Spinach, Feta and Grape Salad with Maple–Soy Vinaigrette is a tasty, light winter meal.
Photo Credit : Corey Hendrickson
The holidays are a time to make, eat, and enjoy foods of all kinds – often of the decadent, sugary variety. But come January, you might be in the mood for something a little, well, lighter. Winter salads are a delicious and easy way to eat a hearty meal, but without the heaviness of some holiday entrees. Here are some of our favorite recipes for winter salads from the Yankee archives.
This delicious maple-infused dressing is adapted from chef Charlie Menard of The Inn at Round Barn Farm, in Waitsfield, Vermont. We loved it with spinach, feta, and grapes, but it also pairs perfectly with fresh spring strawberries and chèvre, or, in the fall, with blue cheese and pears.
Spinach, Feta and Grape Salad with Maple–Soy Vinaigrette is a tasty, light winter meal. Photo Credit : Corey Hendrickson
Fresh Brussels sprouts have all the nutty flavor of kale, and become tender and crunchy when shaved. Add sweet roasted squash, walnuts, and pickled shallots to this Brussels sprouts salad, and you have a healthy, multi-sensory treat.
The ingredients in the Brussels Sprouts Salad with Squash and Walnuts make a delicious, crunchy mixture. Photo Credit : Heath Robbins
A terrific combination of tastes and textures: sweet, hot, peppery, bitter, soft, and crunchy. Cut the root vegetables all roughly the same size (about 1½ inches is good), so that they roast at the same rate. You’ll have more dressing than you need; the extra keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. One bite and you’ll know why this is one of our favorite winter salads.
Gluten-free and high in protein, quinoa is a great way to add rich nutrients and fiber to your diet. Added flavors of basil, lemon, tomato, and edamame blend beautifully.
Gluten-Free Quinoa Salad with Tomato and Basil is a great alternative to the traditional green salad. Photo Credit : Heath Robbins
Tired of the same old spinach salad? Broccoli winter salads are a delicious alternative. They incorporate the same flavors as the standard spinach salad, but can be made up to a day in advance and won’t wilt on the table.
This easy roasted beet salad with crispy goat cheese uses just a small number of ingredients to produce a delicious and filling meal. We combine greens and mint leaves in a citrusy dressing and top them with roasted beets and crisp, panko-crusted goat cheese rounds. Thrifty Yankees will love it because it makes excellent use of beets, booth the root and the leaves.
This winter salad makes great use of beets. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
This easy, no-added-fat herbed carrot salad plays the nutty flavor of toasted sunflower seeds against sweet carrots and fresh herbs. Serve it right away or make it the day before.
Just up the road from Yankee’s New Hampshire offices, the folks at the Harrisville General Store lure locals and tourists alike with their made-from-scratch food, much of it locally sourced. Their take on kale salad with feta is so popular and delicious that many Yankee staffers have to plan ahead each day to get their share before it sells out. Tossed with a light dressing, sweet cranberries, and crunchy nuts, it’s one of our most popular winter salads.
Harrisville Kale Salad with Cranberries, Feta and Walnuts is inspired from the delicious salad served at Harrisville General Store. Photo Credit : Michael Piazza
This salad isn’t just delicious, with its flavors of sweet squash, walnut, and pickled onions–it’s economical, too. While the squash is roasting, whisk together vinegar, sugar, and salt and quickly pickle some sliced red onion for 15 minutes. When that’s done, the pickling liquid becomes the base of the vinaigrette.
Fresh mint leaves are scattered throughout this winter salad and then chopped into the vinaigrette, giving this recipe a bright, fresh, almost summery flavor.
Try the Winter Salad with Tangerines, Radishes and Dates for a refreshing post-holiday meal. Photo Credit : Kristin Teig
Which winter salad recipes are your favorite? Let us know!
Cathryn McCann
As Digital Assistant Editor, Cathryn writes, manages, and promotes content for NewEngland.com and its social media channels. Prior to this role, she lived and worked on Martha’s Vineyard as a newspaper reporter, covering everything from environmental issues and education to crime and politics. Originally from New Hampshire, Cathryn spends most of her time out of the office on the trails, slopes, or by the water.
