Sweet Potato Pomegranate Salad

After spending the last two days straight baking Christmas cookies, (I kid you not ... a dozen different varieties!!!) I feel like some nutrition is in order!  Sweet potatoes, pomegranates, kale, and pepitas are all loaded with nutrients, lightly dressed with some salty feta and a sweet-tart homemade pomegranate vinaigrette.  I hope you enjoy this welcome break from all of the rich foods of the holiday season as much as we have!

YIELD: 4 quart-sized salads

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp pomegranate juice
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 4 oz feta, crumbled
• 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled, diced, and roasted
• 1 small pomegranate, seeded
• 1-2 bunches kale, stemmed and shredded
• 1/2 c pepitas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the pomegranate dressing: combine the pomegranate juice, vinegar, honey, oil, and salt and pepper in a pint-sized mason jar or other tall container.  Puree and emulsify the dressing using a handheld stick blender.
2. Pack the salads: divide the dressing evenly between each of 4 tall quart-sized containers.  Layer the feta, sweet potato, pomegranate, and kale in the jars.  Divide the pepitas seeds evenly between 4 2-oz jars or snack-size zip-top bags for each salad.  Refrigerate until serving.
3. Enjoy your salad: invert your salad onto a plate or into a bowl.  Top with pepitas.

TIME-SAVING TIPS: Use your favorite store-bought red wine vinaigrette in place of the homemade dressing.  Use 4-8 oz prewashed baby kale in place of the stemmed, shredded kale.

SPECIAL DIET SWAPS: This salad is vegetarian, nut- and gluten-free as-is.  For a vegan salad, use agave instead of honey in the dressing, and omit the feta or substitute with your favorite vegan feta.

Food styling, photography, and infographics by Robert Campbell.