Winter Salad

This straightforward winter salad combines spring combine, roasted butternut squash, pomegranate, pecans, apple and feta cheese all tossed in a white balsamic French dressing.

In the event you’ve been round EBF for awhile you know the way a lot I love creating new salad recipes and right this moment I’m sharing this epic winter salad with you!

It’s jam-packed with seasonal components like apple, butternut squash, pecans and pomegranate all served over a mattress of greens drizzled with a easy white balsamic French dressing. The combo is severely so good!

I really like serving this salad for dinner topped with some protein, nevertheless it additionally makes for a festive aspect salad to serve at Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner. It’s assured to be a success with everybody!

Why You’ll Love This Winter Salad

• Seasonal – I really like utilizing seasonal components at any time when I can and this salad is the right instance. It’s full of winter squash, recent apple, pomegranate seeds and pecans!
• Flavorful – This salad has the right combo of candy from the candied pecans and recent fruit, tangy from the feta cheese and savory from the butternut squash. It’s full of taste in each chew!
• Simple to make – This salad recipe is fairly easy and made with easy components. As soon as your butternut squash is roasted and dressing is made it comes collectively very quickly. And you’ll want to try some time-saving suggestions beneath!
• Customizable – I really like this salad as is, however be at liberty to change issues up primarily based in your style preferences or what you’ve got available. It’s a flexible recipe that may be made with a wide range of completely different components.

Winter Salad Substances

• spring combine or combined greens – the bottom for our salad. I desire to make use of spring combine or combined greens, however be at liberty to make use of your favourite greens. Child spinach, kale, collard greens, arugula and romaine lettuce would all be nice choices.
• candied pecans – provides a candy nutty crunch. You may make do-it-yourself candied pecans or use store-bought. Alternatively, toasted pecans are an excellent various in case you don’t need the added sweetness. In the event you don’t have pecans available you would use walnuts (attempt these candied walnuts), almonds or cashews as a substitute.
• apple – provides a pleasant refreshing crunch. I used a honey crisp apple, however your favourite apple selection will work. In the event you don’t have an apple available pears or oranges could be a great substitute. For a extra earthy taste you would swap the apple with roasted beets.
• feta cheese – provides a creamy, tangy factor to the salad. In the event you’re not a fan of feta cheese attempt goat cheese as a substitute.
• pomegranate arils – provides a pop of colour and festive spin to this salad. For a shortcut, seize ready-to-eat pomegranate arils so that you don’t have to interrupt aside a pomegranate to get the seeds. If pomegranate isn’t your factor or you’ll be able to’t discover any, swap them with dried cranberries or cherries.
• white balsamic French dressing – I really like my white balsamic French dressing for this salad, however be at liberty to make use of your favourite dressing. Some good substitutes are this apple cider French dressing, balsamic French dressing or creamy citrus tahini dressing.
• butternut squash – I really like the addition of roasted veggies to my salads. They add such a pleasant candy, roasted taste. Instead you would use roasted candy potatoes, roasted honeynut squash or actually any roasted vegetable of selection. Roasted carrots could be one other nice possibility.
• avocado oil or olive oil – for roasting the squash.
• sea salt & pepper – for seasoning the squash and dressing.

Dietary Substitutions

• Dairy-free/vegan: In the event you want this salad to be dairy-free or vegan swap the feta cheese with a dairy-free cheese possibility like this VIOLIFE Simply Like Feta.
• Nut-free: In the event you’re nut-free, then swap the pecans with roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds as a substitute.

Tips on how to Make Winter Salad

As soon as your butternut squash is roasted and dressing is made this winter salad recipe comes collectively in a matter of minutes! Right here’s methods to make it:

Step 1: Toss your peeled and cubed butternut squash with oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400°F for 20-Half-hour, or till tender. Put aside to chill after roasting.

Step 2: In a big salad bowl, add your greens then high with the cooled roasted butternut squash, chopped apple, pecans, pomegranate arils and feta cheese. Drizzle the salad with the white balsamic French dressing and toss all the things to mix earlier than serving. Get pleasure from!

Tips on how to Serve Winter Salad

This makes for the right aspect salad for any weeknight dinner or welcome boost to a vacation meal. I additionally love turning this salad right into a meal-sized salad by topping it with some protein. Listed here are some serving strategies for this winter salad:

Tips on how to Prep Winter Salad Forward of Time

In the event you’re eager to meal prep this salad for weekday lunches or dinners or a simply make it forward of time for a vacation meal there are some steps you’ll be able to take 1-2 days upfront to avoid wasting time once you’re able to eat. Right here’s what I might do:

1. Roast butternut squash and retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge.
2. Make the dressing and retailer it in a mason jar or separate container within the fridge.
3. Make the candied pecans or roasted pecans and retailer at room temperature in a bag.
4. In the event you’re utilizing a complete pomegranate, ensure to interrupt it open and separate the seeds. Retailer them in an hermetic container within the fridge.

Whenever you’re able to serve this salad, all it’s important to do is chop your apple, assemble and luxuriate in! I wouldn’t advocate chopping your apple upfront as a result of it’ll get brown sitting within the fridge.

Tips on how to Retailer Leftovers

As soon as this salad is assembled it’s greatest loved immediately. That stated, you’ll be able to undoubtedly retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for 2-3 days.

In the event you’re planning to have leftovers I like to recommend including the dressing to particular person plates when serving as a substitute of tossing the entire salad within the dressing. Then you’ll be able to retailer the leftover dressing individually in a mason jar or hermetic container to forestall the salad from getting soggy.

Extra Salads to Attempt

You should definitely try the entire salad recipes right here on EBF!