Hearty Salads That Will Brighten Your Winter Meals

Brimming with flavour, this salad packs a hefty nutritional punch thanks to the cauliflower florets, mixed greens, olives and pine nuts. Find more creative cauliflower recipes to satisfy your carb cravings.

Based on its name alone, this mouth-watering dish might sound overwhelming. But it’s actually quite simple to make and 100 per cent worth introducing into your repertoire, especially if you’re a fan of salads with colour, bold flavours and tons of hearty ingredients.

‘Tis the season for soothing comfort food, and this hearty brown rice and wheat berry bowl is a welcome (healthier) alternative to the usual seasonal fare. Jam-packed with B-vitamins and fibre, this Mediterranean grain dish also stores well in the fridge, making it ideal for lunch the next day. For more inspiration, check out this Winter Greens Mac & Cheese recipe.

This show-stopping side can be easily finagled into a bold main dish. Featuring oven-roasted beets, chickpeas, red onion and crumbled cheese, the gorgeous salad will brighten up those dreary winter nights.

Although this salad might look a little too fancy for a weeknight dinner, it’s actually quite simple to make and uses some of the tastiest, healthiest ingredients – from figs to fennel and pear.

The choice of farro – as opposed to quinoa or couscous – adds a nice nutty flavour to the dish, perfectly balancing with the complementary flavours and textures of cucumbers, kalamata olives and feta cheese.

Enjoy every savoury bite as the rich flavours from the cooking liquid soak directly into the perfectly toasted bread cubes. Once those are done, toss with winter greens for a quick weeknight dinner you’ll want to introduce into your recipe repertoire. We’ve got even more healthy meal-sized salads you’ll actually crave.

Who says hearty winter dinners need to revolve around stews? This epic winter salad is packed to the brim with colourful seasonal produce, including Brussels sprouts, chickpeas and dried cranberries. Not a fan of some of those ingredients? Swap them out in favour of cauliflower, chicken or pomegranate seeds. Just don’t forget the lip-smacking roasted garlic dressing.

You can’t go wrong with this gorgeous winter-y salad starring seasonal roasted sweet potatoes. Combined with kale, pumpkin seeds, red cabbage and fennel, it’s a bold and beautiful addition to your dinner table. We’ve got plenty more sweet potato recipes you’ll want to try.

Even the pickiest of eaters won’t complain about eating greens once they’ve tried this warm and filling salad. The roasted Brussels sprouts and crispy kale are served up with a generous dollop of fresh Parmesan and a citrus-y dressing that will have everyone licking the bowl clean.

Protein-rich quinoa meets crunchy apples and meaty eggplant in this earthy, cumin-drizzled salad that will fill your belly and bring a little colour to the dour winter weather.

Roasting beets ahead of time brings out their sweetness, making them a tasty addition to almost any salad. This dish, which combines feta, sweet beets and hearty kale, makes a wintertime staple you’ll want to introduce into heavy rotation.

This hearty salad features roasted red pepper, provolone cheese, Genoa salami and crispy orzo pasta, making it an ideal side dish or a scrumptious stand-alone meal if you’re craving lighter fare.

From the slightly charred bitter radicchio to the light and airy olive oil with fresh parsley, this stunning salad is topped off with fresh shrimp that is grilled up in no time.

This crispy kale salad combines all the complementary goodness of bacon, croutons and a maple-Dijon vinaigrette for a unique twist on the traditional Caesar variety. Dinners that taste this delicious go a long way towards helping you battle those winter blues.

If you want to incorporate healthier foods into your dinner repertoire – especially after the hubbub of the holidays – opt for this fantastic way to use leftover turkey while still eating your greens. Combine with chopped grape tomatoes, pecans, fresh thyme and radicchio leaves for pops of colour.