Collard Greens Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Collard greens become perfectly tender for this salad when thinly sliced and massaged with vinaigrette, then tossed with tart cherries, Manchego cheese, and quick candied almonds.

Total Time: 30 mins
Servings: 6

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.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon plus a pinch of smoked paprika, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 pounds fresh collard greens, washed
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup dried tart cherries
2 ounces Manchego cheese, shaved (about 1/2 cup), divided

Directions

Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Combine almonds and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium-size nonstick skillet over medium; cook, stirring constantly using a heatproof rubber spatula, until sugar melts, browns, and coats almonds, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and quickly stir in 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Scrape almond mixture onto prepared baking sheet, and quickly spread into an even layer. Let cool completely, about 10 minutes. Break candied almonds into small clusters; set aside until ready to use.
Meanwhile, slice each collard green leaf along both sides of the stem using a sharp knife. Discard stems, or reserve for another use. Stack leaf halves in small piles, lining up the leaves’ cut sides in the same direction. Roll up a leaf stack lengthwise into a tight cylinder that resembles a cigar. Using a sharp knife, slice the rolled stack crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick ribbons; transfer to a large bowl. Repeat process with remaining leaf stacks. Lightly toss to fluff up the sliced collard greens.
Whisk together orange juice, mustard, vinegar, remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining pinch of smoked paprika in a small bowl. Gradually add oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking until vinaigrette is emulsified.
Drizzle half of the vinaigrette over the greens. Using clean hands, firmly massage greens, rubbing dressing into collards until they become slightly darker and their volume is reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cherries, 1 ounce Manchego (about 1/4 cup), and remaining vinaigrette; toss to combine. Top with remaining 1 ounce Manchego and reserved candied almonds.

Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, March 2025