Harvest Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

This Harvest Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette is really easy to make, and would be a great side or lunch salad! It would also be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving menu! With butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and spinach, it is full of protein, healthy omega fats, fiber, and antioxidants. Beyond having tons of antioxidants, did you know that pomegranates actually have some estrogen in them? That makes this fruit especially beneficial for women!

Although I love pretty much all nuts, I chose walnuts for the Harvest Salad, because they have more omega-3 fats in them than other nuts. If you eat too many omega-6 fats, without balancing them out with omega-3s, your body can become inflamed, and inflammation is not only uncomfortable, it is known to cause or contribute to many kinds of diseases. Other great sources of omega-3s are flax seeds, chia seeds, and fish.

Before we get to the recipe for the Harvest Salad, I want to invite you to join with others who are making healthy changes. I’d love to walk alongside you in your journey towards wholeness and health! Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full!” Freedom from food addictions is part of having a truly full life.

For the Salad (approximate amount per 1 serving if served as a side salad):

1 1/2 Cups Organic Baby Spinach
1/2 Cup Cubed, Cooked Butternut Squash (direction follow)
2 Tbsp Pomegranate Seeds
2 Tbsp Chopped Walnuts

To cook your butternut squash coat the bottom of a ceramic non-stick pan with coconut oil and heat it over medium heat. Add the cubed squash and sprinkle it with pink himalayan salt and pepper. Cook, moving the pieces around with a spatula periodically, until the squash is light brown and soft. Save yourself a lot of time by buying pre-chopped butternut squash! After the squash has cooled, combine all of the ingredients for the Harvest Salad, dress it with Pomegranate Vinaigrette (recipe follows), and serve.

For the Pomegranate Vinaigrette:

Makes 1 3/4 Cups Dressing

1/4 Cup Pure Pomegranate Juice
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tsp PInk Himalayan Salt
1/2 Tsp Pepper
1-2 Tbsp Maple Syrup Sweetened Pumpkin Butter or Maple Syrup

Combine all of the ingredients in a salad dressing shaker (if you don’t have one, I highly recommend that you buy one…they make it so easy to make salad dressing that is free of chemicals and extra sugar). Shake it, until everything is well combined. Enjoy!