Description
Collard greens salt-and-sugar toss trick adapted from Ronna Welsh’s The Nimble Cook. Read more about it in the post above.
Salad recipe adapted from Epicurious. Original recipe calls for roasting a head of garlic, smashing the cloves, and whisking them into the dressing. It’s delicious. To save time, I’ve omitted that step.
Salt: I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you are using Morton’s kosher salt, you may want to cut back a teensy bit on the quantities listed below. Morton’s is saltier.
This is such a festive, pretty, hearty fall salad. When the pomegranates begin arriving, I think I’ll add those here, too.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large or 2 small delicata squash, halved, seeds removed, and sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
- 1 large head (roughly 10 ounces) collard greens or lacinato kale, thickest ribs removed to yield about 8 ounces
- kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic (or cider or other white) vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup golden raisins or dried fruit of choice
- shaved Parmigiano Reggiano or Manchego, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400ºF. Place the squash pieces in a large bowl and coat with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Spread out the squash, reserving the bowl, on a large baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Flip, and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes. Check. Continue to roast if necessary until slices are golden on both sides. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Thinly slice the greens the way you would chiffonade basil: stack a few leaves on top of one another, roll into a tight coil, then cut straight down to create thin ribbons. Place the greens (you should have about 8 ounces) in the reserved bowl and toss with a scant 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon sugar (if using collards). Toss gently — no need to massage. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Taste. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, if it tastes too sharp for your liking. (Note: Dressing should taste sharp. You can also always add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the salad once it’s all tossed together if you think it still tastes too sharp.)
- Set a small skillet on the stove over low heat. Add the almonds and toast until golden, checking often.
- Add the raisins, toasted nuts, and some shaved parmesan to the bowl of greens. Toss with the dressing. Add the squash pieces and toss again. Shave more parmesan over top and crack fresh pepper over top to taste, as well.
- Serve the salad at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: American
