18 winter salad recipes

What ingredients are in season during winter?

Vegetables

• Root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, swedes, and turnips come into their peak in winter. These lend an earthy, sweet taste to salads.
• Brassicas such as cabbage, kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts also come into season, especially from November to February. These act to bulk up winter salads, providing lots of textural variety compared to the softer fruit and veg. Sprouts are especially delicious when shredded into a salad.
• Leeks and celeriac are winter staples, adding depth and flavour to raw or roasted salad ingredients.
• Beetroot is available through the winter, offering vibrant colour and a sweet, earthy flavour, as well as a source of antioxidants.

Fruits

• Apples and pears store well during the colder months and provide a tangy twist to salads. Pears work particularly well paired with blue cheeses and walnuts.
• Citrus fruits like oranges and clementines are also in season during the winter months, brightening up salads with a refreshing zing. Try our beetroot, orange and feta salad below for the perfect combination of earthy, sweet and salty flavours.

Winter salad recipes

Feel-good winter salad

This nourishing salad is packed with lots of fresh ginger and garlic, full of antioxidants and vitamins. Raw kale is great for digestion, along with beetroots, broccoli and avocado.

Almond-crusted chicken with marinated kale and sumac salad

Make this salad to reset at the start of the new year – it’s filling, crunchy, fresh, vibrant, and good for you. It packs well for lunchboxes, too.

Halloumi, kale and tahini salad

This simple halloumi, kale and tahini salad is quick, delicious and perfect for lunch or a lighter evening meal. The salty halloumi works wonders with the softened kale and nutty tahini.

Can't get enough tahini? Check out all our recipes using this popular ingredient.

Celeriac chimichurri salad

Throw everything for this low-prep chimichurri into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Pre-cooked Puy lentils will soak up the piquant, herby dressing.

We've got plenty more seasonal celeriac recipes to try.

Za'atar cottage cheese salad

Herby za’atar adds excitement to everyday cottage cheese in this fresh salad that's perfect for a light lunch or on the side of your favourite grilled meats.

Miso roasted cauliflower, avocado and lentil salad

Fibre-rich cauliflower is roasted in a miso dressing – that's filled with probiotics – and turned into a rustic salad with pickled onions and lentils. It's delicious and great for your gut, too.

Browse our best miso recipes.

Beetroot and carrot salad

This vibrant salad of beetroot, freekeh and spring onion is packed with colour and texture – it makes for a filling, healthy lunch and is really simple to put together.

Have a look at our colourful beetroot recipes.

Cauliflower couscous salad

Check out our vibrant roast cauliflower salad recipe with giant couscous, crispy fried onions and a punchy zhoug dressing. This easy salad is vegan and low in calories, too.

Use up a bag of couscous with our couscous recipes.

Cavolo nero, pink grapefruit, avocado and walnut salad

This salad with its contrasting textures and flavours is striking to look at, and packed full of the nutrients our bodies need. Plus, it's vegetarian and gluten free.

There are lots more ways to use juicy grapefruit.

Winter panzanella

This is a wintery take on the classic Mediterranean salad, using root veg and rich, tangy blue cheese. It’s ideal as a starter for a festive meal.

Have a look at our healthy winter recipes.

Pear, chicory and blue cheese salad

A supremely colourful winter salad that combines creamy blue cheese with red onion, pears, red chicory, parsley and walnuts, plus a quick red wine vinegar dressing.

We've got plenty more pear recipes.

Crispy spud salad with sauerkraut, ham hock and peas

Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) is not only good for your gut, but its distinct flavour lifts this simple salad with super crisp potatoes and salty ham.

We've got more ham hock recipes.

Kale chicken caesar salad

Try this kale chicken caesar salad for a modern twist on the classic caesar salad. This recipe is really easy, ready in just 30 minutes and under 350 calories – perfect for a midweek meal.

We also have a vegan caesar salad.

Gochujang cabbage, coriander and apple salad

Korean chilli paste, ginger and lime make a punchy dressing for this refreshing vegetable salad, brightened up with plenty of fresh mint and coriander.

Give our favourite gochujang recipes a go.

Walforf salad

This salad is a classic for a reason: it's sweet, savoury, crunchy and creamy all at the same time. We've added seasonal leafy kale for added nutrients.

Beetroot, orange and feta salad

Earthy beetroot and sweet orange pair up beautifully in this colourful salad that pops all the more with a salty olive vinaigrette and chunks of creamy feta.

Winter vegetable salad with Shropshire blue

This vegetable salad with Shropshire blue and sherry dressing is a great way to get your veggie boost in the colder months.

Make winter veg piccalilli to enjoy with your cheeseboard.

Red cabbage salad

This vibrant winter salad combines tangy red cabbage with sweet and sour pomegranates and crisp apple slices. Perfect as a side to roast meats, or for a colourful lunch