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52 Healthy Winter Salads to Supercharge Your Diet

Posted December 14, 2019 (last updated November 28, 2023) by Wendy Polisi

Don’t let the more limited produce offerings in the winter stop you from enjoying salads! It is time to get creative. These delicious winter salads highlight the best the season has to offer - from winter root vegetables to seasonal fruits.

Photo collage of four winter salads with the text "52 Healthy Winter Salads" in the middle.

People always look at me crazy when I say that there are few things that I love better than a good salad. But it is true!

There is something about the subtle layering of flavors that happens when you combine fresh seasonal produce with a tangy dressing and top it off with a sprinkling of nuts. Done right, it is magic.

While salads may be the last thing on your mind when winter rolls around, I'd argue that while the cold weather does change the produce that is available to you, there is so much to be excited about! Roasted root vegetables, pears, pomegranates, even roasted fruit!

If you are looking to up your salad game, you are going to want to check out these fantastic recipes. There is no way you can help but be inspired!

Hope you enjoy! If you are looking for more salad recipes, you can check out my salad archives here and this Pinterest board.

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Vegan and Vegetarian Winter Salads

1. Winter Cobb Salad

Who needs meat in a Cobb salad when you have cinnamon maple chickpeas, pomegranate, pears, and pecans?! I think I could eat this salad every week and not get bored.

Overhead square photo of a Kale Brussels Sprouts Salad in a white bowl with serving utensils.

2. Brussels Sprouts Kale Salad

When you need to recharge, this Brussels Sprout Kale Salad is sheer perfection. This nutrition packed salad is the perfect vegan main course salad.

3. Delicious Fennel Salad

Looking to add a festive touch to your holiday table? This recipe will sure do it! With fennel, grapefruit, walnuts, and pomegranates, this simple dish will brighten up any day!

4. Winter Rainbow Salad

A beautiful side dish, or a delicious vegan main? You decide! One thing is for sure – this nutrition pack salad will give you everything you need to power through a cold winter's day!

Overhead photo of a fried goat cheese salad on a white bowl against a rustic wooden background.

5. Fried Goat Cheese Salad with Grapes and Walnuts

There is no sacrifice with this delicious Fried Goat Cheese Salad! It makes an elegant start to a meal, but is hearty enough for a main course meal.

6. Roast Pumpkin Pear Salad

This recipe is backed with the very best ingredients of the season! Baby spinach, sweet roasted pumpkin, juicy pomegranate and pear are topped with crunchy walnuts to create a dish that is as healthy as it is delicious.

7. Roasted Beet Salad

Sweet earthy beets paired with juicy blood oranges atop cumin scented yogurt with fresh herbs and hazelnuts for a fabulously colorful and seasonally refreshing winter salad!

8. Spinach Apple Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

This Spinach Apple Salad is healthy and perfect for Fall and Winter This vegetarian salad is packed with apples, feta, walnuts, dried cranberries and red onion for a delicious combo that works great as a main or side dish.

9. Avocado Kale Salad with Butternut Squash

Hearty and flavorful vegan salad with winter squash that's perfect as a standalone meal or a side:

10. Grain-free Winter Tabbouleh

Grain-free winter tabbouleh is a delicious vegan salad that is nourishing and beautiful.

11. Green Goddess Salad Recipe » LeelaLicious

Enjoy this Green Goddess Salad, with bright pomegranate jewels and feta crumbles, paired with a bold and deliciously healthy green dressing fit for royalty.

12. Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad Recipe

This Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing is the bright and fresh antidote to bland and boring salads. It’s great as a meal on its own or paired with some tasty barbecued meat as the perfect side dish.

13. Lemony Brussels and Kale Chiffonade Salad

You are going to want to face plant into this delicious bowl of greens. It is perfect for your holiday table, but works just as well for an easy weeknight meal.

14. Kale Persimmon Salad

This healthy winter salad combines puffed millet with kale, persimmons, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds. Topped off with a lime dressing, and you have got a dish full of bright flavors that will brighten up the darkest winter day.

15. Winter Tabbouleh Salad

This Winter Tabbouleh Salad is a fun twist on a classic! With hearty greens, pomegranates, bulgar, and clementine juice, this one is anything but boring.

