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Super tart and a little spicy, this Cranberry Pomegranate Salsa will definitely change things up during any holiday or tailgating party. A great topping on those post-Turkey day sandwiches or just served as a dip with some chips. Pucker up, my friends!
If you haven’t noticed….I love cranberries. I always have. My favorite thing on the holiday table growing up was the cranberry sauce shaped like a can. I LOVED it. It was like the only day of the year I could eat jelly with a spoon and it was perfectly acceptable. I didn’t know it was supposed to be a condiment. I wouldn’t have gone for it either because back in those days, I didn’t want any of my food to touch and I avoided gravy at all costs. Gravy had no boundaries. It would just ooze all over the plate and touch food it wasn’t supposed to. I would have been a happy diner had my Thanksgiving dinner been served on a divided plate. That would have avoided any trespassing of real estate on the plate.
These days….I like to mix things up. I don’t mind if my cranberry sauce grazes the stuffing or puddles around the mashed potatoes. It could know something that I don’t. It could know that cranberry has no boundaries and can be morphed into some crazy things….it’s not just for holiday decorating or garnishes like my Vanilla Sugared Cranberries from yesterday. It could serve a purpose and stand alone like this Cranberry Pomegranate Salsa can.
I researched Cranberry Salsa recipes for a few months now. I knew that this was something I wanted to tackle this year. Most of the recipes I found called for raw cranberries. Do you know what raw cranberries do???? They make your face pucker up like you just sucked on a lemon….ala, Renee Zellweger in Me, Myself and Irene. You know…old Renee Zellweger….not the new, old Renee Zellweger. You know what I’m saying? I didn’t want to pucker up after dipping into my Cranberry Pomegranate Salsa.
So, I toned down the pucker by roasting the cranberries for a few minutes and then mixing with some pomegranate seeds and THEN mixing in some honey. I know salsa doesn’t have sugar or honey (at least not the versions I make) but I wanted something natural to take down the tart a little bit. I also opted for clementine juice in place of the lime for a little more sweet….just slight, enough to help in the realm of taming tartness.
What I ended up with was this gorgeous bright red salsa that will rival any run of the mill tomato salsa this season. This is amazing on turkey, chicken and fish. You may be seeing this again after the big binge…aka Thanksgiving. We will be lightening things up a little after the holidays and this Cranberry Pomegranate Salsa will be helping us out. Are you ready? If you want more Thanksgiving ideas…be sure to follow me on Facebook!
Cranberry Pomegranate Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate arils, seeds
- 1 jalapeño, finely minced
- 1/4 cup finely minced red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- juice and zest from one clementine
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Toss the cranberries in the olive oil and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast for 5-7 minutes or until the cranberries soften and begin to burst. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, toss the cranberries with the pomegranate arils, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, clementine juice and zest and honey. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love pomegranates & cranberries looks delicious
Thank you!
my mom would love me to make this. i love the creative use of the ingredients!
This is so incredibly beautiful! I love all the colors. Totally perfect for Thanksgiving!
i am a cranberry lover too! I totally want to take my pita chip and dip it into the screen!!! Beautiful colors and textures!
That salsa is beautiful! And so different too! Love the idea of this!
What a delicious idea to make a cranberry and pomegranate salsa! This recipe will definitely be perfect for me to making for the hot Summer weather here in Australia!
Oh man, this is beautiful. My daughter is a cranberry sauce (and any close derivitive) addict…I’m pretty sure she’d claim this bowl as her own.
I love fruit salsas! I forget sometimes just how good they are. This is a beauty!