Winter Salad Mix (Print Version)
Crisp kale, red cabbage, apple, and pomegranate create a refreshing winter salad mix.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables & Fruits
01 - 2 cups kale leaves, stems removed and finely chopped
02 - 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
03 - 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
04 - 1 medium apple (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), cored and thinly sliced
05 - 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
→ Nuts & Cheese
06 - 1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
07 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
→ Dressing
08 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
10 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
12 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
13 - 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
# How to Prepare:
01 - Place the kale leaves in a large salad bowl with a pinch of salt. Massage gently for 1 to 2 minutes until the leaves become slightly tender.
02 - Add the red cabbage, julienned carrot, apple slices, and pomegranate seeds into the bowl with the kale.
03 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, sea salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the salad mixture and toss thoroughly to ensure even coating.
05 - Top the salad with chopped walnuts and crumbled feta cheese, if using.
06 - Serve the salad immediately or refrigerate for up to one hour to allow flavors to meld.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The kale softens just enough to be tender without turning into mush, making it actually pleasant to eat raw.
- Those pomegranate seeds burst in your mouth and make every single bite feel a little celebratory.
- It tastes even better if you make it thirty minutes ahead, like the vegetables have decided to become friends with each other.
02 -
- Adding salt to raw kale actually changes its texture in a way that's hard to reverse, so massage it first and season the dressing instead of both.
- If you're making this more than thirty minutes ahead, dress only the part you're eating right then because even kale eventually surrenders to moisture and gets limp.
03 -
- Massage the kale while you're prepping everything else so it softens while you work and you're not standing there squeezing greens like you're stressed.
- Make your dressing first and let it sit in the bottom of the bowl while you cut vegetables so the flavors start mingling before anything else arrives.