​Top 4 Pomegranate Recipes for Rosh Hashana

Top 4 Pomegranate Recipes for Rosh Hashana

One of the best parts of Rosh Hashana is, of course, the delicious food that comes with the celebration of the New Year. While the first night comes with prayers over wine and eating the round challah and apple sliced dipped in honey, the iconic ingredient of the second day of the Tishrei is pomegranate. The pomegranate, or the rimon in Hebrew, is a symbolic fruit in Jewish tradition. During Rosh Hashanah, it signifies a wish for blessing in the new year. Not only are pomegranates important to this holiday, but pomegranates in general are a Jewish symbol of righteousness, knowledge, and wisdom. This is because it is said that the pomegranate has exactly 613 seeds and the Torah also has 613 mitzvot (the commandments of the Torah).

Besides the symbolism and traditional value of pomegranate to Jewish culture, it is also a delicious, sweet, and tangy fruit that works perfectly in many dishes. My personal favorite is to add pomegranate to tasty, refreshing salads for the additional kick of sour and sweet. See below for my top 4 recipes for top 4 pomegranate recipes to start off this New Year.

1. Pomegranate, Apple and Date Salad

What better salad for Rosh Hashana than this salad full of symbolic Jewish foods? Apples, honey, dates, and pomegranate are all rich in symbolism. By putting them together in a salad, you can be fully in touch with the holiday while enjoying a delicious salad with complimenting ingredients.

Dressing:

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lemon, juiced

1/12 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons salad

½ teaspoons black pepper

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

6-8 cups of arugula

½ red onion, sliced

1 apple, cut into slices

4 dates, diced

8 oz gorgonzola cheese

1 pomegranate, seeds

¼ cup walnuts

2. Couscous salad with pomegranate and mint

The mint, couscous, and pomegranate make the perfect, refreshing mix. This salad very simple to make but also filling with the addition of hearty couscous.

Dressing:

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

10 oz box plain couscous

½ Pomegranate, seeds

½ cup chopped walnuts

⅓ cup fresh mint, chopped

⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons currants

3. Orange and Pomegranate Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

This orange and pomegranate salad is perfectly paired with a tangy vinaigrette and some crunchy sliced almonds. I like to toast the almonds to give the salad more of a roasted, complex flavor.

Dressing:

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

3 oz lettuce

2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

2 tablespoons pomegranate, seeds

1 small orange, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon sliced almonds

4. Kale salad with Pomegranate, Orange, and Pine Nuts

Kale is a superfood. Pomegranate is a superfood. Safe to say, this is a super salad! The pinenuts also help elevate this salad with its delicious nutty, binding flavor.

Dressing:

¼ cup of juice from the oranges (cut oranges over a bowl to catch juice)

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

1 bunch kale leaves, remove stem and tough sections

1 cup pomegranate, seeds

2 navel oranges

¼ cup pine nuts