16. Instant Pot Beets Salad Recipe

Instant Pot Beets Salad is a super flavorful and versatile dish that is truly quick and easy to prepare.

17. Beet and blood orange salad

Blood oranges add a beautiful burst of color and flavor to winter, and this easy and delicious beet and blood orange salad is the perfect way to enjoy some as lunch or an appetizer. Bright, light and tasty!

18. Winter Sunshine Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing

Winter Sunshine Salad is a mix of greens, veggies and fruit tossed with a simple Citrus Honey Dressing made with clementines, honey, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and parsley. It’s essentially all your favourite fruits and veggies covered in sunshine!

Photo of two white plates with sweet potato salad sitting on a blue background.

19. Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

This Roasted Sweet Potato Salad is easy to make and quick to disappear. Since it holds well in the refrigerator it is perfect for meal prep.

20. Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe with Lemon Vinaigrette

This salad works just as well for a weeknight meal as it does on your holiday table!

21. Roasted Potato Beet Salad

When you add warm winter vegetables over baby arugula, you get the best that winter has to offer in a deliciously healthy meal.

Close up overhead photo of a kale beet salad in a rustic white bowl.

22. Kale Beet Salad with Candied Walnuts

This Kale and Beet Salad will leave you nourished and feeling your best. Beets are great for detoxifying the liver, which is especially important as we indulge over the holidays.

23. Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing

This simple salad is colorful and will leave you feeling your best. It is great for meal prep since massaged kale will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

24. 5 Ingredient Christmas Salad

A crave-worthy salad made with 5 simple ingredients! This 5 Ingredient Christmas Salad is perfect for the holiday season (including potlucks!). A truly easy salad recipe that is delicious!

25. Autumn Salad with Pears, Manchego + Roasted Pepitas

This autumn salad with pears is a blend of spinach and arugula, paper thin slices of Manchego cheese, pears and freshly roasted pepitas.

26. Roasted Winter Root Vegetable Salad with Toasted Pecans, Blue Cheese and Cranberries

Spiralized beets and parsnips tossed with toasted pecans, dried cranberries, blue cheese crumbles and balsamic vinegar make this roasted winter root vegetable salad an explosion of seasonal flavors.

27. Kale Apple Salad

This delicious salad is light, fruity, and nutrition packed! I like it as a side dish, but it is hearty enough to work as a main course too.

Overhead photo of a Brussels Sprouts Salad in a white salad bowl garnished with lemons.

28. Brussels Sprouts Salad

This colorful salad is the kind of salad you should learn to make by heart. A great holiday side dish that also carries you into the New Year as you try to get your diet back on track.

29. Apple Citrus Spinach Salad with Blood Orange Dressing

This beautiful salad deserves a spot on your holiday table. The star of the show is the crazy good Blood Orange Dressing which pairs perfectly with fruit, nuts, and cheese.

30. Roasted Purple Cauliflower Salad

Sheet pan winter roasted purple cauliflower salad made with different kinds of cauliflower and broccoli, then drizzled with a tasty refreshing dressing.

31. Winter Citrus & Greens with Miso Ginger Dressing

Fresh slices of seasonal oranges placed atop of bed of spinach and arugula. Drizzled with a Miso Ginger dressing, it's a vibrant and bright dish for any time of year.

32. Apple Walnut Salad with Kale

This vegetarian salad with crunchy apples and walnuts, sweet pomegranate and smooth feta is tossed in a perfectly tangy dressing. So easy to make, with just a few simple steps it can be ready in just 30 minutes.

33. Arugula and Fig Salad With Chèvre and Candied Walnuts

Seductively sweet figs, creamy chèvre, crunchy candied walnuts, and crisp red peppers are tossed with peppery arugula and dressed with a simple fig vinaigrette… Fig and Arugula Salad With Chèvre and Candied Walnuts is a stunning fall salad and perfect for your holiday table!

34. Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Dressing

This beautiful roasted cauliflower salad with tahini dressing is scented with cumin and coriander. Peppery arugula, crunchy roasted chickpeas, and sweet pomegranate seeds make this a delicious and hearty main course salad.

Winter Quinoa Salads

35. Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad

This warm vegan salad is unbelievably comforting. It's full of veggies, protein, and flavor, making it perfect as a cold weather main dish.

