This Winter Salad is honestly one of my all time favorite salad recipes. It has an earthy sweetness that comes from mixing kale with chunks of velvety roasted beets, sweet potato (or squash) and fresh fruits like apples and pomegranate arils.
Crumbled goat cheese (or feta cheese if you prefer) and pecans add a touch of richness, texture, and nutty flavors. Toss it with a maple dijon vinaigrette for the perfect meal.
What is Winter Salad?
Winter salad is a wonderland of color and taste, combining full-flavored fall and winter veggies, fruits, and fresh greens. It’s a nutrition powerhouse too, which is another reason to make this often.
Don’t feel limited by this recipe either – just like with a tossed salad, almost anything goes! Here are some other options to add in or substitute according to your preference:
- Greens – I use kale in this salad as it holds up well to the other ingredients. You can swap out any greens you’d like but I prefer to choose something with a robust flavor (like arugula).
- Vegetables – Any roasted root vegetable is great in this recipe. Turnips, Rutabagas, Brussel Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Pumpkin, Acorn Squash, parsnips… anything goes!
- Nuts – Walnuts, Slivered Almonds, Pinenuts
- Cheese – Farmers cheese, feta cheese, blue cheese use your fave. I love goat cheese in this salad for a creamy tang.
How to Make Winter Salad
Start by roasting the beets and sweet potato. Just like in our favorite kale salad, the kale is massaged before making this salad. I know this sounds weird but it only takes a few minutes and makes a big difference.
1. Roast & Cool the Veggies
This can be done days ahead of time and it’s a great way to use up leftover roasted veggies from carrots to sweet potatoes.
2. Massage the Kale
Massaging the kale will soften it, tenderize it and change the flavor.
- Wash and dry kale
- Remove the ribs/stem from each leaf
- Massaging the leaves with your hands until they darken in color and tenderize
3. Combine and Enjoy
Tangy and bright, with a hint of sweetness, this tasty winter salad dressing recipe is the best way to enhance this dish. For the Salad Dressing, place all the ingredients in a jar and shake well. I double (or triple) the dressing to enjoy throughout the week and store it in a mason jar with a salad dressing lid.
Here too, you can get creative! Include a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice or a tablespoon of orange juice for a pop of citrus. You can also substitute brown sugar if you don’t have any maple syrup.
Toss with winter salad dressing and chill or serve room temperature.
Leftovers
Here’s another reason to love winter salad, the kale will keep in the fridge several days without getting soggy (if using kale), even after being tossed in a yummy dressing.
Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to four days. Make this nutritious salad a part of your cold season diet for good health and good eating all winter long!
More Amazing Salads
- Beet Salad
- Southern Potato Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Chicken Fajita Salad
- Easy Taco Salad
- Arugula Salad with Berries
- Avocado Salmon Salad
- Harvest Farro Salad
Winter Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and diced
- 2 beets quartered
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ½ cup toasted pecans
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 8 cups kale
Dressing
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Toss sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place on baking sheet. Toss beets with remaining olive oil and place on pan.
- Season sweet potatoes and beets with salt and pepper. Roast 35-40 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and cool. Rub the skin of the beets to remove.
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake well.
- Add salad ingredients to a large bowl, including cooled beets and sweet potatoes. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad, Side Dish
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One of the most delicious salads I’ve made! I used the follow your heart vegan feta to veganize it and made the rest of the recipe as written. I am making it a second week in a row. Delish!! Thank you.
This salad is a favorite in my house too, Tina! Glad you like it :)
Amazing salad!!!
Thank you so much, glad you loved it!
All the ingredients and dressing came together really well and complemented each other. I chose to blanch the kale in boiling water for 2 minutes, spun it dry and refrigerated it. The texture was easier to eat but still light and bright.
That’s a great tip Erica! I am so glad you enjoyed this salad as much as I do!
This salad looks so good thanks for posting
You’re very welcome Sharon!
This sounds delish, assembling the ingredients while writing this!
Can’t wait to taste…..
My family loved this. I did not have pomegranates so used Saskatoons. Amazing flavors and textures. A keeper recipe!