We have a little running joke in our house about kale. I love it. My husband HATES it. Therefore, I’m always looking for new and exciting ways to convert him to the dark leafy greens side (snicker). I love how simple this recipe is and how versatile it can be with a few substitutions. The triple p stands for Parmesan, pecans and pomegranate seeds.

Before you tune out, I know what you’re thinking: “Pomegranates? Woof. Too much work.” But I’m here to tell you now that I have mastered the art of quickly removing the seeds from a pomegranate, I am all about incorporating them into my holiday dishes. If your method involves bowls of water or takes longer than 1 minute, I highly recommend checking out this video. Your life will be forever changed. 

Was this salad enough to convert my husband into a kale lover? No. But for me and everyone else at the table, it was the perfect combination of savory and sweet holiday flavors and the perfect start to our Thanksgiving meal. This recipe serves about 8 as a starter course and doesn’t keep particularly well, so you may opt to cut the recipe in half, depending on how many you are feeding.

Active Time: 5 minutes | Cooking Time (refrigeration): 60 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium bunches of kale, stems removed and finely chopped
• Seeds from 2 pomegranates (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup toasted pecan pieces, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

To prepare the dressing, place garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor (I love to use this attachment with my immersion blender) and process until smooth and well combined. Adjust seasoning to taste.

In a large bowl, toss chopped kale, 3/4 cup pecans and 3/4 f the pomegranate seeds together lightly. Drizzle prepared dressing over the salad and toss until well coated. Toss in the Parmesan cheese and toss once more until evenly incorporated. Cover the bowl and transfer to the refrigerator for about an hour to allow the flavors to combine.

To serve, top the salad with the reserved pomegranate seeds and pecans.