Winter Salad – Family Meal Friday

This Winter Salad is full of flavors such as goat cheese and pomegranate to combine for a delicious meal or side salad!

This salad can be easily customized with the ingredients you have on hand and based on your liking. It requires no fancy dressing, just extra virgin olive oil and a balsamic glaze! This combines for a vibrant flavor which pairs well with the other elements of the salad! 

I love this recipe because the sweetness of the pomegranate balances with the mild tang of the goat cheese and creates a delicious and unique flavor. The walnuts give a nice crunch effect to the salad and pair well with the other flavors!

You can easily throw this salad together before any dinner or even for Christmas as an appetizer, side salad or main dish!

Family Meal Friday Prayer

Try this meal on a friday night or over the weekend with your family or friends! Gather to share in thanksgiving for the Lord’s provision throughout the week over a home cooked meal with loved ones!

“Dear Heavenly Father, you are so good and gracious to us all the time. Thank you who you are, our provider, comforter, our father. Thank you for this meal in front of us. We pray that it may provide nourishment to our bodies that you have blessed us with. Thank you for the people around this table and all that bring encouragement to our lives, they are such blessings from you. We love you so much and praise you, in Jesus name, Amen!”

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Greens: I used arugula, but also love to use a spring mix or baby spinach when making this recipe. The arugula provides fiber as well as vitamin K and other minerals.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: you could use regular olive oil, but extra virgin gives it a more intense flavor. This provides healthy fats among many other health benefits.
• Balsamic Vinegar: I used a white balsamic vinegar but you could use whatever balsamic vinegar, dressing or glaze you have on hand. You may just have to adjust the amounts to your liking. 
• Onions: I usually like to use red/purple onions for salads, however white/yellow onions work as well. 
• Goat Cheese: I used plain goat cheese in this recipe, but you can also use one that incorporates similar flavors such as honey or pomegranates. This provides protein, calcium, and healthy fats. It adds a creamy texture and mild tang to the salad which creates a nice balance of flavors with the other ingredients. 
• Chopped Walnuts: these provide healthy fats, protein, fiber, and omega-3s among many other health benefits. They give a crunchy element and more flavor to the salad. You could substitute another type of nut such as almonds or pecans.
• Pomegranates: these are rich in antioxidants and other health benefits such as fiber and polyphenols. They provide a sweetness to the salad that pairs well with the other ingredients. You could substitute another fruit such as chopped apple or pear to have a similar sweet effect. 

Equipment

• Large bowl
• Mixing spoons

How to make: step-by-step

Prepare your ingredients: wash and chop your greens if it is not already done. Dice the onions. Break up the goat cheese into crumbles. Chop the walnuts into smaller pieces. Remove the pomegranate kernels from their skin.

Add your greens to a large bowl and drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze. Toss the salad so that all the greens get coated in the dressing.

Add in the rest of the ingredients: diced onions, goat cheese crumbles, chopped walnuts, and pomegranates. Toss to combine and evenly distribute everything.

Serve and enjoy!

Serving and Storage

Serve in the large mixing bowl or on individual plates. You can garnish with extra toppings such as more goat cheese crumbles, pomegranates, or walnuts.

Any leftover salad can be stored in a glass bowl with a covering. Keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. 

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT