Cold lettuce sounds pretty drab to us this time of year, so we rounded up the 3 best winter salads from the web that will keep you filled with nutritious goodness all season.
Instead of reaching for those oh-so-tempting hot comfort foods when the weather goes polar-vortex status, bookmark this page and whip up a recipe. Best of all, these salads are supremely delicious.
#1 Winter Crunch Salad
A salad delicacy prepared using the crunchy vegetables available in winter. Can use raw or cooked vegetables dipped in your favourite warm sauce, and can be topped with raw or roasted nuts for extra crunch and taste. Full of nutrition, can be served as side dish or can be taken as light meal.
Ingredients
1 x 170g ready-to-bake garlic bread
2 heads of chicory
2 celery sticks, cut into thin diagonal slices
1 bunch of radishes, trimmed and quartered
50g shelled walnut or pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
2 red-skinned eating apple, cored and cut into slim wedges
175g Stilton (or any leftover cheese)
4-5 tbsp ready-made honey and mustard dressing, to serve
Method
1) Preheat the oven and cook the garlic bread according to packet instructions.
2) While the bread is in the oven separate the chicory into leaves and toss in a large bowl with the celery, radishes, nuts and apples. Crumble the Stilton in large chunks over the top.
3) To finish the salad, cut half the garlic bread into the marked slices. Cut the remainder into chunks and toss into the salad with as much dressing as you like. Serve with the remaining garlic bread on the side.
#2 Honeyed Winter Salad
A roasted salad delicacy giving you warm feeling in winter. A salad prepared from fresh fruits and vegetables with vinegar and mustard sauce topped with honey … what else one want to beat the winter chills. Highly nutritious with enough fat to keep your warm.
Ingredients
1 butternut squash, cut into thin wedges
2 red onion, halved and cut into wedges
4 parsnips, cut into wedges
3 tbsp olive oil (try garlic or basil infused)
1-2 tbsp clear honey
1 small ciabatta, roughly torn into pieces (tomato and olive ciabatta works well)
1 tbsp sunflower seeds, optional
225g bag leaf spinach
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Method
1) Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Put the vegetables into a large roasting tin, drizzle with half the oil and season to taste. Roast for 20 mins, turning once in a while until softened. Drizzle with the honey. Scatter the torn ciabatta and sunfl ower seeds over the top and return to the oven for a further 5 mins or until toasted.
2) Put the spinach into a large bowl and tip in the vegetables and ciabatta. Whisk the vinegar, mustard and remaining oil together, season to taste and toss into the salad until the spinach wilts slightly. Serve immediately
#3 Winter Fruit Salad
A salad containing all the colors of rainbow … yes prepared with fresh fruits available out in winters, tangy and sweet in taste. Full of vitamin, minerals and fibre. Add any of your favorite fruit, top with your favorite syrup or honey.
Ingredients
600g good-quality ready-to-eat dried fruit (such as prunes, pears, apricots, figs cranberries)
3 tbsp clear honey
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
1 Earl Grey tea bag
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
mascarpone or Greek yogurt, to serve
Method
1) Tip the fruits and 700ml/11⁄4 pints cold water into a large saucepan. Add the honey and vanilla, scraping the seeds from the pod into the pan. Bring to the boil. Stir well, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly syrupy.
2) Take the pan off the heat and stir in the tea bag. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
3) Discard the tea bag and vanilla pod, tip the fruits and liquid into a non-metallic bowl and pour over the lemon juice. Stir, then leave to cool. Cover and chill until ready to serve.