10 Tasty Salads Featuring Fresh Winter Ingredients

Posted: December 27, 2022 8:02 am

While most people associate fresh salads with the spring and summer months when many types of produce are at their freshest, there are also a number of winter salad recipes that are perfect for this time of the year. Whether you are trying to get the new year off to a healthy start or you are wanting to enjoy some of the best produce of the season, here are 10 winter salad recipes for you to try in the upcoming weeks.

Kale Salad with Apple, Cranberries, and Pecans

Kale is the ideal winter vegetable, hearty enough to stand up to a variety of dressings and toppings. This kale salad with apples, cranberries, and pecans is tossed in a delicious homemade honey mustard dressing, bringing out the best flavors of all of the ingredients. The addition of radishes adds an extra crunch. A topping of goat cheese takes this salad over the top. The recipe is also vegetarian and gluten free. You can also choose to add some grilled chicken or shrimp to make this an entree salad.

Bitter Greens Salad with Sesame Dressing

This bitter greens salad with sesame dressing will become a fast favorite in your dinner rotation this winter. The dressing made with tahini, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar cuts the bitterness of the greens. Even if you have not typically enjoyed turnip greens or kale, you owe it to yourself to see how this dressing transforms the vegetables into a smooth salad. The arugula also helps to cut the bitterness and deliver a more balanced taste.

Asian Pear Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing

While it is hard to find some of your favorite fruits in season during the long and cold winter months, pears are at their peak during this time of the year. This makes this Asian pear salad with orange ginger dressing recipe a marvelous side dish. Red bell peppers, carrots, cucumber, edamame, red cabbage, Asian pears, and oranges are tossed in a tangy dressing featuring orange zest, orange juice, ginger, rice vinegar, cilantro, and grapeseed oil. The result is an explosion of flavors in your mouth.

Chickpea Tuna Salad

This chickpea “tuna” salad recipe is perfect for when you need something easy and fast to prepare. The twist is that the chickpeas serve as the “tuna,” making this a healthy vegetarian dish. Chickpeas, red onion, and celery serve as the base of the recipe. The secret ingredient comes in the form of finely chopped capers that give the dish its tuna taste. The dressing is made with mayo, dijon mustard, and white vinegar. Serve this salad with crackers, on a bed of lettuce, or as a sandwich between two slices of your favorite bread.

Citrus Salad with Fennel and Avocado

Citrus fruits are undoubtedly the stars of the winter season. This citrus salad with fennel and avocado leans on a mix of sweet citrus fruits to brighten up any winter table. While the recipe calls for satsumas and grapefruit, you can also use mandarins, tangelos or navel oranges. The creamy avocado cuts through the crunchiness that is added with the fennel, radicchio, and pine nuts. You can serve this salad as a colorful side dish for any meal or top it with chicken, farro, and chickpeas for a complete meal. A sprinkling of fresh mint freshens up the salad and elevates it even further.

Beet Carrot Salad with Tangy Lime Vinaigrette

Nothing says winter quite like an earthy beet salad. This beet carrot salad with tangy lime vinaigrette is bursting with the best flavors of the winter season. The raw beets mix with raw carrots and toasted pepitas for extra crunch. A tangy lime vinaigrette dressing brings it all together. Sprinkle this salad with feta cheese for an extra layer of flavor.

Wild Rice Salad with Orange and Pomegranate

This wild rice salad with orange and pomegranate dish is as delicious as it is beautiful. The nutty rice goes perfectly with the sweet oranges and pomegranates. An apple cider vinegar dressing coats all of the ingredients. As a bonus, the recipe is naturally vegetarian and gluten-free. You can also easily make it dairy-free or vegan by omitting the feta cheese. This salad pairs wonderfully with roasted chicken or a rack of lamb.

Asian Cabbage Chopped Salad

This simple Asian cabbage chopped salad will soon become your go-to winter dish. In addition to finely chopped cabbage, the salad contains romaine lettuce, fresh cilantro, green onion, celery, and shredded carrots. Top the veggies with toasted almonds and cashews before pouring the sesame ginger dressing over the top. This salad makes a great vegetarian dish or toss it with chicken breast, shrimp, or salmon for a lovely light dinner.

Sweet Potato Salad

Get in all of your vitamin A requirements with this sweet potato salad. The recipe is full of heart-healthy caramelized sweet potatoes, arugula, roasted red peppers, and avocado. Other key ingredients include feta cheese, pepitas, and avocado. The tahini dressing is a tasty finishing touch, featuring tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, maple syrup, sesame oil, water, and salt. While sweet potatoes are traditionally associated with the fall months, you will find them in abundance at affordable prices through the winter.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Round out your winter salad rotation with this shaved Brussels sprout dish. The base of the salad offers up Brussels sprouts, roasted sunflower seeds, honey crisp apples, dried cranberries, parmesan cheese, and chives. The dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. You can usually find Brussels sprouts already shaved at your grocer, making this an easy recipe to pull together when you are short on time.

Ward off the cold and stay healthy with these 10 amazing winter salad recipes. You will not even miss the fresh produce of the spring and summer season when you dig into these beautiful salads.

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