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Almost any big meal could use a green salad to round things out (and balance the heavier items on the table). But not just any old pile of lettuce.

This salad is simply gorgeous, and a great way to bring color, flavor and oomph to a holiday meal. The combination of tartness from the citrus, sweetness from the pomegranate seeds, sharpness from the onion, and a bit of herby bitterness from the arugula — plus a bright vinaigrette — makes this a salad that isn't just a placeholder on a plate. And the colors are amazing.

You can buy pre-shelled pomegranate seeds in little containers in the produce section of the supermarket, or if you're feeling industrious, buy a whole pomegranate, split it apart and remove the seeds yourself. It's messy but slightly therapeutic work. If you have kids, lay out lots of paper on the table, put them in big T-shirts that can get messy and let them take on this project.

ARUGULA, RED ONION, ORANGE AND POMEGRANATE SEED SALAD WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Start to finish • 20 minutes

Servings • 6

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad:

8 cups baby arugula

1 small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced

2 cara cara or blood oranges

Seeds from one pomegranate (about ¾ cup)

Make the vinaigrette. In a small container, combine the shallots, lemon juice, rice vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake to blend.

Place the arugula in a large serving bowl with the onion. Peel the oranges, and use a paring knife to remove all the white pith from the outside of the fruit. Cut the oranges crosswise into slices, and cut those slices into 4 pieces. Add these to the bowl. Pour the dressing on the salad, and toss to combine. Scatter the pomegranate seeds over the top and serve.

Nutritional information per serving • Lemon Vinaigrette: 63 calories; 60 calories from fat; 7 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 161 mg sodium; 1 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 0 g protein. Salad: 37 calories; 5 calories from fat; 1 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 12 mg sodium; 7 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 1 g protein. Salad with dressing: 100 calories; 65 calories from fat; 7 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 172 mg sodium; 8 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 1 g protein.

— Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman