bursting with pomegranate, pears, pecans, and brie and dressed with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette!

Your Thanksgiving feast won't be complete without my Bacon-Wrapped Turkey with Maple + Sage, Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, and The BEST Pecan Pie with a homemade EASY Butter Pie Crust!

I'm a sucker for a loaded salad. The more contrasting flavors and textures, the better. And if it's a pretty salad, to boot? Can't be beat. Lucky for us, this Thanksgiving Salad has all of those qualities in SPADES!

I decided to make juicy pears the star of my Thanksgiving Salad. The thinly sliced pears are complemented by ruby-red pomegranate seeds, speckling the salad like little jewels (seriously...aren't they so pretty?!). Since pears and pomegranates are already sweet, I decided to forgo my usual beloved, salad-worthy candied nuts in favor of simple toasted pecans. And as for the cheese, I wanted to branch out from crumbled Feta or blue cheese, which are my typical salad choices, so I gave into my recent (and heavy) obsession with Brie.

Inspiration

Year ago, I concocted a festive red-and-green Holiday Honeycrisp Salad using some of my favorite salad ingredients. Lo and behold, y'all seemed to agree that it was both beautiful and delectable, as it quickly became one of Five Heart Home's most-pinned recipes on Pinterest and all-time top recipes. That salad immediately became our new family Christmas dinner tradition as well.

So the next year, I decided that our Thanksgiving table also needed a new tradition: a fresh, vibrant Thanksgiving Salad to lighten up all of the buttery Mashed Potatoes and scrumptious Sweet Potato Casserole and impressive Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans and decadent Creamy Cheesy Corn.

And since I can't resist a combination of fresh mixed greens, sweet fruit, crunchy nuts, salty cheese, and zesty vinaigrette, I decided to start with those ingredients as my template for this Thanksgiving Salad!

Ingredients

The secret of this Thanksgiving Salad is that it showcases vibrant, seasonal ingredients whose flavors, textures, and colors combine in the most spectacular way!

• Salad greens. Use whatever you prefer for the base of your Thanksgiving Salad...spring mix, baby greens, butter lettuce, baby spinach, or your favorite blend.
• Pears. Washed and thinly sliced. I recommend using D'Anjou pears that are ripe yet firm. You may use your favorite variety of pears in place of D'Anjous...just make sure that the pears you choose aren't overly soft or ripe.
• Fresh lemon juice. To keep your pear slices light and bright! Fresh-squeezed is best but you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch...just look for "lemon juice" as its only ingredient.
• Large pomegranate. You'll need to extract its arils (or seeds)...more on that below. Although if you take a shortcut buy a tub of pomegranate arils instead, your secret is safe with me! In that case, you'll need about 2 cups of 'em.
• Pecan halves. Toasted. Just promise me you won't skip the toasting, as it makes the pecans extra crunchy and brings out their deep, nutty flavor.
• Brie. Small slices of this creamy, salty, soft cheese are the perfect balance to the zippy greens, fresh fruit, and toasty nuts in this Thanksgiving Salad. Since Brie can be sticky to cut, you can pop it in the freezer for 20 or so minutes to make slicing a bit easier. It will quickly come to room temperature in the salad.

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

But what's just as important to this Thanksgiving Salad as its individual ingredients? Why, its dressing, of course!

I decided to go classic here with an effortless homemade balsamic vinaigrette made with EVOO, good-quality balsamic vinegar, Dijon, honey, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.

It's silky, zesty, and adds a perfect touch of acidity to the salad.

It's also tasty enough to lick the bowl clean...but that might be rather off-putting to the other Thanksgiving guests in attendance, so do your best to refrain. 😉

How to Make Thanksgiving Salad

Some of the components of this Thanksgiving Salad can be prepared ahead of time:

• Make the balsamic vinaigrette. Measure all of the ingredients into a mason jar. Tightly screw on the lid and shake vigorously until everything is thoroughly combined. Alternatively, you may briskly whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl, or blend them in a blender or mini food processor. The dressing may be made up to 1 month in advance and stored in the fridge. Just be sure to set it out ahead of time to allow it to come to room temperature and shake well before using.
• Toast the pecans. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pecan halves on sheet pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted, watching carefully to prevent burning. Allow to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container and storing at room temperature for up to a week (or in the fridge for up to two weeks).
• Seed the pomegranate. Full directions below! Store your pomegranate arils an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Other steps of this Thanksgiving Salad are best left to the last minute:

• Slice the pears and shake gently with lemon juice to prevent them from browning.
• Layer the ingredients in a large salad bowl.
• Just before serving, dress the salad with your desired amount of balsamic vinaigrette and toss until all of the ingredients are evenly coated.

