We like to make our winter salads a little heartier than the usual leafy green salad, substantial enough to be served as a main. They are perfect for an easy dinner or to have for lunches throughout the week as they last well in the fridge.
The key to making a salad that is anything but boring and unsatisfying is to consider all your senses. Think about how it looks, smells, tastes and feels. That means giving your salad a little extra love by adding several elements to achieve that perfect mouthful.
We've created six steps to build the perfect winter salad, based on a serving size for four people.
1. Start with choosing a grain or legume. Not only do they help add sustenance to a salad but they also add texture. Try rice, lentils, ancient grains or chickpeas, ¾-1 cup (uncooked).
2. Add some vegetables. For these salads, we recommend using starchy root vegetables or fibrous vegetables that can be served roasted, raw or sauteed. Some examples are pumpkin, carrots, beetroot, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, brussels sprouts and kale. If you would like to add leafy greens, add them just before serving otherwise they'll go soggy. 4-5 cups (cooked).
3. Add a tasty dressing. No salad should be left naked; a delicious dressing is often the key to transforming a salad.
4. Add something crunchy and/or creamy. These two elements help to create different textures - you can serve one without the other but often it's the balance of the two that makes a show-stopping salad. Think crunchy nuts and seeds with avocado or a pop of pomegranate seeds with creamy feta. Add ⅓-½ cup of each.
5. Time to add some extra TLC... such as fresh herbs, pickled onion, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, parmesan or dried fruit. These add a tone of flavour with minimal effort. ¼-⅓ cup.
6. Add a protein source (optional). The salads are substantial enough to be served without protein but would also be tasty alongside grilled meat, halloumi or even falafels.
These two hearty winter salads showcase the formula. Feel free to get creative and put your own spin on them, swapping out the vegetables and grains or using whatever nuts and seeds you've got on hand.
Recipe: Roasted cauliflower and pumpkin, freekeh salad with date vinaigrette
Dress up simple roast veges with this sweet date vinaigrette paired with freekeh, which has a unique smoky and nutty flavour, crunchy almonds and fresh herbs.
Servings: 4
1 cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1 red onion, cut into wedges
½ pumpkin, cut into bite-sized cubes
¾ cup freekeh
⅓ cup roasted almonds
½ cup coriander, roughly chopped
½ cup parsley, roughly chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Date vinaigrette
3 dried dates, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes
2 Tbsp reserved water from the soaked dates
¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
Pinch chill flakes
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan bake.
2. Place the cauliflower and red onion on one baking tray and the pumpkin on another; drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Give the vegetables a good toss to coat well in the oil. Pop in the oven to roast for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
3. While the veges are roasting, cook the freekeh as per the packet instructions.
4. To make the dressing: Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. You may need to add a little more of the reserved water from the dates to get it to a thick, creamy but pourable consistency.
5. Once the freekeh has cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes or so before stirring through half of the dressing, half of the herbs and half the roasted almonds.
6. To assemble the salad, place alternate layers of the freekeh mix and roasted vegetables on a large platter. Top with the remaining herbs and almonds, and drizzle over the remaining dressing.
Recipe: Warm broccoli and grain salad with feta and pumpkin seeds
Broccoli is just as good roasted as cauliflower. We've combined it with black rice and lentils with an aromatic dressing, creamy feta, and crunchy pumpkin seeds for the perfect winter salad.
Servings: 4
Salad
2 broccoli heads, cut into bite-sized florets, and stems sliced
½ cup black rice
400g tin brown lentils, drained
100g feta, crumbled
½ cup coriander, roughly chopped
3 spring onions, finely sliced
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
70g rocket
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground coriander
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan bake.
2. Place the chopped broccoli on a large baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until the broccoli is tender and the florets are charred.
3. While the broccoli is roasting, cook the rice as per packet instructions.
4. Place all the dressing ingredients to a jar or bowl and shake or mix well.
5. Place the cooked rice, lentils, feta, coriander, spring onion and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss well.
6. Lightly toss through the broccoli and rocket and enjoy!
Laura Bedwell and Nikki Crerar run Assortment, a weekly menu planning service. Catch them on Instagram @assortment___ or head to assortmentfoods.com for more.
