Trade your winter blues for greens with this winter kale salad. Okay, okay – this salad is very fruit forward, but doesn’t that make for a better salad anyways? This salad is made with items that are in season and help brighten a dreary winter day. The fresh apple, pear and pomegranate seeds blend well with the acidity of a lemony balsamic vinaigrette for a bright flavor. The saltiness of shaved parmesan balances the sweetness of crunchy candied walnuts. Oh, and there’s kale in there too.

Honestly, this might be the only way to eat kale.

What you will need for this Winter Kale Salad

Kale – You can use any type of kale, but I find curly kale with the stems removed to be the best for this salad. Once the kale is massaged with a bit of dressing it is softer and has a more mellow flavor.
Apples – Any apples will work. Use your favorite for this recipe. I used Fuji apples and will recommend those.
Pears – Any pears will work too. I used Bartlett pears for this recipe. You will want to wait until they are just getting ripe and soft to dice up and use. They will be sweetest at this point, but not too soft.
Pomegranate Seeds– Fresh is best! Not only will it provide a wonderful pop of color to the salad, the juiciness of fresh pomegranate seeds is much better than frozen ones. I tried to thaw frozen seeds and they were…sad. Also, the slowness and gentleness of de-seeding a pomegranate is a vibe. Take the time to slow down and enjoy the process. I promise it will be worth it.
Parmesan – Large pieces of shaved parmesan work best. Cheese that is too fine shredded changes the texture of the salad slightly. I like to use the tub of pre-shaved parmesan from Trader Joe’s.
Candied Walnuts – You can buy these pre-made or make them yourself. If you choose to make some, just add about 2Tbsp of brown sugar to a pan with your walnuts and heat up on medium heat until the sugar melts.
Balsamic Vinaigrette – Again, you can buy this or make it. I like to use a store bought lite dressing and add in the rest of the ingredients.

Why massage kale?

It helps it taste better.

Kale is famous for being bitter and tough, yet it’s in so many salad recipes. The key to making this winter kale salad enjoyable is to massage the kale leaves. You can use just plain oil, an acid like lemon juice, or even a little bit of the salad dressing. Here’s a few pointers and tips about massaging kale:

Use a small amount of oil or dressing. Start with one teaspoon and massage that into the leaves. A little goes a long way and you don’t want to make the kale too soggy from the start.
Don’t over massage the kale. About 30 seconds should be enough to get the dressing coated on all leaves. You will see the leaves turn a dark, vibrant green.
Do this step first before preparing the rest of the ingredients. It will give the leaves more time to soften.