Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing

Looking for a way to add easy pizazz to everyday meals? This Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing is delicious on salads, as a drizzling sauce for chicken, pork, shrimp... and so much more! 

We've been enjoying lots of fall produce-inspired salads drizzled with this Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing and I'm anticipating making many more with the holidays on the near horizon. I find that having a jar of this delicious crimson dressing stashed in the fridge makes a quick, but delicious salad super easy!

One little trick I love to employ as we head towards the busy holiday season is to throw a rotisserie chicken in my cart each time I grocery shop. When evening comes and I've been out with friends or busy testing recipes all day, I just pull out some greens, add some sliced apples, pears or clementine wedges, pomegranate arils, toasted pecans or walnuts and my save-the-day rotisserie chicken.

Add a generous drizzle of this Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing and, voila! A fabulous, healthy dinner is on our table in record time. If we feel like a little splurge and I have any of these Ridiculously Easy Artisan Rolls or this wonderful Rosemary Bread stashed in the freezer, it's an especially delicious dinner!

Although we love "whole-meal" salads like the one mentioned above, I've found that you don't need anything fancy to make a delicious side salad if you've got a stash of this Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing. Just pull out whatever greens you have and leave it at that or add a sliced cucumber, a diced avocado, some slivered red onion, a scatter of pomegranates, a handful of dried cranberries... and/or whatever sounds good from your pantry or fridge!

So versatile!

I also love that this dressing isn't just a dressing. It makes a wonderful drizzling sauce for grilled or pan-seared chicken, pork, shrimp, salmon... you get the picture, right? Another way to use this Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing is to to drizzle it over roasted or steamed carrots, green beans, broccoli, sweet potates, etc. It makes a great dipping sauce for paninis or grilled sandwiches. See what I mean? So... versatile!

A secret step

I'm a big fan of throw-it-all-in-a-jar-and-shake dressings however, to add a wonderful depth of flavor, there is one small extra step with this Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing. A cup of pomegranate juice is reduced in a saucepan to create a base for this super flavorful dressing. This step takes less than 10 minutes and is well worth the bit of extra effort.

In addition to adding a fabulous layer of flavor, reducing the pom juice gives the dressing an intensely crimson hue making it a perfect holiday dressing/condiment. Your family/guests will gasp with delight as you drizzle this delicious, jewel-pigmented dressing over their salads.

In addition to pomegranate juice, the cast of characters for this Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing includes fresh ginger (or ginger paste), garlic, white balsamic vinegar, honey, oil, salt and pepper. Once the juice is reduced you can combine everything in a jar and shake, shake, shake. That's it - minimal effort for lots of crazy delicious flavor!

Be sure to pick some pomegranate juice and anything else from the ingredient list you might be missing. This delicious dressing might just be the star of your holiday season. And if you serve it with our Harvest Apple Arugula Salad (below)... oh my! There will be rave reviews from all who partake!

Cafe Tips for making this Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing

• Pomegranate juice can usually be found in the produce area in the same area where refrigerated dressings are stocked.
• Pomegranate juice will keep well for two weeks in the refrigerator after opening. It can also be frozen indefinitely.
• This recipe calls for finely chopped fresh ginger. I always keep a tube of Ginger Paste in my refrigerator or freezer so I always have fresh ginger on hand. If it's frozen, I just let it thaw for 5-10 minutes, squeeze out what I need and pop it back in the freezer. It saves a lot of time and trips to the grocery store! You can find Ginger Paste in the produce section (usually near the fresh herbs) at many larger grocery stores. They also carry it at Super Target and Super Walmart. (This is not a sponsored post, I just love this stuff.)
• This recipe also calls for white balsamic vinegar which is similar to regular (dark) balsamic vinegar but has a milder, softer flavor and lighter color.
• The ingredient list for this Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing includes olive oil AND a neutral flavor oil. I love olive oil, but I found that when using 100% olive oil in this recipe it overpowered the other ingredients. You can use any neutral-flavored oil to supplement the olive oil. Neutral-flavored oils include grape seed, avocado, sunflower, safflower, canola and vegetable oil. Avoid oils like peanut and corn oil as they have a stronger flavor.
• This dressing will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or longer.

Thought for the day:

"Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these, I delight,"
declares the Lord.

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Be Thou My Vision

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Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing

Chris Scheuer

Looking for a way to add easy pizazz to everyday meals? This Pomegranate Ginger Salad Dressing is delicious on salads, as a drizzling sauce for chicken, pork, shrimp... and so much more!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 18 minutes mins

Servings 20

Calories 65

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

.5x1x2x

• ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup neutral-flavored oil, (ie canola, grapeseed, avocado, sunflower, safflower, vegetable)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup pure pomegranate juice

Instructions

 

1. Combine all of the ingredients except for the pomegranate juice in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Place pomegranate juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil for 6-8 minutes or until the juice is reduced to ⅓ cup. Remove from the heat and pour into the jar with the other ingredients. Shake well for 30 seconds then serve and enjoy. Shake well each time before serving.

Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

Nutrition

Serving: 201 tablespoon servingsCalories: 65kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 60mgPotassium: 33mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 1mg

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Course: Salad Dressing

Cuisine: American