Roasted Beet Pomegranate Kale Salad

With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, now is the time to be thankful for all the delicious food this season has to offer. Walk down the aisles of the produce section at your neighborhood grocery store and oranges, seedless clementines, pomegranates, Brussels sprouts, varieties of pears, and apples are easily found.

Today I have a great fall salad that is sure to satisfy appetites for lunch or dinner. Made with roasted golden beets, pomegranates, red kale, sunflower seeds, and orange cinnamon vinaigrette, this salad has many layers of flavors and textures that salad lovers will appreciate. As a meal by itself or as a side dish, this salad can be plated beautifully, making it a great choice for holiday gatherings or potlucks. Using fresh juice from clementines, spiced with cinnamon for our vinaigrette, this salad can be made up to a day in advance without compromising the integrity of the leafy hearty kale. The beets can be served cold or warm.

I strongly recommend only fresh pomegranate be used compared to the packaged seeds you can buy because the packed seeds typically are much duller in color and not as intensely vibrant as fresh pomegranate seeds tend to be. Although I haven't met any kids who like to eat goat cheese, for the mature taste buds try adding goat cheese and toasted chopped walnuts to this salad to take it up just a notch. Enjoy!