Who says salads are just for spring and summer? Salads can be spectacular with a cold weather twist, and they can even include fresh, seasonal ingredients! Best of all, you don’t need to dine out to get one. Here are a few of our favorite winter salad recipes to make at home.
Classic Caesar
A Caesar Salad is a classic offering at fine restaurants and features a rich, creamy dressing that is well-suited for winter. Thankfully, this decadent favorite is easy to whip up right in your kitchen. While store-bought dressing is fine in a pinch, take your salad game up a notch with a homemade Caesar dressing. This recipe from Bon Appétit is the real deal, with romaine hearts, freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, and a truly spectacular, made from scratch Caesar dressing with traditional ingredients like garlic, egg yolks, anchovy filets, olive oil, and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Don’t forget the croutons!
Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese
This winter salad calls for peppery arugula and savory goat cheese, but it’s the roasted beets that steal the show. Roasting until tender in a 400-degree oven brings out the natural sweetness of this tasty root vegetable. Beets are typically harvested in the fall and stored until winter, and the ruby red color is the perfect addition to a Valentine’s Day dinner table. Top your Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with a simple balsamic vinaigrette, sliced avocado, and toasted walnuts. For the recipe from Delish, click here.
Winter Pear
Topped with thinly sliced bosc pears, lemon rosemary chicken thighs, and a homemade honey dijon dressing, this salad is perfect for a light yet hearty dinner on a chilly night. Marinate the chicken overnight, grill it in a cast iron skillet, and layer your salad ingredients on a platter before serving. Greens include kale and shredded Brussels sprouts, with clementines, pomegranate arils, candied walnuts, and crumbled blue cheese for gorgeous color and dynamic flavor. For the Winter Pear Salad recipe from Damn Delicious, click here.
Antipasto
A traditional Italian antipasto combines fresh mozzarella and basil, cured meats, sweet peppers, and artichoke hearts from your kitchen pantry cabinet. Topped with a zesty vinaigrette made from extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, seasoned with garlic, red pepper flakes, and crushed oregano from your spice rack, this winter salad is like a full meal on its own and is sure to satisfy a hungry family. To make your own antipasto at home, visit Epicurious and check out this easy to follow recipe.
Winter Spinach
A healthy bowl of fresh spinach topped with strawberries and poppyseed dressing is a staple of the spring and summer months, so we naturally love this winter twist on the spinach salad that calls for dried sour cherries, green apple slices, and seedless red grapes instead of berries. If you don’t have sour cherries in your kitchen pantry cabinet, currents or dried apricots can be subbed. You’ll also need apple cider vinegar, olive oil, scallions, and crumbled goat cheese. For a simple recipe from Martha Stewart Living, click here.
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