Fresh and crisp, Winter Greens Salad with Citrus Dressing perfectly balances out all the cold weather comfort foods.

This time of year is cold and dark, and what we really want to eat are warm and comforting foods. Chili with cheese and cornbread, chicken and dumplings, and pasta soup are all high on my list of cravings during the cold winter months.

These meals can start to get heavy, and we start to feel heavy right along with them. Enter a crisp vinaigrette salad! Kale and endive are hearty greens that are easy to come by all year round. The kale stays crisp even after getting this citrus vinaigrette massaged into the leaves, and will continue to hold up overnight in the fridge if you have leftovers! That’s a big bonus for a salad.

Slivered almonds add a satisfying crunch while candied ginger adds a slight spicy sweetness throughout. Oranges of all types are available here in the winter.

Let’s talk about massaging your kale! That just sounds strange, doesn’t it? Kale is thick and hearty. It can be tough to chew and tough to digest, but when we take the time to massage a vinaigrette into it, the leaves soften just enough to make a salad that is easy and satisfying on the palate.

Start with your chopped kale in a big bowl. Add a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of vinaigrette. Now get to work. Use your hands and fingertips to literally massage the salt and vinaigrette into the kale leaves. You will see and feel the leaves transform from dry and tough to delicate and somehow more vibrantly dark green.

This process takes about 7 minutes, and can become a totally therapeutic exercise if you let yourself zone out a bit. Once you’re finished, toss the kale with all the other ingredients and enjoy your gourmet salad!