36. Cauliflower Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

This Cauliflower Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing combines roasted cauliflower & chickpeas with fluffy quinoa and creamy avocados. It’s a healthy, protein-packed salad that can be made ahead of time.

Square close up photo of a crispy quinoa salad with pomegranate and sweet potato.

37. Sweet Potato Pomegranate Salad with Crispy Quinoa

If you are looking for something a little different that is also beautiful on your holiday table, give this Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad a try! With crispy quinoa, sweet potato, pomegranate, apple, and walnuts, this healthy salad is like eating the rainbow.

Square Photo of Pomegranate Quinoa Salad and a fresh pomegranate in the corner.

38. Pomegranate Quinoa Salad with Candied Almonds

Deliciously sweet pomegranates and candied almonds are the star of this delicious salad.

39. Cranberry & Clementine Quinoa Salad

With cranberries and clementines, this simple recipe feels like a treat! It make the perfect simple lunch that will keep you light on your feet all afternoon long.

40. Winter Harvest Kale Salad with Toasted Quinoa and Pistachios

This simple salad combines two of my favorites – beets and goat cheese! With crispy toasted quinoa, pistachios, and a tangy vinaigrette, this is as delicious as it is nutritious.

41. Harvest Quinoa Salad

This hearty salad has the best flavors of fall! It is a great one to make on the weekend to keep your healthy eating on track during the busy work week.

42. Cranberry Kale Salad with Candied Pecans and Feta

With candied pecans and feta cheese balanced out with quinoa, kale and broccoli, this delicious salad is going to rock your plate.

43. Roasted Fruit and Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Looking for a fruity salad with all the best flavors of the season! This Roasted Fruit & Vegetable Salad is a great one to try!

44. Pear Quinoa Salad with Walnuts & Goat Cheese

When you are craving a sweet salad that everyone loves, this Pear Quinoa Salad is always a hit.

Meaty Main Course Winter Salads

45. Oven Roasted Shrimp & Cauliflower Salad

Roasted shrimp is the star of this salad that's packed full of healthy veggies. With a tangy dressing, everyone will love this salad as a main dish or a side!

46. Chopped Crispy Citrus Chicken Salad

This chopped winter salad is packed with crispy rotisserie chicken, bright winter citrus, pomegranates, toasted pine nuts, fresh herbs and hearty bed of Tuscan kale then tossed in an orange dijon dressing.

47. Chopped Winter Vegetable Chicken Salad

It's no secret that vegetables are the kings of a well rounded, healthful diet. This Chopped Winter Vegetable Chicken Salad is packed with a variety of colours, nutrition and texture.

48. Chicken and Roasted Beet Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Chicken and Roasted Beet Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette is such a wonderful combination of fresh, sweet, salt and creamy. Very filling, yet light and fresh tasting!

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About Wendy Polisi

Hi, I’m Wendy! I’m a cook, 5 time cookbook author, blogger, natural health enthusiast…and most importantly a mom. My boys are 16 & 17 and my late life princess is 9.

Comments

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Veggie Chick

January 02, 2016 at 9:04 pm

All of these salads look soooo good!!! Thanks for including my Roasted Potato Beet Salad. =)

Reply
- Wendy Polisi
  
  January 13, 2016 at 4:00 pm
  
  Thanks so much! I have never had potatoes and beets together but it looks amazing.
  
  Reply
Mira L

January 03, 2016 at 4:29 am

Love all the salad recipes! Can't wait to try them ! Thanks for including my persimmon kale salad!

Reply
- Wendy Polisi
  
  January 13, 2016 at 4:00 pm
  
  Thanks Mira! Your salad looks amazing. I don't know that I've ever had persimmon.
  
  Reply
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious

January 07, 2016 at 8:33 pm

These salads look fabulous! Can't wait to try some of them!

Reply
Katie @ 24 Carrot Life

January 10, 2016 at 1:09 am

What an amazing roundup! Definitely pinning this. Thanks for sharing my Beet and Goat Cheese Salad!

Reply
- Wendy Polisi
  
  January 13, 2016 at 4:00 pm
  
  Thanks Katie! I have that salad on my list to try!
  
  Reply