Spinach, Fennel, Prosciutto, & Pomegranate Salad
Spinach, Fennel, Prosciutto, & Pomegranate Salad is perfect for a holiday meal; garnished with bright red pomegranate arils, it’s bright, colorful and absolutely delicious!
I don’t publish many salads on my blog; so often I make them on the fly with ingredients I notice in my fridge. But right now, like many of you I’m sure, I’m ready for a bit of balance after Thanksgiving and this Spinach, Fennel, Prosciutto, & Pomegranate Salad we enjoyed for Thanksgiving is the perfect antidote. Oh sure I love all the cookies, cakes and homemade goodies during the holidays as much as the next guy, but I also find myself craving this beautiful salad.
It is so pretty with the combination of red and green but don’t limit it to one season. While pomegranates have a short season at the end of the year, substitute another red fruit, be it strawberries, raspberries, or even apple for a Fall version, all would be fantastic.
It truly is an amazing combination of color, flavors and textures and really hit the spot amongst all of the heavier dishes on our Thanksgiving table, although I could see this Spinach, Fennel, Prosciutto, & Pomegranate Salad working just as well for dinner with some roasted chicken, bread, and wine served alongside.
Iffy on fennel? It’s amazing how much it’s changed by soaking it in some salted olive oil; it’s flavor is tempered a bit and so is the structure; it’s softer.
If you’re like me and love the vibrant pomegranate but dread the work of getting the arils removed from the shell, check out this post where I share what I think is the simplest (read less messy too) method for their extraction. No pounding with a spoon or water involved!
I’m hoping to share more salads in the coming months. I’m enjoying more time for myself and planning to focus more on ME now that my kids are grown, my move is now a thing of the past (How did TEN years fly by that quickly?), and my house is in order. Of course there is always yard work but not in the winter…so I’m scheduling time for other pursuits. Pretty salads included!
Once I discovered that method for removing the pomegranate arils from the shell that was not tied into a huge mess, I became gungho…beyond this Spinach, Fennel, Prosciutto, & Pomegranate Salad, here are more of my favorite uses of the delightful pomegranate!
Pomegranate Cocktails
- Pomegranate Margarita
- Pomegranate and Rosemary Gin Fizz
- Imperial Pomegranate Cocktail
- Pomegranate Izze-tini
- Cranberry and Grand Marnier Champagne
- Pomegranate Ginger Sparkler Holiday
- Pear Pomegranate Cooler with Prosecco
- Cranberry Pomegranate Moscow Mule Cocktail
More…
PIN IT! ‘Spinach, Prosciutto, Fennel, & Pomegranate Salad’
Spinach, Fennel, and Prosciutto Salad
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 cups fennel bulb very thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Dressing
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Salad
- 6 cups baby spinach about 4 ounces
- 1 cup green onions thinly sliced
- ¼ cup mint leaves thinly sliced
- 6 ounces prosciutto thinly sliced, torn into strips
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
Prep the Fennel
- Toss fennel and 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
To Make the Dressing
- Whisk the remainder of the olive oil with balsamic vinegar, honey and lemon juice and shake vigorously; season to taste with salt and pepper.
To Make the Salad
- Toss together the greens, green onions and mint and divide among plates.
- Top with fennel, then drape with prosciutto. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over.
- Drizzle outside edge of salad with dressing to serve.
This is wonderful! It’s perfect after the gluttony of the holidays, not to mention that’s one gorgeous salad. I can practically taste the saltiness of the prosciutto, the tartness of those beautiful pomegranate arils and that dressing sounds just lovely. Making this soon!
I was quite addicted Kate and happy to eat one of these every day until my prosciutto ran out!
I don’t usually like raw fennel but I bet this combination of flavors works really well. And you can’t go wrong with prosciutto, right? Happy new year!
I wasn’t sure I would either but the soaking it in salt and oil does soften it a bit and I liked that. Actually I just loved this salad!
This is quite the delicious menu. I love the beauty and the simplicity of your salad!
Thanks Betsy; the menu is amazing and so unique and that includes this salad…my new favorite for sure.
I love pomegranate in salads and I’m totally craving your salad right now. So gorgeous and delicious!
They are my favorite little jewels…and thanks; I LOVE it too! 😉
This salad was custom made for The Artist Barb! Anything with prosciutto will catch his attention, especially when it is combined with vegetables. Count this as a to-do on my menu planning soon LOL. Beautiful photos and love the pops of red! 🙂
I LOVE salads in the summer. It’s nearly 90 today and the humidity is high and I’m miserable. A salad like this would make my day and I’ve got a pomegranate sitting on the counter begging to be used. 🙂
Very sexy salad.
Happy New Year!
You better make it; you will so not be sorry!
Sexy salad! Yes salads are sexy when they photograph like this 😀 Cheers to you finally having some time for yourself!
I’ll take sexy…sounds about perfect for this jewel doesn’t it?
I love how bright and colorful this salad is. I’m hoping to eat better in the new year too.
Funny how our lives focus so much on food but sometimes how it’s all about everyone else when what I need is pushed away. I make treats that go to neighbors now that my kids are grown…I need to make treats I can eat that are healthy that I can share on the blog!
I love this flavor combination, Barb! The bright pomegranate with the rich buttery prosciutto and the almost minty fennel. What a nice change from heavy winter dishes. Like a palate cleanser for the heart that can’t wait for springtime.
It is a salad that represents me…I can’t wait for springtime. Enough with winter!
I love the vibrant colors in this salad, it’s so inviting! And hey, you can (p)omegranate me to death all you want – love them. 😉
Thanks Heather…and thanks. Here’s to you and pomegranates! 🙂