Pomegranate Salad

This salad incorporates the juice of the wonderfully tangy pomegranate fruit and is very low in sodium. Commercially prepared salad dressings tend to be very high in sodium, which is another great reason to make your own salad dressing.  Makes 4 large servings.

Salad:
One 5-ounce bag mixed salad greens
Seeds from one pomegranate (when in season)
1 pear cut into thin slices
½ cup red onion cut into thin slices
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped and toasted
1 cup croutons, made from whole grain bread

Dressing:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon minced garlic
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all dressing ingredients together with a whisk and set aside.

Place the chopped walnuts in a toaster oven or under the broiler until they begin to brown.

Mix with the salad greens, onion slices, pear slices, croutons and walnuts.

Re-whisk the salad dressing before serving. Top the salad with dressing and toss thoroughly.

Nutritional information for ¼ of salad and 2 tablespoons dressing: 145 calories, 6.5 gm of fat, 0 saturated fat, 2 gm protein, 20 gm carbohydrate,  2 gm fiber, 60 mg sodium