How to Seed a Pomegranate

For the least messy experience, I prefer to seed my pomegranate underwater.

1. Fill a large bowl with cool water and slice the pomegranate in half.
2. Take one half of the pomegranate and, holding it underwater, break it into large pieces and pop out the seeds, allowing them to fall to the bottom of the bowl.
3. When you are done extracting all of the seeds and discarding the pomegranate peel, most of the pieces of membrane will be floating in the water as the seeds will have sunk. Pour as much water and membrane out of the bowl as possible, without losing any seeds.
4. Pour the seeds and remaining water into a colander and pick out any remaining membrane.
5. Repeat with the other half of the pomegranate.

So are you as excited as I am about this Thanksgiving Salad? Add it to your menu and I promise it'll be a smashing success. In fact, it's so good you may not be able to wait a full year before enjoying it again...so I give you permission to make it for Christmas and New Year's as well! 🙂

I'm pretty sure that once you do, it'll become a new holiday tradition. (Just remember...don't lick the bowl 'til you get it back to the kitchen.) 😉

More Thanksgiving Recipes

• Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
• Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Ham
• Creamy Cheesy Corn Casserole
• Cran-Cherry Sauce
• Mini Pecan Pies
• Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
• Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy
• Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
• Cranberry Sauce with Orange + Cherry

Thanksgiving Salad (with Pomegranate, Pear, Pecan + Brie)

Thanksgiving Salad is a gorgeous, vibrant, delectable salad to perfectly round out your Thanksgiving menu, bursting with pomegranate, pears, pecans, and brie and dressed with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette!

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 to 12 servings

Calories: 302kcal

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Ingredients

FOR THE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE:

• ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
• ¼ teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE SALAD:

• 3 medium D'Anjou pears, ripe yet firm, thinly sliced
• Juice of ½ lemon, or more, as needed
• 16 ounces salad greens, such as spring mix, with or without baby spinach
• 8 ounces Brie, thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Seeds from 1 large pomegranate, (about 2 cups)
• 1 ½ cups pecan halves, toasted

Instructions

• To prepare Balsamic Vinaigrette, measure all of the ingredients into a mason jar. Tightly screw on the lid and shake vigorously until everything is thoroughly combined. Alternatively, you may briskly whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl, or blend them in a blender or mini food processor.
• Immediately after cutting the pear slices, place them in a large plastic baggie and squeeze fresh lemon juice over them. Close bag and gently shake to coat. In a large salad bowl, layer salad greens, pear slices, pieces of Brie, pomegranate seeds, and toasted pecans. Just before serving, dress with desired amount of Balsamic Vinaigrette and toss until salad ingredients are evenly coated.

Equipment Needed

• Mason Jar
• Mini Food Processor
• Salad Spinner
• Salad Serving Bowl

Notes

• If you use a really good balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey should be sufficient. However, you can always add a bit more honey, to taste, if you wish.
• I've made this dressing before when I was out of fresh garlic (oh, the horror!), but I substituted ½ teaspoon garlic powder and it still turned out great.
• You may use your favorite variety of pears in place of D'Anjous...just make sure that the pears you choose aren't overly soft or ripe.
• TO TOAST THE PECANS: Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the pecans on sheet pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted, watching carefully to prevent burning. Allow to cool before adding to the salad.
• TO SEED A POMEGRANATE: For the least messy experience, I prefer to seed a pomegranate underwater. Fill a large bowl with cool water and slice the pomegranate in half. Take one half of the pomegranate and, holding it underwater, break it into large pieces and pop out the seeds, allowing them to fall to the bottom of the bowl. When you are done extracting all of the seeds and discarding the pomegranate peel, most of the pieces of membrane will be floating in the water as the seeds will have sunk. Pour as much water and membrane out of the bowl as possible, without losing any seeds. Pour the seeds and remaining water into a colander and pick out any remaining membrane. Repeat with the other half of the pomegranate. (And if this explanation didn't make sense, Google a YouTube video demonstrating this technique...it's much easier than it sounds!)
• This recipe can easily be cut in half in the event that you're not feeding a small army.
• MAKE-AHEAD COMPONENTS:
  • Up to 1 month in advance - Make the balsamic vinaigrette and store in the fridge. Bring to room temperature and shake well before using.
  • Up to 1 week in advance - Toast the pecans, cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and store at room temperature (or store in the fridge for up to two weeks).
  • Up to 5 days in advance - Seed the pomegranate and store seeds an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 671IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg

Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Post originally published on November 14, 2016, and updated on November 27, 2020, and November 21, 2024.