Winter Salads So Cool They're Hot
Salads are not only a summer occurrence! You can eat lighter, filling winter salads to help keep you satisfied through the colder months. These winter salads use delicious, fresh seasonal ingredients to help you create budget-friendly options.
Beyond being healthy dishes, these salad recipes are flavorful and hearty to help tide you over to the next meal. Easy and convenient to whip up, you'll love these winter salads!
Hearty Winter Salad Bowl
Looking for a filling winter salad that’s light, flavorful, and packed with nutritious ingredients? Look no further! This tasty option includes seasonal favorites that you can easily find at the store. You can also double the recipe for larger dinner parties or events.
Winter Citrus Salad
You’ll find the perfect balance of flavors in this winter citrus salad. It’s packed with peppery arugula, beets, goat cheese, pine nuts, oranges, and pomegranate seeds, among other tasty ingredients. A light vinaigrette allows the other ingredients in the salad to shine through. Fresh and light, this salad is perfect for an appetizer.
Pro Tip: Add grilled chicken or salmon to turn this salad into an entrée easily. It's also a great option to pack for lunches; simply leave the vinaigrette and toppings to the side when packing your lunch. Then, pour the dressing, mix, and sprinkle on the toppings.
Winter Salad Recipe
Light yet with a tasty crunch, you'll love recreating this salad at home. You'll find seasonal fruits and veggies packed into this recipe, making it a tasty option for the colder months. Pears and cranberries add a slight sweetness, while the blue cheese provides a yummy saltiness to balance the flavor. A light, tangy vinaigrette with champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and salt is the piece de resistance in this dish. Don't forget to add the pecans, which provide a crunch factor to this salad.
Winter Bread Salad
Sometimes a standard salad is not filling enough; that's where this winter bread salad comes in! It's a hearty, satisfying salad filled with cherry tomatoes, frying peppers, fresh garlic and basil, parmesan cheese, and olives. Large bread chunks help soak the balsamic vinegar and olive oil for a fun winter salad.
Pro Tip: If you don’t want to serve the salad immediately, leave the bread pieces out of the salad. As they sit with the other ingredients, they will get soggy. Pack them in a separate airtight container until you’re ready to eat this winter bread salad.
Warm Winter Salad
You can craft this easy, warm winter salad filled with quinoa and veggies on chillier days. It includes a bright, tangy, nutty, sweet flavor that takes this salad from good to great. Most of the ingredients are pantry or kitchen staples, making this a very budget-friendly option.
Pro Tip: Add your favorite protein on top to create a complete meal. Chicken and salmon go well with this salad. Alternatively, you can use tofu or seitan to keep this recipe vegetarian-friendly.
Winter Fruit Salad
Instead of reaching for baked goods or other desserts, you can reach for this fresh winter fruit salad. Seasonal favorites, like pineapple, kiwis, oranges, and pomegranate seeds, keep this salad colorful and create a delicious flavor. A simple orange juice and honey dressing add an extra touch of sweetness. Plus, citrus will ensure your fruit salad stays fresh for longer.
Pro Tip: If you have any extra fruit on hand that's going bad soon, feel free to add it to the salad. For example, you can slice grapes or bananas and toss them into this recipe.
Delicious Winter Salad
While all the winter salads above are delicious, this option is tasty, quick, and filling. This slaw is packed with cruciferous veggies, like cabbage, for a crunchy texture. It's creamy and perfect for a side dish or topping. You can easily mix this creamy salad with pasta to make a quick pasta salad. Or, add it to the top of sandwiches (like pulled pork).
There are anchovies in this recipe, so you'll find a small boost of protein and flavor coming from these tasty fish. It's also not a vegetarian-friendly option, so avoid this recipe if you know a plant-based family or friend is coming over.
Weeknight Winter Salad
Need some more recipe inspiration for busy weeknights? Try this weeknight winter salad; it's ready in less than an hour and mainly requires pantry staples. Filled with Swiss chard, fennel, and cucumbers, you can expect a fresh salad with a beautiful crisp texture. Roasted sweet potato adds a lovely sweetness and balances the texture alongside the greenery. A citrus vinaigrette keeps the salad tasting light and fresh.
Winter Steak Salad
This yummy salad is adjustable to your flavor preference, as you can use any greens mixture as the base. It's packed with protein from slices of lean beef on top. This winter steak salad is flavorful, as it includes apple slices, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and pecans for crunch. A balsamic vinaigrette adds a tangy taste to the recipe.
Pro Tip: If you have other meat left over from a different recipe, you can use that as a topping instead of steak. For example, shredded chicken, thinly sliced pork chops (sans bone), or baked salmon will all taste great with this salad. However, you may want to alter the dressing, depending on what seasonings you used for the protein.
Ultimate Winter Salad
This delicious ultimate winter salad is perfect for a reset after decadent holiday food. Don't worry; you won't be skipping out on flavor when making this salad recipe. This dish includes tasty tidbits like apples, pomegranate seeds, butternut squash, kale, and any shredded vegetables you have on hand. An easy, sweet, tangy dressing with Dijon, honey, olive oil, and seasoning perfectly complements the other flavors without offering too bold of a taste.
Pro Tip: You can include leftover veggies and tidbits from holiday meals in this salad. Add extra cooked green beans or sliced bits of cranberries for extra tang.
Looking for more recipes? Use our search tool to help you create fresh, filling salads throughout the year. You'll also find options for a protein that you can add to the salad, along with appetizers, main dishes, sides, desserts, and more.
