Kale salad with pomegranate and grapefruit

The perfect wintertime salad!

Who says wintertime has to be a fresh food wasteland? While it is a lot harder to eat local during the cold months, there are numerous items which are in season at this time of year. Pomegranates and grapefruit are among my favourite midwinter delights and both make excellent additions to a crunchy, flavourful kale salad that is as nutritious as it is colourful. As previously noted in another favourite kale salad recipe of mine, unlike salads made of tender greens, dressed kale salads store beautifully for a day or so after they’ve been made. This salad is a great gateway to incorporating more vegetarian, vegan and raw foods into your diet but even carnivores will love it too!

Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh kale leaves
• 1 large or two small grapefruit
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (22.5 mL) rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (22.5 mL) grapefruit juice
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) maple syrup
• 1/4 cup (65 mL) olive oil*
• salt and pepper to taste

*Depending upon the tartness of your grapefruit, you may need to increase the amount of olive oil slightly for a balanced-tasting vinaigrette.

Method

• Remove the tough stems from the kale leaves and put them in a clean sink filled with cold water to soak for 5 minutes then spin or pat dry.
• Remove the pomegranate seeds being sure to discard any bits of pith that cling to them. There are myriad ways to do this; I plan to try this innovative “wooden spoon” method next time I make this salad!
• Segment the grapefruit by using a sharp knife to peel it, then cut between the membranes to remove the half-moon shaped pieces of flesh. Do this over a bowl so you can capture both the segments and the juice. If you are using a large grapefruit, cut the segments in half cross-wise.
• Make the vinaigrette by combining the rice vinegar, grapefruit juice, maple syrup and olive oil in a small jar with a tight lid. Shake vigorously to combine then add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the amount of oil if needed. You want a vinaigrette that has a little bit of a tang but is not too tart.
• Chop or tear the washed and dried kale leaves into bite-sized pieces. Put these in a large bowl and drizzle with about 3/4 of the dressing. Depending upon the size of your bunch of kale, you may not need the full amount, so don’t add it all at once.
• With your clean hands, reach into the bowl of kale and massage the dressing into the leaves. This is an important step as it softens the kale and also helps the vinaigrette cling to the greens. If the kale seems dry in spots you may need to add a little more dressing, but you don’t want a puddle in the bottom of the bowl.
• Once the kale and dressing have been combined, transfer them to a serving bowl or, if plating the salad, to individual serving plates.
• Garnish with grapefruit and pomegranate seeds.

Serves 4 (although I could eat the whole salad myself in one sitting).