Winter Salad Ideas
Salad is often thought of as a summer dish, since traditional salad vegetables are harvested in the summer. In reality, there are many winter produce options, perfect for a winter salad. Don't be afraid to branch out of your comfort zone by trying new foods, such as endives, jicama or beets in a salad. Citrus, such as oranges, lemons and limes grow in the winter and work well in a winter salad. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Bibb Lettuce With Vegetable Vinaigrette
-
Mix one small, thinly sliced, red onion with ½ cup red wine vinegar, 2 tsp. kosher salt and ½ cup water. Let the bowl stand for three to four hours to pickle the onion, then drain the onions. Meanwhile, arrange 6 oz. thinly sliced pancetta on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then cover with another parchment sheet and baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet, add one large carrot (julienned into 2-inch by 1/8-inch pieces), one parsnip (julienned into 2-inch x 1/8-inch pieces), four sprigs thyme and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Cook on high, stirring occasionally for three minutes. Put the vegetables on a plate and toss the thyme. Add 2 more tbsp. olive oil to the skillet with four thyme sprigs, one small butternut squash (cut in ½-inch cubes), one small celery root (cut in ¼-inch cubes) and cook on high for five minutes. Stir often, then add the carrots and parsnips, stir in ¼ cup red wine vinegar and ½ cup olive oil. Arrange the leaves from two heads of Bibb lettuce onto eight plates. Top first with the vegetable vinaigrette, then the pickled onions and last the crispy pancetta.
Winter Greens Salad
-
This simple salad uses the best of winter produce; radicchio, endives, watercress and a unique taste of kumquats. Mix 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1 tsp. honey, salt and pepper thoroughly. Add ½ cup thinly sliced kumquats (seeds removed), and 7 cups of chopped radicchio, endives and watercress. Toss the salad to coat the veggies with the dressing and serve.
-
Citrus Salad
-
Try a fruit salad option by mixing citrus fruits, such as clementines, oranges and grapefruit. The candied ginger takes the salad from simple to extraordinary. Grate 1 tsp. grapefruit zest, 2 tsp. orange zest and 1 tsp. Clementine zest into a large bowl and add ¼ cup sugar. Peel two red grapefruits, six navel oranges and 10 clementines and cut each into sections over the bowl of zest and sugar. Don't include the fruit's membrane with the section but squeeze the membrane to get extra juice. A very sharp knife will help you make clean cuts. Add 2 ½ tbsp. minced crystallized ginger and toss the fruit until it is fully coated. Sprinkle with chopped roasted almonds before serving.
Beet Salad with Tangerines
-
Put 24 baby orange beets into a roasting pan, cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour. Let the beets cool and then peel and quarter them. Toss 3 tbsp. pine nuts with 1 ½ tsp. vegetable oil and toast in the oven for three minutes. Peel eight tangerines and slice between the membranes to release the sections. Squeeze the membranes to get the juice into a separate cup (there should be about ½ cup of juice). In a separate bowl, toss four thinly sliced shallots with 3 tbsp. raspberry vinegar and a dash of salt and let it sit for five minutes before adding in the tangerine juice and ¼ cup vegetable oil. Mix well. Place the beets and tangerines on plates and drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
