Massaged Collard Greens Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

You are probably familiar with braised collard greens, but they are also delicious when served raw. A massage in vinaigrette is the key to making raw, thinly sliced collard greens tender for this hearty winter salad. The earthy greens with their slight bitter edge, punchy dressing, salty cheese, crunchy caramelized nuts, and sweet dried fruit all add up to a balanced and satisfying dish. Collards and their deep flavor are the perfect green here; look for bunches with dark green leaves that are free of yellow spots (a sign of age or under-watering). The leaves should be tender and tear easily. 

How does slicing and massaging the leaves work?

Chiffonade (the French term for cutting leaves into ribbons), makes it easy to help soften the collard greens by breaking up the fibers, but you can also cut the ribbons a little thicker and still achieve the same tenderness. The leaves have a waxy, oil-soluble coating that protects the plant from rain. Massaging the olive oil–based dressing into the leaves makes it easy to crush and soften them. 

What’s the best way to prepare collard greens?

It’s important to wash greens properly. Immerse your collard greens in a sink filled with cold water before cutting them to prevent any surface bacteria from spreading. Let the leaves stand in the water for a few minutes, then swirl them with your hands to loosen any dirt. Remove the cleaned greens from the water, and dry them with towels or using a salad spinner. 

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Some of the thinner parts of the collard green stems are fine to eat in this salad, but the rest should be removed. To do this, treat the collards like you would asparagus and bend it to find the stem's breaking point to remove off the tough, woody ends. 

Make ahead

The salad dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. The dressed salad can be prepared and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one day in advance.