Collard Salad with Pomegranate and Pecans

Pomegranates!  I love including the beautiful, tart, crunchy seeds in all sorts of dishes - stirred into yogurt, folded into a fruit salad, and of course, sprinkled over a green salad.  This simple salad, intensely green with collards and parsley, will wake up your lunches this week (and keep you full well into the afternoon as well!). Enjoy.

YIELD: 4 quart-sized salads

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 4 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 4 oz feta, crumbled
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small pomegranate, seeds removed
• 1 large bunch collard greens, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 c pecans, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the parsley-dijon vinaigrette: combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a pint-sized mason jar.  Puree and emulsify the dressing using a handheld stick blender.  (Alternatively, puree and emulsify the dressing in a blender or mini food processor.)  Stir in the parsley.
2. Pack the salads: add 2 tbsp dressing to each of 4 tall quart-sized containers; reserve the remaining dressing for another use.  Layer the feta, red onion, pomegranate seeds, and collard greens in the jars.  Divide the pecans evenly among 4 2-oz jars or snack-sized zip-top baggies, one for each salad.  Refrigerate until serving.
3. Enjoy your salad: invert your salad onto a plate or into a bowl.  Top with pecans.

TIME-SAVING TIPS: Substitute your favorite store-bought vinaigrette for the parsley-dijon vinaigrette.  Purchase fresh pomegranate seeds instead of seeding your own pomegranate.  Substitute pre-washed baby kale for the collard greens.

SPECIAL DIET SWAPS: This salad is vegetarian and gluten-free as-is.  For a vegan salad, substitute your favorite vegan feta for the dairy feta.  For a nut-free salad, substitute roasted sunflower seeds for the pecans. 

Food styling, photography, and infographics by Robert Campbell.