Embrace the warmer weather we get to welcome with spring and greet it with refreshing flavors. There are still many citrus varieties that are available in grocery stores, so get your hands on them when you can. The only citrus fruit that this recipe calls for is ruby red grapefruit, which offers a slightly bitter yet sweet flavor. If you are experimenting with citrus and want to add another variety to this salad, the Cara Cara orange is an excellent choice. It’s much sweeter than your average orange, giving you a break from intense tartness.

The key to this salad is balancing the different flavors. Each ingredient is assertive in its own right. The kale can be quite bitter, but the grapefruit offers a sweetness to balance it out. Just make sure that you remove all of the thick stems from the kale leaves, or you’ll end up with bitter, fibrous bites that are off-putting. Then you have the red onion, which has a rich allium flavor. Fortunately, you have the nuttiness of the walnuts and refreshing cucumber to help balance red onion’s intensity.

A salad wouldn’t be anything without a dressing, though. For sweetness, the dressing uses freshly squeezed orange juice, and the olive oil allows the sweetness to bloom as you whisk the dressing together. The mustard powder offers a strong flavor, dancing on your taste buds with every bite. The dressing also includes raw agave nectar, and you can include more of it if the dressing is too strong for your liking. Keep in mind that the dressing aims to complement and balance the ingredients in the salad. Give the dressing a taste test by dipping a few of the salad ingredients in it. If it passes test, dress your salad and enjoy!