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Salads are Good for Health, Whether Summer or Winter
If you visit your doctor or your dietitian, they will always tell you to have healthy foods with an adequate amount of nutrients every day. One of the best ways to have good nutrition is to include a lot of salads in the dietary regimen. You can have a balanced diet and have the nutrients necessary to keep you fit and healthy. The winter season brings with it a lot of nutritious vegetables that you can have to stay healthy and boost your immune system. It also does not take much time to make salads. In this article, we will discuss some of the salad recipes that you can have in winter.
Ideal Ingredients to Include in Your Winter Salads
Colourful Vegetables
You must have heard from your doctor that coloured vegetables are nutritious and good for your health. You must include them in your everyday diet, and it is better if you can have it as salads too. You can have them raw, grilled or roasted as well. If you have a wide variety of colours, it will only add to the nutrients that you would be having.
Winter season offers a plethora of fresh vegetables to choose from such as carrots, tomatoes, red onions, or beets, radishes and red potatoes. The dark green leafy vegetables can also be used in salads apart from broccoli. For the orange colour, you may choose orange peppers, carrots, squash, etc. The white and yellow colour is also suitable for you, and it could include corn kernels, cauliflower, yellow tomatoes, etc.
Proteins and Healthy Fats
A healthy intake of fats and proteins everyday is required to keep good health. As it is essential to have them every day as a part of your balanced diet, you may also have them in your salads. You can also have plant-based proteins like nuts, legumes, seeds, chickpeas, etc. Non-vegetarians may also include shrimps, eggs, tofu, tuna or chicken in your salads. The quantity of protein need not be very high, and you can also have it through an oil-based dressing.
Healthy Toppings
One of the essential ingredients in a salad is the dressing. Apart from enhancing the look of the salad, it can also improve its taste. You may use roasted walnuts, cashew, sesame seeds, or some cheese as the toppings. It is suggested that you do not use any artificial colours or added flavours. You may include some natural sweeteners like pears, strawberries, apples, etc. as per your wish. You must not have any canned ingredients as they would be laden with preservatives. It is better if you use natural ingredients only. While selecting the dressing, always remember to reduce the salt and sugar. Also, keep in mind the calories that are getting added.
Healthy Fats
It is key for getting all the benefits salads offer by including a broad range of healthy ingredients in your salads. You must be in control of the calories that are getting included in the diet. The healthy fats will also ensure the adequate amount of nutrients that you will have, and so it is essential you add them in generous amounts. Some of the sources of healthy fats are olive oil and avocado. Nuts like walnuts, cashew, almonds, etc. also contain healthy fats; and so do seeds like chia seeds and sunflower seeds.
Winter Salad Recipes: 8 Interesting Options to Perk Up Your Meals This Season
Warm Winter-Vegetable Salad
You can get lots of nutritious vegetables in winter that you can use to make some delicious salads. The vibrant colours of the winter vegetables will be an added attraction for the salads. So, why not have some roasted vegetables along with the niceness of mustard and olive oil.
Ingredients
- 1 small beet
- 1 small sweet potato
- 1 small red onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 small celery root
- 1 parsnip
- 25 – 30 grams feta
- 3 spoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 spoons Chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 ½ spoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ spoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ½ spoons Dijon mustard
- Pepper, freshly ground
- Salt, as needed
Recipe:
- Have the oven preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the vegetables in a roasting pan and toss with two spoons of the olive oil. Season with the pepper and salt and roast for around 45 minutes so that they become tender and light brown.
- Take the walnuts and spread on a plate. Roast them too for around six minutes. Once done, break them into smaller pieces.
- Take a salad bowl and mix the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil along with the vinegar and parsley. Cut the roasted vegetables into smaller pieces and add them along with the roasted walnuts. Toss them well to mix well.
- Add the feta as toppings and serve.
Apple Walnut Slaw
This recipe includes apples along with cabbage and carrots, which is fresh during the winter months. This unique salad recipe is ideal for winter months and is great for your health.
Ingredients
- 2 apples, chopped
- 1 ½ cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup walnuts, broken and toasted
- 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
- 6 cups shredded cabbage
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup raisins
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ spoon salt
- 4 ½ spoons lemon juice
- 4 - 5 spoons sugar
- Pepper, as needed
Recipe:
- Take a salad bowl and combine the raisins, walnuts along with the vegetables.
- Take the remaining ingredients together and mix well.
- Mix everything and add the chopped pieces of apples.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate.
Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Salad
Brussels sprouts are a hit with the health-conscious, and they can be tossed around and roasted, grilled and can be even had raw. You can add some almond and parmesan cheese to make it more nutritious. You can even include this salad recipe for your party.
Ingredients
- 8 cups of Brussels sprouts, halved and thinly sliced
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
- ½ cup chopped toasted almonds
- 5 spoons lemon juice
- 5 spoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- Shaved Parmesan, for serving
Recipe:
- Take a salad bowl and mix the lemon juice, olive oil, parsley along with 2 spoons salt and 1 spoon pepper.
- Next, add the Brussels sprouts and toss until they are fully coated.
- Toss them occasionally for at least 20 minutes.
- Add the almonds and pomegranate seeds and garnish with shaved Parmesan before serving.
