The Winter Salad Recipes Worth Making When It Gets Cold Outside

The winter salad has a reputation problem. Most people associate salad with summer — with cold plates of tomato and cucumber eaten in the heat, dressed lightly and consumed quickly. The idea of making a salad in winter can feel counterintuitive, even slightly masochistic. This is a misunderstanding. Winter salads are not summer salads eaten in the cold. They are an entirely different category of dish: roasted, warm, hearty, and built around the vegetables, grains, and bold flavours that winter produces at its very best.

The principle is simple: roast your vegetables, use warm grains as a base, lean into bitter greens that hold up to heat and richness, and dress everything with something that has genuine acidity and depth. The result is a salad that is as satisfying as a proper winter meal — because it is one.

Here are the recipes worth keeping in your rotation from May through to August.

Roasted Butternut, Lentil and Feta Salad with Harissa Dressing

This is a weeknight staple for good reason. Butternut caramelises in the oven with a beauty that nothing else quite replicates — sweet at the edges, tender in the centre — and it pairs naturally with the earthiness of lentils and the sharp, salty pop of good feta.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 large butternut, peeled, cut into 3cm cubes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 400g tin of green or Puy lentils, drained
• 100g baby spinach or rocket
• 150g feta, crumbled
• A handful of pumpkin seeds, toasted

Harissa dressing:

• 2 tbsp harissa paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• Salt to taste

Method: Toss butternut with olive oil, cumin seeds, salt and pepper. Roast at 200°C for 25–30 minutes until golden and caramelised at the edges. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Toss warm butternut with lentils, spinach or rocket, and half the dressing. Plate up, crumble over feta, scatter pumpkin seeds, and drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve immediately while still warm.

Charred Broccolini and Grain Salad with Tahini and Preserved Lemon

Charring broccolini — in a smoking hot pan or under the grill — transforms it completely. The edges blacken slightly, the stems caramelise, and the bitterness mellows into something nutty and deeply savoury. Combined with a warm grain base and a tahini dressing cut with preserved lemon, this salad is as good as a main course as it is a side.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 bunches broccolini, ends trimmed
• 250g cooked farro or barley (or a mix of both)
• 100g labneh or thick Greek yoghurt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp dukkah

Tahini and preserved lemon dressing:

• 3 tbsp tahini
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon rind
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 3–4 tbsp water to loosen
• Salt to taste

Method: Heat a cast iron pan until very hot. Toss broccolini with oil, season, and char in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until deeply coloured. Whisk together the dressing, adding water until pourable. Spread labneh on the base of a large platter. Spoon over warm grains, arrange broccolini on top, drizzle generously with dressing, and finish with dukkah.

Roasted Beetroot, Orange and Walnut Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

Beetroot is one of winter's great salad ingredients — sweet, earthy, and substantial enough to anchor a bowl on its own. Roasting it whole in foil concentrates its flavour significantly and takes almost no effort. The combination of roasted beetroot with bitter leaves, sweet orange, and toasted walnuts is a classic for a reason.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 6 medium beetroot, scrubbed
• 2 oranges, peeled and segmented
• 100g walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
• 120g bitter leaves: radicchio, endive, watercress or a combination
• 80g soft goat's cheese or ricotta

Sherry vinaigrette:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• Salt and pepper

Method: Wrap each beetroot in foil and roast at 180°C for 45–60 minutes until a skewer goes through cleanly. Allow to cool slightly, then peel (gloves recommended) and cut into wedges. Whisk together the vinaigrette. Arrange bitter leaves on a platter, top with beetroot, orange segments, and walnuts. Dot with goat's cheese and dress generously.

A Note on Winter Dressings

The key difference between a summer dressing and a winter one is body and warmth. Winter salads want something with depth — tahini, harissa, miso, preserved lemon, sherry vinegar, walnut oil, or a combination of these — rather than the lighter citrus and herb vinaigrettes that serve a summer salad well. Do not be shy with the acid: winter ingredients are robust enough to take it, and a well-acidulated dressing is what stops a hearty winter salad from feeling heavy.

Make dressings in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. They keep in the fridge for up to a week, and having one ready to go makes throwing together a winter salad on a weeknight entirely achievable.

Credits

Images: Pexels