This Warm Kale & Pork Belly Salad with Pomegranate Dressing combines tender slow-cooked pork belly crisped to perfection with warm wilted kale, juicy pomegranate seeds, grapes, walnuts and ribbons of Manchego. The garlicky sweet-and-sour pomegranate dressing ties everything together — a hearty winter salad that feels like a meal.
Now this is what I call a non-wimpy salad.
A generous bowl of roughly sliced kale, pomegranate, grapes and walnuts, scattered with thin slices of Manchego and large chunks of slow-cooked pork belly, crisped until golden. Finish with a punchy pomegranate dressing and you’ve got a salad that’s rich, textural and deeply satisfying.
I kept a piece of slow-cooked pork belly in the freezer over the holidays, and when I finally assembled this salad I immediately understood why it’s worth extra effort. The contrast of soft meat and crisped skin makes every bite addictive.
If you don’t already love kale, this recipe might change your mind. Its slightly buttery, mild flavor soaks up dressing and juices beautifully, and the leaves hold up well to a quick wilt in a hot pan. For best results use sturdy, well-washed kale and slice it into manageable pieces if needed.
Because the pork belly requires a long, gentle cook, I recommend making a double batch if you have the time. Serve extra pork with apple sauce and roasted potatoes, or freeze portions to reheat later for salads, sandwiches or a Sunday roast-style meal.
Frozen cooked pork belly defrosts well. Thaw completely, cut into small chunks with the skin intact, sprinkle the skin with a little salt and pan-fry for 8–10 minutes until the skin crisps and the meat is heated through.
The kale needs only about 30–40 seconds in the hot pan: toss it in the residual pork pan to wilt it slightly and pick up some of the pork flavor. Plate the kale, top with pork pieces, Manchego ribbons, walnuts, pomegranate seeds and grapes, then spoon over the dressing.
Quick tip for removing pomegranate seeds: cut the pomegranate in half, hold a half cut-side down over a bowl and strike the back with a wooden spoon. The seeds will drop into the bowl with minimal damage. Reserve half the seeds for the salad and press the rest through a sieve to extract juice for the dressing if you prefer fresh juice.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
Still hungry for ideas? Try other hearty salads that pair proteins and bold dressings with fresh fruit and nuts for texture and flavor.
The Warm Kale & Pork Belly Salad with Pomegranate Dressing Recipe:
Warm Kale & Pork Belly Salad with Pomegranate Dressing
Ingredients
Pork Belly:
- 1 portion pork belly (not rolled, rind on), 500–800g
- 1 tsp salt
- 300 ml white wine
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 10 black peppercorns
- Water to top up
For frying the pork:
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (avocado, sunflower or canola)
Salad:
- 1 tbsp oil (avocado or neutral)
- 250 g kale, washed and roughly sliced
- 80 g walnuts, halved
- 50 g Manchego, thinly sliced with a potato peeler
- Seeds from half a large pomegranate
- 32 black seedless grapes
Pomegranate Dressing:
- 4 tbsp pomegranate juice (bought or from half a pomegranate)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. Score the pork belly skin and rub 1 tsp salt into it. Place skin-side up in an ovenproof pan that fits the pork with a little room around it.
- Pour the wine into the pan around the pork (avoid pouring directly over the pork to keep the salt in place). Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns, then top up with water until it comes almost to the top of the pork. Bring gently to the boil, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 hours, checking once halfway to top up with boiling water if needed.
- When cooked, remove from the oven, lift the lid and place a flat tray or plate on the pork with a heavy weight on top (tins of beans work well). This flattens the meat to an even thickness for easier slicing. Leave to cool, then refrigerate for a couple of hours with the weight in place.
- You can wrap and freeze the cooled pork for future use if desired.
- When ready to serve, cut the chilled pork into thumb-sized pieces, keeping the skin on. Heat oil in a large frying pan, sprinkle a little salt on the skin of each piece and place them skin-side down into the hot pan. Expect some spitting. Fry on medium-high until the skin is golden (about 3 minutes), then turn and brown the other sides — about 10 minutes total.
- While the pork cooks, whisk together the pomegranate juice, olive oil, minced garlic, sugar, balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper to make the dressing. Set aside.
- When the pork is done, turn off the heat and transfer the pork to a plate. Add the kale to the still-hot pan and cook for 30–40 seconds until it just starts to wilt.
- Divide the kale among four bowls. Top with pork, walnuts, Manchego, pomegranate seeds and grapes. Serve immediately with the pomegranate dressing.
Notes
Cook double portions of pork if you can. Cool, cover and freeze for up to a month; defrost and fry as instructed until piping hot before serving.