Winter Salad With Beet, Carrots & Feta Recipe
Beet is one of the nutritious vegetables that you can get in winter. It finds its way in most salads during winter, and our article also has several of it's salad recipes, and this one is one among them. Feta is also another nutritious ingredient that you need for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 beetroot, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 spoon dried oregano
- 3 spoons Feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 sprig mint Leaves
- 1 spoon sunflower seeds
- 1 spoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Dressing
- 5 spoons red wine, or juice of one lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 spoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely pounded
- 1 spoon honey
- 3 spoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
Recipe:
- First, prep the vegetables in a large bowl and add ice cubes to keep them fresh.
- Add the ingredients for dressing in a mixing bowl and mix well. You must add the pepper and salt as per the requirement.
- Next, add the dressing to the cut vegetables along with the sunflower seeds.
- Toss the ingredients till they mix. Top up with the feta cheese.
- Take another bowl and mix the crumbled feta cheese with oregano and olive oil. Add it as a dressing on top of the salad.
Warm Sprouts Salad
While you may wish to have some tea and samosa in the afternoon during winter, you may replace it with this warm salad.
Ingredients
- 100g beans sprouts
- 30g carrots, thinly sliced
- 20g green onions, thinly sliced
- 5ml lime juice
- 10ml sesame oil
- 30g bell pepper, thinly sliced
- Black pepper, crushed – as needed
- 5g ginger, thinly sliced
- White sesame seeds for garnishing
- 5g sugar
- Light soya sauce, as needed
Recipe:
- Heat the sesame oil in a pan and add bell peppers, carrot and ginger.
- Sauté for some time, add the sprouts and stir well.
- Add the soya sauce along with the sugar, crushed black pepper and toss well with the flame on a high.
- Add the green onions and toss again.
- Finally, add the lime juice and white sesame seeds for garnishing.
Carrot and moong salad
Salads need not be boring always, especially when you have so many nutritious vegetables during winter. We will take you through this healthy salad that can allow you to take care of your weight during the winter months. It counts, chickpeas and moong, that are common in kitchens across the country.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of boiled chickpeas
- 2 cups of shredded carrots
- ¼ cup moong dal boiled
- ½ spoon honey
- ½ spoon lemon juice
- ½ spoon black pepper
- 2 spoons olive oil
Recipe:
- Take a bowl and add oil. Then add the chickpeas, carrots and moong dal. Mix them well.
- Next, add lemon juice, black pepper and honey. Mix all the ingredients well, and the salad is ready.
Roasted Beet and Orange Salad with Walnuts
If we are discussing salad recipes for the winter, it must be loaded with recipes containing beet. This recipe includes beet too along with a generous amount of walnuts and oranges. It has other healthy ingredients like olive oil and parsley.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches beets
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- ½ cup walnuts
- 3 oranges
- Pepper, as needed
- Salt, as needed
- Olive oil
For the Dressing
- 2 spoons Dijon mustard
- 2 spoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 spoons fresh orange juice
- Pepper, as needed
- Salt, as needed
Recipe:
- Peel the beets and cut into small cubes. Take an aluminium foil and put the pieces of beet in the middle of the foil. Pour some olive oil and spread some salt and pepper. Fold the corners and shut the aluminium pouch. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about half an hour.
- In the meantime, peel the oranges and cut the flesh between the membranes. Place some of these segments in a bowl and squeeze the juice.
- Take a jar and add three spoons of the orange juice along with the Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and vinegar. Add the olive oil and shake to mix well.
- Take the roasted beet in a large bowl, add half the dressing and mix well. Add the orange segments, parsley and walnuts. Add some more of the dressing if needed.
Indian Cauliflower and Quinoa Salad
Are you looking for salad recipes during the winter? This salad recipe is unique containing immunity boosters to protect you against the harsh season.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets
- 1 cup red grapes, halved
- ½ cup cashews, toasted
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ spoon ground cumin
- 3 spoons curry powder
- ½ cup plain whole-milk yoghurt
- 2 spoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt, as needed
- Pepper, as needed
Recipe:
- Place a rack in the middle of oven; preheat to 450°F.
- Take a salad bowl and mix a spoon of curry powder, half of the garlic, ¼ spoon of the cumin, and ¼ spoon of pepper and salt each.
- Add the cauliflower and toss for a nice coating.
- Take a large baking sheet and arrange the cauliflower pieces in a flat layer.
- Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and roast for around 20 minutes until tender and golden brown.
- Boil two cups of water in a pan and add quinoa. Cover and simmer for around 20 minutes till the liquid gets absorbed.
- Remove the pan from the heat and cool for around 15 minutes.
- Take a small bowl and mix the rest of the cumin, curry powder and garlic along with the yoghurt. Mix some salt and pepper as needed.
- In another bowl, mix the quinoa and spinach along with half the dressing.
- Add the roasted cauliflower and grapes as toppings.
- Mix with the remaining dressing and mix again. Add some cashews on top.
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How to Stay Healthy During Winter
Salads usually constitute of mostly all natural and some uncooked products. Besides the dressings, they are usually and mainly fruits and veggies. This makes them a very healthy choice as one will be ingesting a lot of minerals and vitamins from salads. It is a good way to be in control of your calories and with healthy fats such as avocado and honey, which has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, you are assured a very nutritional dish with a salad.