Love spinach salads? Try this twist on the classic strawberry spinach salad by swapping in juicy pomegranate seeds for a vibrant, seasonal touch. This pomegranate and spinach salad is perfect for fall when pomegranates are at their peak. It has everything—ruby-red seeds, tender baby spinach, crunchy walnuts, hard-boiled egg, creamy goat cheese, slivered red onion, and crisp bacon. To bring it all together, a homemade pomegranate vinaigrette adds the perfect balance of tangy and sweet.
While many spinach salads are dressed with a warm bacon dressing, this version takes a fresher approach with an easy pomegranate vinaigrette. It’s light, tangy, and lets the vibrant flavors shine. Plus, from a health standpoint, this salad is packed with nutrients while still tasting absolutely delicious. And for all the bacon lovers out there—don’t worry! I’ve kept the crispy crumbles for added crunch, but you can always skip them if you prefer
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- It's easy, healthy, and colorful.
- A nice trade off from a standard salad.
- Make the elements ahead of time and toss to serve.
With any extra baby spinach, use it in smoothies like this blueberry spinach or this refreshing cucumber and spinach smoothie.
Recipe Ingredients
Pomegranate and Spinach salad
- Baby spinach leaves: Grab a container of the baby spinach leaves to save time.
- Cheese: Goat cheese is lovely with a soft tang, either a log you can crumble yourself or the crumbled container.
- Nuts: I went with walnuts for this salad for their rich flavor.
- Pomegranate seeds: Add so much beautiful color and a tart tanginess. Buying a whole pomegranate and seeding it yourself is easy and the seeds are fresher and last longer. If you prefer, buy a container of pomegranate seeds (called arils).
- Bacon: Adds a nice, salty crunch. Use either pork bacon or turkey bacon.
- Eggs: Hard boiled eggs take 15 minutes plus a chill in ice water. Read here on how to make perfect hard boiled eggs.
- Onion: Red onion adds color and a little bite. Use shallot if you prefer.
Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil for a nice vinaigrette.
- Vinegar: Pomegranate vinegar is a fun flavored vinegar to have in your pantry. Find it at Traders Joes and online.
- Maple syrup: For just a touch of sweetness and helps bring the vinaigrette together.
- Mustard: Creamy Dijon must is best in vinaigrettes and helps emulsify the dressing.
Please see the recipe card for measurements, salt and pepper.
Substitution and Variations
- Other fruit vinegar options include red wine vinegar, cranberry vinegar, raspberry vinegar, or cherry vinegar.
- Try other nuts such as pecan, pine nuts, or sliced almonds. Toasted pepitas are delicious too. For how to toast pepitas see this post.
- For nut allergies, omit or use sunflower seeds or pumpkins seeds (pepitas).
- Don't like goat cheese? Try blue cheese crumbles or tangy Greek feta cheese.
- For vegetarians, skip the bacon.
- If you're an avocado lover, diced avocado is a great addition with it's creamy rich texture and flavor.
For a great comfort food meal, try these stuffed pasta shells with spinach and ricotta.
Chef's tip: Intimidated by opening a pomegranate? It really is easy, and once you do it you might prefer doing it yourself as the seeds are fresher and last a lot longer in the refrigerator than buying a container. For instructions on how to open a pomegranate see this post. Be sure to wear an apron!
Recipe Instructions
All of the components of this baby spinach salad are easily made ahead of time and assembled at serving time.
- Step 1: Get the bacon frying, either in a pan or the oven. When cool, chop or crumble.
- Step 2: Hard boil your eggs.
- Step 3: Seed the pomegranate if using a fresh one.
- Step 4: Slice your onion or shallot.
- Step 5: Crumble the cheese (if using) and chop the nuts if needed.
- Step 6: Make the vinaigrette.
Chef's tip: Cooking bacon in the oven. If you want a hands off way to cook bacon and not mess up your stovetop, try baking it in the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, top with a wire cooking rack, and top with raw bacon strips. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp. Cool and crumble.
