Winter Vegetable Salad

This cold-weather salad proves that winter vegetables don’t need roasting to shine. Blanched kale, julienned leeks, and diagonally sliced carrots get a quick cook in the same pot of boiling water, then chill into a crisp, colorful platter.

The cooking times are deliberately short. Leeks get five minutes until just tender, carrots only one minute for a slight snap, and kale one minute so it wilts but keeps its deep green color and a bit of chew. Overcooking any of these turns the salad limp and dull. Use a slotted spoon to pull each vegetable out and reuse the same cooking liquid for the next one, which concentrates the flavor.

The yogurt dressing is light and sharp. Low-fat yogurt, minced garlic, sliced green onions, and red wine vinegar make a tangy counterpoint to the earthy sweetness of the vegetables. It chills separately so the dressing stays thick and doesn’t water down the platter.

Kitchen Tips

• Clean the leeks thoroughly. Split them lengthwise and fan the layers under running water to flush out trapped grit and sand.
• Slice the carrots on a sharp diagonal for wider, more elegant pieces that cook evenly in just one minute.
• Make the dressing and cook the vegetables up to a day ahead. Assemble the platter just before serving so the kale stays vibrant.
• Serve the yogurt on the side or drizzle it in a zigzag pattern across the platter for a cleaner presentation.

Variations

• Add blanched beet slices for extra color and a hint of sweetness.
• Swap the yogurt dressing for a tahini-lemon dressing to make this dairy-free.
• Toss in toasted walnuts or pumpkin seeds at serving for crunch and protein.