Rocket Salad with Pomegranate and Walnuts
Rocket salad wilts within minutes for two reasons: wet leaves and dressing added too early. The leaves must be completely dried — water thins the dressing and makes it slide off — and the dressing goes on two minutes before serving, not fifteen.
- Prep
- 18 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 23 min
- Calories
- 210
Rocket salad with pomegranate is one of the prettiest and best-tasting salads there is, and its only problem is how fast it wilts on the table. The fix is two steps before tossing.
Method
-
1
Wash and dry the rocket
Wash the rocket in cold water and dry it completely in a salad spinner or a clean towel. Any water left thins the dressing and makes the leaves wilt fast.
⏱ 8 min -
2
Toast the walnuts
Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Toasting transforms their flavour and removes their bitterness.
⏱ 5 min -
3
Deseed the pomegranate
Break the pomegranate apart under water in a bowl — the seeds sink and the white pith floats. That pith is very bitter and all of it must go.
⏱ 7 min -
4
Soak the onion
Slice the red onion thinly and soak it in iced water for 10 minutes. Soaking removes its sharpness and keeps it crisp.
⏱ 11 min -
5
The dressing
Whisk the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon, sumac and salt until emulsified. Pomegranate molasses brings sweetness and acidity together.
⏱ 4 min -
6
Toss before serving
Toss the rocket with the dressing two minutes before serving only, then scatter the pomegranate, walnuts and feta on top. Early dressing wilts the leaves immediately.
⏱ 4 min
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Tips that actually matter
- The rocket completely dry — water thins the dressing and speeds the wilting.
- Toast the walnuts — the difference between raw and toasted is considerable.
- Dressing two minutes before serving, not fifteen.
- Deseed the pomegranate under water — the cleanest method with no splattering.
People also ask
Why does rocket wilt so fast?
Either the leaves were wet, or the dressing went on too early. The salt and acid in the dressing draw water out of the leaves — which is why tossing must happen only two minutes before serving.
How do I deseed a pomegranate without mess?
Cut it in half and break it apart under water in a deep bowl. The seeds sink to the bottom and the white pith floats to the surface, easy to lift off, with no juice spraying.
Can I prepare it ahead?
Prepare all the components separately and the dressing in a jar, and keep them in the fridge. Only the tossing has to happen right before serving — that way you save the time without the wilting.
Cook mode
Rocket Salad with Pomegranate and Walnuts
-
1
Wash and dry the rocket
Wash the rocket in cold water and dry it completely in a salad spinner or a clean towel. Any water left thins the dressing and makes the leaves wilt fast.
-
2
Toast the walnuts
Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Toasting transforms their flavour and removes their bitterness.
-
3
Deseed the pomegranate
Break the pomegranate apart under water in a bowl — the seeds sink and the white pith floats. That pith is very bitter and all of it must go.
-
4
Soak the onion
Slice the red onion thinly and soak it in iced water for 10 minutes. Soaking removes its sharpness and keeps it crisp.
-
5
The dressing
Whisk the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon, sumac and salt until emulsified. Pomegranate molasses brings sweetness and acidity together.
-
6
Toss before serving
Toss the rocket with the dressing two minutes before serving only, then scatter the pomegranate, walnuts and feta on top. Early dressing wilts the leaves immediately.
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