Warm Winter Salad Recipes

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a salad. Adding hot vegetables, grains, and proteins to crunchy salad greens like cabbage, kale, romaine and frisée enhances a winter salad. For example, a spoonful of quinoa, barley or farro pilaf, sliced baked potatoes, a sunny-side-up fried egg, grilled chicken breast or shrimp.

The first hearty winter salad starts with a base of red cabbage and frisée topped with a Caesar-style dressing. It’s attractive and is easy to tote to work for lunch. Add the dressing and egg just before eating it.

The second roasted broccoli salad can be the main dish for lunch or as a vegetable side dish for dinner.

Adding spicy micro nasturtium leaves (grown by Koppert Cress, koppertcress.com) to this Waldorf-style salad is the perfect counterpoint note for a unique healthy winter salad. The dressing made with banana and apple cider vinegar plus a splash of orange juice is an amazing partner with apples, oranges and dates.

Bon staying healthy appétit!

Winter Salad(Serves 4-6)About 1/4 medium head red cabbage, cut into slaw—about 6 cups

3 cups chopped frisée

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced

2 tangerines, peeled and sliced, cut into small bite-sized pieces

About 2/3 cup toasted hazelnuts or more to taste

4 to 6 hard-cooked eggs cut into sixths or 1 fried egg sunny side up per personFor the dressing:4 anchovy fillets packed in oil

5 whole cloves garlic confit*

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Pinch salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or more to tasteTo prepare:Cut cabbage into thin slaw and roughly chop, transfer to a bowl.

Add frisée, red pepper, scallions, tangerines, and hazelnuts and mix well.

In a mortar and pestle or on a chopping board, mince anchovies and garlic together until it becomes a smooth paste.

Transfer to a small bowl, add mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and vinegar and whisk or stir to blend well.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Spoon just enough dressing over the salad to lightly coat the leaves.

Divide among plates and arrange egg wedges on top. Or toss salad and quickly fry one egg per person and place the hot egg on top and serve at once.

*To make garlic confit:

Peel several heads of garlic, trim stem ends, leave whole, and place in a small saucepan.

Add just enough vegetable (canola, grape seed, or sunflower seed) oil to barely cover the garlic.

Set pan over moderate heat and bring to a simmer.

Little bubbles will form around the edges of the pan. (Do not boil.)

Adjust the heat and simmer the garlic until soft to the point of a table fork. The garlic should not take on any color. The cooking time will depend on the amount of garlic.

Remove pan from the heat and bring to room temperature.

Transfer garlic and oil to a very clean glass jar, making sure there is at least one-inch of oil covering the garlic, seal with lid, and refrigerate for up to one month.Roasted Broccoli Salad 
With Pinenuts, 
Dried Cranberries And Feta(Serves 6)1 large bunch broccoli broken into florets, washed

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons avocado oil

About 1 teaspoon Za’atar or Greek oregano

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup dried cranberries

4 to 5 ounces feta cheese crumbledFor the dressing:2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove raw garlic minced

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to tasteTo prepare:Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

In a bowl, toss broccoli with garlic, avocado oil, Za’atar, salt and pepper until evenly coated.

Transfer to baking sheet, spread in one layer.

Roast until broccoli is brown on edges and crunch tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk vinegar, oil and garlic together until blended. Add nutmeg and pepper.

Toss roasted broccoli with pine nuts and cranberries and spoon only enough dressing over vegetables until lightly dressed.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Scatter feta over the broccoli and serve at once.Healthy “Waldorf” Salad(Serves 4)For the dressing:1/2 very ripe banana, peeled

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

2 cups romaine lettuce, cut into thin slices and roughly chopped

1 cup baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup micro nasturtium leaves

2 small Pink Lady apples, cored and diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 large navel orange, peeled, sliced cut into bite-sized pieces

1/3 cup pitted dates, halved

Ground cinnamon, for dustingTo prepare:Working in the food processor, combine banana, vinegar, and orange juice process until smooth. Set aside.

Add a spoonful or two of the dressing to the apples, orange, celery and dates.

In a bowl, toss romaine, spinach, and nasturtium leaves together. Add apple mixture.

Drizzle just enough dressing over the salad and mix well. Cover and chill about 30minutes.

Sprinkle with cinnamon just before serving.