How to Make a Basic Vinaigrette
The general rule for making vinaigrettes is one part of acid (vinegar) to three parts of fat (oil). My first choice is a good extra virgin olive oil, but other oils works such as avocado oil. I love to use flavored olive oils to keep things interesting. Depending on the flavor you want to achieve there are many options.
Basic vinegars for vinaigrette include red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, and apple cider vinegar, but again there are many fun options. You can also use citrus juice such as lemon, orange, and lime. A little Dijon mustard emulsifies the vinaigrette (holds it together).
Taste the vinaigrette and adjust for yourself. I added a little more vinegar for more tang. A little salt and pepper and you are good to go.
Serving Suggestions
Keep all elements in the refrigerator in an airtight container until serving time, then toss with a little dressing and serve more at the table if desired.
Without dressing, this salad holds pretty well overnight. If you think you won't use all of the salad, don't toss the baby spinach salad with dressing but serve it at the table for each person to drizzle on.
This is a great side salad but if you want to add protein, try a little sliced grilled chicken or steak.
Dietary Notes
For most people, spinach is a great add to your diet, but it is high in natural compounds called oxalates. If you suffer with kidney or gallbladder issues, check with your healthcare provider before consuming spinach. It's also high risk for people with histamine intolerance.
Recipe FAQs
To change up a baby spinach salad, vary the fruits using strawberries in summer or pears and apples in fall. Add grains such as cooked quinoa. For summer, add what in season such as cucumber, bell peppers. In fall roast beets are a great addition. Change m up the cheese, nuts, and try a vinaigrette dressing instead of the standard warm bacon dressing.
For a simple baby spinach salad, limit the elements you are adding to 1 or 2, such as a fruit and nuts, or cheese and nuts. Use what is best seasonally. Dress with a simple vinaigrette dressing versus a more time-consuming warm spinach dressing. A good dressing makes even a simple salad terrific.
While tradition might be a warm bacon dressing, many other dressing pair well with a baby spinach salad. Try a balsamic vinaigrette or a honey mustard dressing. Try a vinegar made with a fruit flavored oil and vinegar. Just be sure the dressing compliments the other elements of the salad.
More Terrific Salad Recipes
Boost your salad creativity with these salad recipe ideas. Banish boring salads all year long and make them something to look forward to for your family. One more great use for baby spinach, try this versatile ricotta filling made with spinach.
⭐️Did You Make This Recipe?
If you make this pomegranate and spinach salad, please comment and let me know, and if you loved it, please give it a 5 star rating! They really help other reader and I appreciate hearing from you.
📖 Recipe
Pomegranate and Spinach Salad
Ingredients
Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 teaspoons pomegranate vinegar see swaps below
- 1 teaspoon real maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 pinches sea salt
- 2 pinches ground black pepper
Spinach Salad
- 6-8 ounces clean baby spinach leaves
- 4 ounces goat cheese crumbles or try blue cheese or feta
- ⅓ cup chopped walnut pieces about 2 ounces
- ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
- 4-6 strips bacon, turkey or pork cooked crisp, crumbled
- 2 hard boiled eggs peeled and chopped
- ¼ small red onion sliced thin, or sub shallot
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Instructions
- Start by making the vinaigrette. Add the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper to a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add spinach leaves to a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Scatter the cheese, walnuts, seeds, bacon, egg and onion over the top and toss again and serve family style or on four individual plates.
Notes
- Try pecans, pine nuts, or sliced almonds. Toasted pepitas are delicious too. For how to toast pepitas see this post.
- For nut allergies, omit or use sunflower seeds or pumpkins seeds (pepitas).
- Don't like goat cheese? Try blue cheese crumbles or tangy Greek feta cheese.
- For vegetarians, skip the bacon.
- If you're an avocado lover, diced avocado is a great addition with it's creamy rich texture and flavor.
- Use red wine vinegar, cherry vinegar, or a cranberry vinegar.
Nutrition
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Linda Chin says
Hi Sally, just wanted to thank you for such a great recipe. I have made it at least 10 times this year and its always gone and people always ask for your recipe. I usually triple the amount and use the large 1lb tub of spinach too. I don't always add pomegranate seeds, but its even better when I do!