While we are saying goodbye to winter and getting ready for warm, sunny days, it is still not too late to enjoy some of the flavors of the cold season for a little longer. So, here is a super healthy and delicious cauliflower and kale salad. You can keep it simple and serve it as a side or enrich it with cheese, seeds and nuts and enjoy it as your main dish.

Grilled Cauliflower and Kale Salad

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower (slice it like steaks to grill it, but it can be used as florets as well)

1-2 ears of corn (preferably unhusked, but it will work just fine if it already is)

8 oz. kale (chopped and massaged with salt and extra-virgin olive oil)

1/2 pomegranate (peeled, seeds separated)

1 small lemon (juice, freshly squeezed)

Extra-virgin olive oil to brush the cauliflower and massage the kale

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the grill to medium (about 350 F). (If you are comfortable grilling different things at the same time, you can grill both together. If not, it will be easier to grill them separately so you can keep an eye on them.)

Prep the cauliflower by cutting it into thick “steaks”. Don’t worry; the ends might crumble. (If you only have florets, it might be easier to roast them in the oven, but you can grill them flipping more frequently.)

Brush the cauliflower steaks with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt. Place them on the preheated grill, brush the other side and season.

Cover the lid and cook for 5-6 minutes; then flip and keep cooking until both sides are nicely charred, but the cauliflower still has a slightly crunchy texture.

Prep the corn by trimming the silk from the top of the ear, peel the first layer of husks and cut the stalk. Place the corn on the preheated grill. Cover the lid and cook for 5 minutes then turn the corn, cover again and cook for another 5 minutes. Repeat this until the entire corn is nicely charred (approximately 15-20 minutes of total grilling).

Prep the kale by thinly slicing the leaves and massaging it with salt and olive oil for 3-4 minutes. (This technique gives the kale a much nicer texture)

Rough chop the grilled cauliflower and cut the corn off the cob.

Mix together the cauliflower, charred corn, massaged kale and pomegranate seeds. Add the lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

You can serve it just like this or make some fun additions with nuts, seeds, crumbled cheese to turn it into a real crowd pleaser.

NOTES:

If you don’t have a grill or it is a rainy day and you don’t want to be outside, the recipe works well with oven-roasted cauliflower and pan-roasted or cast-iron charred corn.

Remember; if you are grilling the cauliflower and corn together, the cooking time will be different.

Pomegranate seeds give the dish a nice texture and subtle sweetness, but it is optional and perfectly substitutable.

If you prefer a much richer salad, you can dress it with a light balsamic vinaigrette or a citrus vinaigrette.

Crumbled feta or goat cheese would make a delicious addition to this salad.