Vibrant, sweet Navel orange pieces, bright red pomegranate arils, creamy goat cheese and avocado, and crunchy pecans whet the appetite with strong visual appeal! A delicious homemade orange champagne vinaigrette drizzle pulls it together into an irresistibly inviting, festive, Easy Orange-Pomegranate Salad with Goat Cheese!
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There’s something about the bright flavors and fresh ingredients that just makes me happy. There are many variations of orange salad in Mediterranean cuisines, and this easy, bright, elegant Mediterranean-inspired orange-pomegranate salad with goat cheese is no exception.
I’m always looking for new exciting salad recipes to mix things up, and this Mediterranean-inspired Easy Orange-Pomegranate Salad with Goat Cheese is definitely a winner. The sweetness of the oranges is perfectly balanced by the tartness of the pomegranate arils (seeds). The goat cheese and avocado add a creamy richness that contrasts with the crunchiness of the nuts and pairs perfectly with the sweet and tart fruits. In addition, the onion and the refreshing Orange Champagne Vinaigrette dressing add brightness, zing, and complexity.
This salad is easy to make, but a few tips and tricks will make the difference for a great result, so make sure to read on!
Why this recipe works
The stars of this salad are oranges and pomegranate arils (seeds), two bright and powerful ingredients.
The colors alone of this salad are so pretty and vibrant! The presentation is stunning! You can almost taste the sweetness and tang of this salad just by looking at it.
I use a bed of mixed greens, red onions, and creamy avocado chunks. Then I top it with the orange pieces, pomegranate arils, goat cheese, and pecans.
The dressing contains citrus champagne vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, and orange juice. It adds a special touch and zing!
I love to arrange it on a platter for an easy and sophisticated way to serve this salad. It helps the salad look visually appealing while ensuring that all the salad e ingredients are evenly distributed for a perfect balance of flavors with each bite. Spending an extra couple of minutes setting the elements on the platter is well worth it for a stunning presentation!
Ingredients to use for this recipe
- Mixed Salad Greens
- Navel Oranges
- Pomegranate
- Garlic
- Avocado
- Lemon
- Red Onion
- Goat Cheese
- Citrus Champagne Vinegar*
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- Pecan Halves
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
*You can use regular champagne vinegar or white balsamic vinegar if you can’t find this.
How to make this Easy Orange-Pomegranate Salad with Goat Cheese
Prepare the Orange Champagne Vinaigrette
Blend the vinegar, mustard, orange zest, garlic, honey, and orange juice together.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the vented top while blending. If this is not possible, add all the olive oil at once.
Blend on high until thoroughly emulsified.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to a serving container and set aside.
Prepare the Pomegranate Arils
Some of you may feel intimidated by this task. However, it is easy. So how do I do that?
First, cut off the top of the pomegranate and score down the sides between the aril sections with a sharp knife. Next, carefully pull apart along the score lines. Separate the arils from the pith. Finally, place the arils in a small bowl and set aside.
I use this fool-proof and mess-proof step-by-step guide on how to cut a pomegranate and remove its arils.
Prepare the Orange
The vibrant pieces of orange look so pretty and add another layer of texture to the salad.
To get perfect orange slices and cut them into sections, use a small paring knife to peel the orange instead of peeling the skin off with your hands. Sometimes peeling with hands can break apart the fruit inside.
Using a paring knife, try to remove as much of the pith (the spongy white layer between the skin and the citrus fruits) for a more pleasant experience.
Then, slice the orange into medallions and cut them into bite-sized sections.
Prepare the Onions and Avocado
Next, cut the onion into thin slices, and place them in a bowl of ice-cold water for about 5-10 minutes. It tones down some of the onion’s sharp flavor. Finally, drain the onions and set aside.
Cut the avocado. Toss it in lemon juice to prevent browning, and set it aside.
Assemble the Salad
Start assembling the salad by arranging the mixed greens on a large serving platter for the bottom layer.
Next, place the red onion, orange sections, avocado, and pomegranate arils.
Top with the crumbled goat cheese and pecan halves.
Drizzle with some of the orange champagne vinaigrette and serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side.
What to Serve this Salad With?
