Name: Winter Kale Salad with Pomegranate and Blue Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 cups lacinato kale (1 head chopped); ½ cup pomegranate seeds; 4 ounces blue cheese block (cut in thin slices so it crumbles); 4 cups brown bread croutons; maple apple cider vinaigrette; 1 small loaf sweet brown bread (about 4 cups, cut in cubes); 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ cup apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup; 2 tablespoons apple cider; 1 teaspoon dijon mustard; 1 clove garlic (finely minced); ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ½ cup extra virgin olive oil; optional ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

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Crisp greens, salty blue cheese and sweet pomegranate, crunchy brown bread croutons and the balance of tangy cider-maple vinaigrette. Winter Kale Salad with Pomegranate and Blue Cheese is bringing all the best things about winter produce into the lime light in the freshest way possible.

So. Many. Good. Things.

Both in this salad and during the winter season. Well, ok, I guess it’s not technically winter yet but Thanksgiving has come and gone and we’re in the thick of the holiday season. To me, that says cozy things, comfort food, holiday treats, cocktails and cold weather.

When it’s cold out do you ever have a hard time finding cravings for cold food? In the winter we usually gorge on hidden veggie soups and easy instant pot go tos. But then I finally sit down to a salad and I’m like, “where have you been all month?!”

Is that you too? It doesn’t have to be, you can still enjoy this super tasty winter salad. I’m just asking for the sake of solidarity.

Why you should be making winter kale salad

Can you already hear the kale haters out there groaning? Ugh. We’re just some people that love kale ok? Let us live.

You can always substitute kale for other lettuces or spinach, but I love this type of kale because it’s a little softer and more lettuce-like than regular curly kale. Sometimes it’s called Tuscan Kale, Lacinato Kale or Dino Kale. The leaves look more like a dark green version of romaine if you pulled all the leaves off the root.

In the chaos of pre-Thanksgiving gatherings, I brought this for lunch to my mom and dads to watch it disappear before my eyes. Then at the request of my sister, made the same salad for Thanksgiving two days later. It’s nice when something tasty is also real easy to make, huh?

Here’s why this bowl of green winter goodness is a winner:

Tuscan Kale

not as ‘tough’ as curly kale
holds up to dressing really well for a long time without wilting
stems aren’t as bitter
cut first, then wash and dry to soften the leaf

Pomegranate

currently in season, so you’ll get the juiciest, sweetest seeds
bring both sweet and acid to this winter kale salad
have a snap and crunch texture
and c’mon, they’re pretty

Blue Cheese

use a block blue cheese for creamier texture
salty flavor balances the acid and sweet from the pomegranate
the natural fat from the cheese helps to balance flavors and to help make it feel like a more filling dish
if you don’t like blue cheese, a rich goat cheese would be a good substitution

Brown Bread Croutons

the bread is naturally a little sweet
olive oil and salt add simple flavor and seasoning
crunchy bread texture

Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette

this will never not be my favorite fall/winter salad dressing
not too sweet, slightly acidic, and the right amount of salt and pepper
minced garlic and dijon mustard balance the sweet of the maple and apple
shakes up quick in a mason jar

If you’re looking to make this into a meal rather than a starter or side salad, I’d recommend grilling or broiling up some steak to go with it. A flank steak would be perfect and simple to sear on a cast iron or under the broiler with simple salt and pepper, then slice it thin. Grilled chicken or a quick seared ahi tuna steak would do you good, too.

Or just maybe eat it out of the serving bowl because you just can’t help yourself…