3 Winter Salads To Eat Well In The Cold Months

It is possible that with low temperatures, rain and dark days, the least desirable thing is to prepare a salad, which we associate more with summer and freshness.

The raw vegetables are an important part of a balanced diet and salads are the best way to take them. Then what do we do?

Winter salads that won’t leave you hungry

Well, it is very simple: prepare winter salads combining fresh leaves and cooked foods, making a warm dish that accompanies any meal and we are not lazy to prepare or eat.

The frescoes

Take advantage of seasonal vegetables and greens and those that we have available all year round: tender beet and spinach shoots, lettuce of all kinds, arugula, lamb’s lettuce, etc. They will be the base of salads even if we prepare them in other ways.

Also add homemade or purchased sprouts : soy, alfalfa, onion, broccoli, lentils … They provide an extra flavor and texture and go well with both cold and warm dishes.

The temperate

Leftovers from other dishes are great for these cases, especially if they are brown rice, other whole grains, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, and cooked legumes. A handful of any of these elements works perfectly for us (or a combination of them).

Also cooked or roasted potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and pumpkin. The vegetables in general are great for salads, so if you have any already cooked, roast or steam, take it .

If you do not have anything prepared, it is a good time to do it, what you can spare can be used for salads for later days or for other dishes.

Sauces and dressings

Instead of opting for fresh, cold sauces and dressings, go for thicker sauces that can be tempered. For example tahini or tomato sauce.

Avoid sauces that can separate with heat (vegetable mayonnaise for example) or that are not very hot at all (the vinaigrette is regular).

Innovate with nut and legume creams like hummus or peanut butter, and take advantage of the creamy texture of avocado to make a sauce in a minute, just mashing it with a fork.

Additional features

Nuts, seeds, corn, white asparagus, mushrooms, fresh tomato, fresh herbs, nuts, dried fruits … will help you finish your salad with touches of texture and pleasant flavor.

Choose herbs that do not have very refreshing notes (mint and spearmint give a feeling of freshness), instead others that we associate with warmer dishes, such as basil or sage.

With all this you can make a lot of winter salads. Here are some examples:

Pasta and tofu salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cooked whole wheat pasta
• 150 g smoked tofu
• 6-8 cherry tomatoes
• 1 carrot
• A handful of canons
• A handful of walnuts
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

Preparation

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dice the tofu and brown it for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the pasta and sauté it all together until heated through. Pour the tahini on top and sauté to mix. Take it off the heat.
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and put them in a bowl. Peel the carrot and cut it into strips with the vegetable peeler. Add it to the bowl along with the lamb’s lettuce and walnuts and mix.
4. Add the pasta and tofu and mix again. Serve it.

Chickpea curry salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cooked chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon curry powder
• a pinch of salt
• A good handful of tender sprout mix
• A handful of almonds
• 1 teaspoon broken flax seeds

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chickpeas with the curry and a pinch of salt. Let it brown slightly and take color and remove it from the heat.
2. In a bowl or salad bowl, arrange a layer of tender sprouts, top with the chickpeas and on top of them with the almonds and flax seeds. Serve it.

Warm potato salad

Ingredients

• 2-3 medium cooked potatoes
• 4-5 cauliflower florets
• A pinch of oil
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 100 ml of soy drink (unsweetened and without flavors)
• A handful of arugula
• 1 spring onion (or 10-12 chives)
• 1 tablespoon debittered brewer’s yeast

Preparation

1. Cut the potatoes into medium pieces and separate the cauliflower florets. Put them with a pinch of oil in the pan, over medium-low heat and let them brown lightly for a couple of minutes.
2. Mix the peanut butter with the soy drink and add it to the potatoes. Stir it well, turn off the heat and remove it.
3. Wash the spring onion and chop it finely.
4. In a salad bowl or serving tray place the potatoes and cauliflower with peanut butter in the center and the arugula and spring onion around it. Sprinkle everything with the debittered brewer’s yeast.