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If you avoid salads as the temperatures drop, we have 7 ways to give them a winter touch.
I’ve noticed that when the temperatures drop, salads disappear from my menu. In winter I prefer to eat something warmer , not cool vegetables. Do you also think that salads are not winter dishes, but summer dishes?
Looking for ways to bring them back to my table, I found some practical tips, which adapt the salads to the cold temperatures of the season and make them more delicious.
1. Roast some vegetables
OK, your base will be some green leafy vegetable. Then, however, you can bake and put Brussels sprouts, radishes , zucchini and parsnips on top. The above is amazingly combined with pear, cranberry and pomegranate. You can also add broccoli, just roast it instead of boiling it.
Now, if you don’t want extra vegetables, you can simply add some protein , such as chicken, fish, meat or tofu.
2. Nuts in winter salads
Put some nuts in a frying pan and heat them slightly. Because they have their own oils, you don’t need to add oil to the pan. After grilling them, toss them into your salad (especially if it tastes slightly sweet) and they’ll add a buttery, smoky element to the dish .
3. Try new flavors
Set the lettuce, spinach and arugula aside. How many times to eat the same salad? Take advantage of the vegetables this season offers you : Brussels sprouts, radicchio, Swiss chard, kale . With a walk in the public market you will discover many new tastes.
4. Winter salads need another dressing
It’s time to say goodbye to the classic vinegar and try a creamier dressing , like an easy lemon tahini sauce. You will find many ideas on the internet. Thus, you will have a more robust flavor profile and a texture that goes better with low temperatures. Alternatively, you can prepare a dressing based on miloxido together with soy or tamari sauce .
5. Don’t be afraid of cheese
If you want to heat up your salad, one solution is to put some grilled cheese on top of the vegetables , such as halloumi. You can, however, give a richer taste to your dish by adding cheeses with a strong taste , such as a goat’s cheese and gorgonzola.
6. Add some vitamin C
Citrus fruits are the quintessential winter fruit. Oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit – alone or in any combination – really make a winter salad. You can, for example, accompany your greens with a citrus vinaigrette or use lemon in the vinaigrette and orange slices in the salad.
7. Put grains in your winter salads
Make your salad more hearty and suitable for winter by combining the green vegetables with a serving of grains or legumes. Quinoa (typically classified as a pseudo-cereal ) , couscous, lentils, brown rice are some of the options available.
