Is it us or is this winter the coldest one in years? Temperatures have plunged, nights are really chilly and we are always looking forward to comfort food that keeps us warm.
Although salads are favourites for the summer and spring season, the winter months also hold some delicious and interesting flavour combinations that pay homage to this time of year.
So, embrace this time of year and get cooking. You are also free to swap out ingredients to match what's available in your pantry. As long as you are topping winter greens with something warm, whether it’s pan-seared salmon or roasted Brussel sprouts, you will be on your way to a tasty winter salad.
Here are three delicious winter salad recipes you can recreate right at home.
Corn, avocado, and biltong salad. Picture: Bongiwe Mchunu
Corn, avocado and biltong salad
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 cobs of sweetcorn
1 packet lettuce
1 large avocado pear, sliced
100g cherry tomatoes halved
125g sliced biltong
Balsamic dressing
80ml olive oil
45ml balsamic vinegar
5ml mustard powder
15ml honey
Salt and ground black pepper
Method
Blanch the sweet corn and remover the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife.
Put a layer of salad leaves on a serving platter or in a bowl.
Add the sweetcorn, avocado pear, tomatoes, and biltong.
Drizzle with the dressing and serve.
Dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a bottle and shake well.
Roasted beetroot and goat’s cheese salad. Picture: Steve Lawrence.
Roasted beetroot and goat’s cheese salad
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
6-8 small beetroot, washed
30ml olive oil
30ml balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
200g green beans
200g baby spinach leaves
100g log of herbed goat’s cheese, sliced
Dressing
60ml olive oil
15ml red wine vinegar
15ml lemon juice
5ml sugar
Salt and pepper
Method
Place the washed beetroot on a sheet of tin foil and wrap up securely. Roast in the oven at 180°C for 30-40 minutes until tender. Allow to cool, then peel and cut them into wedges.
Put the wedges into a roasting pan, drizzle with the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season and roast at 180°C for 20 minutes
Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then refresh under cold water.
Cover the base of a serving platter with the spinach leaves and add the beetroot and green beans.
Scatter over the cheese and pour over the dressing just before serving.
Dressing: Put all the ingredients into a screw-top jar and shake well to combine.
Asian coleslaw. Picture: Steve Lawrence
Asian coleslaw
Serves: 6
Ingredients
1 small red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 small white cabbage, thinly sliced
2-3 carrots, peeled and grated
3-4 small radishes, thinly sliced
1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
125ml chopped coriander
60ml toasted sesame seeds
Oil for frying
A handful of thin rice noodles
Dressing
50ml lime juice
30ml peanut oil
30ml fish sauce
30ml sweet chilli sauce
15ml sesame oil
15ml honey
Method
Combine the cabbage, carrots, radishes, spring onions and coriander in a bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds.
Heat some oil in a small saucepan and, when the oil is hot, add a handful of rice noodles. They should immediately puff up.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Place on top of the salad.
Dressing: Put all the ingredients into a screw-top jar and shake well to combine.
Recipes by Angela Day.
Butternut squash salad. Picture: Supplied
Butternut squash salad
Serves:8
Ingredients
1 butternut squash, about 500g
3tbsp olive oil
1tsp Szechuan peppercorns, crushed with a pestle and mortar
½ red cabbage, about 500g
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch of coriander (cilantro), to garnish
For the dressing
1tbsp grapeseed oil
3tbsp soy sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Cut the squash in half lengthways, remove all the seeds and cut across into thin slices, 5mm thick, with the peel still on.
Spread out on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, mix with the olive oil, Szechuan pepper, and some salt and bake for 10 minutes, then leave to cool on the sheet.
While the squash is in the oven, cut the red cabbage into slices about 5mm thick, rinse in cold water and drain well.
Mix the dressing ingredients, and just before serving mix the butternut, red cabbage and dressing together, place on a serving dish and decorate with coriander (cilantro).
Recipe adapted from Scandinavian Comfort Food by Trine Hahnemann.
Feature Image: Supplied
