3 winter salads to eat well in the cold months

It is possible that with the low temperatures, the rain and the dark days the last thing you want is to prepare a saladwhich we associate more with summer and freshness.

The raw vegetables they are an important part of a balanced diet and salads are the best way to eat them. Then what do we do?

Winter salads that do not leave you hungry

Well, it’s very simple: prepare winter salads combining fresh leaves and cooked foods, making a warm dish that accompanies any meal and we are not lazy to prepare or eat.

the frescoes

Take advantage of seasonal vegetables and leafy greens and the ones we have available all year round: tender beetroot and spinach shoots, all kinds of lettuce, arugula, lamb’s lettuce, etc. They will be the base of the salads even if we prepare them in other ways.

Also add sprouts Homemade or purchased: soy, alfalfa, onion, broccoli, lentil… They provide extra flavor and texture and go well with both cold and warm dishes.

the temperate

Leftovers from other dishes They are great for these cases, especially if they are brown rice, other whole grains, quinoa, whole wheat pasta and cooked legumes. A handful of any of these items will do just fine (or a combination of them).

Also boiled or roasted potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and pumpkin. The vegetables in general they are great for salads, so if you have any already cooked, roasted or steamed, take advantage of it.

If you do not have anything prepared, it is a good time to do it, what you can use for salads for later days or for other dishes.

sauces and dressings

Instead of opting for fresh, cold sauces and dressings, go for thicker sauces that can be tempered. For example tahini or tomato sauce.

Avoid sauces that can separate in heat (vegetable mayonnaise for example) or that nothing is very hot (the vinaigrette is regular).

Innovate with nut and legume creams like hummus or peanut butter, and take advantage of the creamy texture of avocado to make a sauce in a minute, just by mashing it with a fork.

Additional features

Nuts, seeds, corn, white asparagus, mushrooms, fresh tomato, fresh herbs, nuts, dried fruits… will help you finish your salad with pleasant touches of texture and flavor.

Choose herbs that do not have very refreshing notes (mint and mint give a feeling of freshness), instead others that we associate with warmer dishes, such as basil or sage.

With all this you can assemble a lot of winter salads. I leave you some examples:

Pasta and tofu salad

Ingredients

1 cup of cooked whole wheat pasta 150 g of smoked tofu 6-8 cherry tomatoes 1 carrot A handful of lamb’s lettuce A handful of walnuts 2 tablespoons of tahini 1 teaspoon of olive oil

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dice the tofu and brown it for a couple of minutes. Add the pasta and sauté everything together until hot. Pour over the tahini and stir to mix. Take it off the heat. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and put them in a bowl. Peel the carrot and cut it into strips with the vegetable peeler. Add it to the bowl along with the lamb’s lettuce and walnuts and mix. Add the pasta and tofu and mix again. serve it.

Curried Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

1 cup cooked chickpeas 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ teaspoon curry powder A pinch of salt A good handful of mixed baby sprouts A handful of almonds 1 teaspoon broken flax seeds

Preparation

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chickpeas with the curry and a pinch of salt. Let it brown slightly and take on color and remove it from the heat. In a bowl or salad bowl, place a layer of young sprouts, put the chickpeas on top and the almonds and flaxseeds on top. serve it.

warm potato salad

Ingredients

2-3 medium boiled potatoes 4-5 cauliflower florets A dash of oil 1 tablespoon peanut butter 100ml soy drink (unsweetened and unflavoured) A handful of arugula 1 spring onion (or 10-12 chive stalks) 1 tablespoon debittered brewer’s yeast

Preparation

Cut the potatoes into medium pieces and separate the cauliflower florets. Put them with a little oil in the pan, over medium-low heat and let them lightly brown for a couple of minutes. Mix the peanut butter with the soy drink and add it to the potatoes. Stir it well, turn off the heat and remove it. Wash the spring onion and chop it finely. In a salad bowl or a serving tray, place the potatoes and cauliflower with peanut butter in the center and the arugula and spring onion around it. Sprinkle it all with the debittered brewer’s yeast.