Perfect Winter Salad

Ironic, isn’t it, that this winter salad recipe uses spring salad mix as its base? But don’t worry, those leafy greens are joined by a wonderful host of ingredients. Together, those ingredients all bring a robust flavor to this salad that makes it a wonderful accompaniment to those hearty foods that will indeed see you through a cold winter evening.

Try pairing this tart and satisfying salad with roasted potatoes, savory cuts of meat or a comforting and nourishing soup or stew. And by the way, yes, you can enjoy a winter salad in any season.

Winter Salad Ingredients

• Mayonnaise: We recommend using a reduced-fat mayonnaise. The taste and texture will be just fine, so why not cut out a bit of fat when you can?
• Maple syrup: Maple syrup brings sweetness and depth to this salad. It is one of those foodstuffs that is hard to imagine living without.
• White wine vinegar: The white wine vinegar and a crisp tartness that teases out so much flavor from the other ingredients.
• Minced shallot: If you don’t have a shallot, you can use more red onion, but shallots truly do have their own unique flavor profile, and it is worth keeping them on hand.
• Sugar: Just a bit of sugar helps tease maximum flavor out of the other ingredients in this salad, as it does in so many other recipes.
• Canola oil: You can use canola oil or any other oil with a neutral flavor profile, such as grapeseed oil or avocado oil.
• Spring mix salad greens: The greens might not be the main event in terms of flavor, but they certainly are for crunch and color.
• Tart apples: Try to slice the apples just before you begin preparing the salad so they don’t brown prior to serving.
• Dried cherries: The dried cherries add a wonderful tartness, a counterpoint of texture to the crunchy ingredients, and little pops of color.
• Pecan halves: The pecans are crunchy, sweet and savory all at the same time. They are essential for this winter salad.
• Red onion: As noted, you can add a bit more red onion and leave out the shallot if need be.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the dressing

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In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, maple syrup, white wine vinegar, minced shallot and sugar, gradually whisking in the oil until everything is well blended. Refrigerate, covered, until you’ll be serving the salad.

Step 2: Combine all remaining ingredients, then toss with the dressing

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To serve the salad, place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, toss them with the dressing and enjoy!

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Winter Salad Variations

Go nuts: You can add more pecans than called for here if you are a nut lover, and you can also switch things up by using slivered almonds or chopped walnuts instead of pecans based on preference, or if those are the nuts you have on hand.

Skip the cherries: Many people will consider the dried cherries an essential part of this recipe, but others just don’t like dried fruits. You can absolutely leave them out if you fall into that camp.

Different greens: You can use chopped romaine lettuce for a more uniform salad, or you can follow the same recipe with iceberg lettuce if you are all about the crunch.

How to Store Winter Salad

Once this salad is dressed, it really does need to be served within as little time as possible, ideally within 15 to 20 minutes. After that, the greens will begin to wilt and the apple will brown. However, you can prepare the dressing ahead of time, making it a day before your dinner party and storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. Prepare the salad and keep it covered; just don’t slice the apple until right before you are going to toss and serve the dish.

Winter Salad Tips

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Try dried cranberries instead

Dried cranberries add even more tartness than the dried cherries, and they might be easier to find at the grocery store as well. They are a fantastic alternative in this winter salad.

What are considered tart apples?

Good examples of tart apples include Pink Lady, McIntosh, Granny Smith and many other apples you should be able to easily find at the grocery store, especially in mid-autumn.

Can I leave out the mayonnaise?

Yes, if you don’t have mayo on hand, or just really don’t like mayonnaise, you can leave it out of the dressing, instead using a tablespoon more of the oil.