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Pomegranate may be underrated, but it’s a fabulous addition to dishes like my chopped salads. Our chopped salad obsession began with my Pomegranate Sunday Salad, which I made on repeat all through December. Tossed with my Creamy Chive Dressing, it’s full of juicy pomegranate seeds, nutty California green olives, and buttery avocados, a winning combination that made it one of our most popular chopped salads.
What is it about pomegranates that makes them so enticing? They’re sweet and tangy, full of color, and create a bit of a pop, so they’re entirely too fun to eat. They are also high in fiber and make my body feel good when I eat them.
Enjoy pomegranates by the spoonful, add them to salads or sweet dishes like my Raspberry Jello, or use them to top your yogurt. They are an inspired garnish over guacamole or any entree that needs a little sweet note. And the combination of olives and pomegranates is truly addictive. Their sweetness, along with the tang and nuttiness of the olives, is deliciously irresistible.
Vegetables and fruits all have their seasons, and I start looking for pomegranates at the grocery store at the end of August. They’re best through fall and early winter. While pomegranate seeds can be found pre-packaged in the refrigerator aisle of most grocery stores, buying whole pomegranates is an incomparable experience for freshness and flavor.
A chopped salad like this one can be made your own with just a few cornerstones. A salad is only as good as its ingredients, and the chicken in this salad is the first amazing cornerstone. The marinade is a spin on my Passport Chicken, and it makes chicken so flavorful and juicy. Let it marinate for as long as possible, ideally for at least two hours, but marinating overnight will produce absolute magic.
We added avocado, green olives, and Marinated Red Onions, but make it your own with what you have on hand. If you’re doing Whole30, use compatible ingredients. If you’re not doing Whole30, add all of your favorites.