This Orange-Pomegranate Salad with Goat Cheese is very festive and super versatile. You can easily add it as part of a brunch buffet or next to roasted meats, chicken, or salmon.
For example:
Serve the salad as a main dish: Top it with chopped grilled steak, chicken, or salmon.
Serve this as a side dish: It pairs well with roast lamb or lamb chops, steak, grilled chicken or salmon, roasted turkey, souvlaki/kabobs, and more.
Notes and Cooking Tips
Marinating the onion in a bowl of ice-cold water for about 5-10 minutes is a game-changer trick. It tones down some of the onion’s sharp flavor. It works for any recipe you plan to use raw onions.
Make-ahead tips
For best results, assemble this salad just a few minutes before serving. However, you can prepare some of the different components of the salad ahead. This will get some prep work done earlier in a day or two:
Peel the orange, slice it, and cut it into bite-sized sections. Store them in the fridge in their own air-tight glass container.
Cut the pomegranate and separate the arils (seeds) a day or two in advance. Then, store them in their own container.
The dressing can also be prepared one night ahead and saved in its own air-tight glass container or mason jar. Just shake it well before drizzling it over the salad.
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Recipe Card
Easy Orange-Pomegranate Salad with Goat Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
Orange ChampagneVinaigrette Ingredients
- ¼ cup citruschampagne vinegar
- 1 large clove garlic smashed and peeled
- 2 tbsp honey preferably local
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp orange zest preferably organic
- ¼ cup orange juice freshly squeezed (approximately 1 orange)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad Ingredients
- 1 large pomegranate
- 1 large avocado
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 6 cups mixed salad greens
- ½ medium red onion
- 1 large Navel orange
- 2 oz goat cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup pecan halves
Instructions
Prepare the Orange Champagne Vinaigrette
- Blend the vinegar, mustard, orange zest, garlic, honey, and orange juice together.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the vented top while blending. If this is not possible, add all the olive oil at once. Blend on high until thoroughly emulsified.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving container and set aside.
Prepare the Pomegranate Arils
- First, cut off the top of the pomegranate and score down the sides between the aril sections with a sharp knife.
- Next, carefully pull apart along the score lines. Separate the arils from the pith
- Next, carefully pull apart along the score lines. Separate the arils from the pith.
Prepare the Orange
- Use a small paring knife to peel the orange and remove as much of the pith as possible.
- Slice the orange into medallions and cut them into bite-sized sections.
Prepare the Onions and Avocado
- Cut the onion into thin slices, and place them in a bowl of ice-cold water for about 5-10 minutes. It tones down some of the onion's sharp flavor.
- Drain the onions and set aside.
- Peel the avocado, remove the seed and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Toss it in lemon juice to prevent browning, and set it aside.
Assemble the Salad
- Start assembling the salad by arranging the mixed greens on a large serving platter for the bottom layer.
- Next, place the red onion, orange sections, avocado, and pomegranate arils.
- Top with the crumbled goat cheese and pecan halves.
- Drizzle with some of the orange champagne vinaigrette and serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side.
Notes
Notes
- I use this fool-proof and mess-proof step-by-step guide on how to cut a pomegranate and remove its arils.
- Marinating the onion in a bowl of ice-cold water for about 5-10 minutes is a game-changer trick. It tones down some of the onion’s sharp flavor. It works for any recipe you plan to use raw onions.
Make-ahead tips
- For best results, assemble this salad just a few minutes before serving. However, you can prepare some of the different components of the salad ahead. This will get some prep work done earlier in a day or two:
- Peel the orange, slice it, and cut it into bite-sized sections. Store them in the fridge in their own air-tight glass container.
- Cut the pomegranate and separate the arils (seeds) a day or two in advance. Then, store them in their own container.
- The dressing can also be prepared one night ahead and saved in its own air-tight glass container or mason jar. Just shake it well before drizzling it over the salad.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although eatmediterraneanfood.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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This salad is beautiful. I made this last weekend for family dinner and can’t wait to make again. It’s the perfect winter salad
This goat cheese salad was so refreshing and that vinaigrette is WOW!
This was mouthwatering! Turned out great
This is super delicious and we feel great when we eat it! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
What a delicious combination of flavors and colors! Loved this salad, and the orange champagne vinaigrette is the perfect accompaniment!