8 Cozy, Hearty Winter Salads
Because sometimes you need to eat something green and something that brings you comfort.
Winter is one of my favorite times of year to eat. (Let’s be real; it’s always a good time to eat.) With all of the root veggies and cozy dishes, it’s easy to dive into your favorite comfort cooking from November through March. The problem is, sometimes we need a little something green. But if eating a salad while it’s freezing outside gives you the creeps (same), you need to throw some cozy winter salads into your meal prep rotation. And trust me, “cozy” doesn’t mean this is actually just a list of pasta salads.
While you may be missing fresh, juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers and all those bright, zesty flavors of summer, there is plenty of great winter produce to enjoy in salads. Root vegetables like carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes can easily jazz up a dish, and bulking up your salad with grains like farro and lentils can make it super hearty and filling. These aren’t just little side salads or depressing salads without any texture. These cozy winter salads pack some major crunch, some creaminess, some tanginess, and a whole lot more, all in one bowl.
So pick a few to try throughout winter and prepare your tastebuds for a true flavor explosion. Because once you have roasted beets and goat cheese on a salad, you will never look back.
7-Layer Beet Salad
Nothing quite says “winter salad” like this dense, seven-layer beet salad from Pinch of Yum. With lots of great textures — like the crunch of pistachios and the softness of ricotta — this is one of those Main Character Energy salads that will leave you feeling warm and cozy all winter long.
Winter Farro Salad
Farro is one of those grains I forget about until it’s winter and I want to bulk up a bowl of some sort. This winter farro salad from Gimme Some Oven uses the ingredient beautifully in a hearty, cozy mix with lots of tang from an orange-ginger vinaigrette, sweetness from pears, and plenty of goat cheese to give it a creamy texture. It’s just so good and easy to throw together.
Roasted Beet Chickpea Kale Salad
Kale might be my favorite winter salad base (which is a good thing since it’s the star of so many of them), and it just looks gorgeous in this roasted beet chickpea kale salad from A Spicy Perspective. With beets, sweet potatoes, and a creamy yogurt herb dressing, this salad is so filling and cozy.
Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad
Apples and cranberries are always a winning combo, so when you throw in pecans? Oh man, you’re in for a delight. This apple cranberry pecan salad from Damn Delicious is one of those extra crunchy salads full of bright, robust flavors that will help you out of the darkest winter blues.
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Want a salad that really just tastes like a warm hug? Then you want this roasted sweet potato salad from Averie Cooks. It’s a salad in the same way we call potato salad a “salad,” but that doesn’t mean you should leave it off the winter salad rotation. It’s hearty, it’s full of great flavors and textures, and sweet potatoes — the root vegetable queen — are the star of the show.
Lentil Salad with Butternut Squash
Making a winter salad versus a spring or summer salad obviously depends on the produce available, but bulking your salads up with grains definitely feels winter-coded. This lentil salad with butternut squash from Cook Nourish Bliss is super easy to throw together, and honestly, we aren’t giving butternut squash enough love outside of pureéing her into soups.
Rejuvenating Winter Broccoli Salad
If you need a refresh after all the treats in December but still want something to excite your tastebuds, this rejuvenating winter broccoli salad from Half-Baked Harvest is for you. Broccoli as a salad base is pretty genius, and this one is really customizable, with lots of options for making it a bright, zesty, and cozy meal.
Wilted Spinach Salad
Spinach is always great in a salad, but spinach in winter can feel a little less hearty and a little more, well... like you’re a rabbit. But this wilted spinach salad from Budget Bytes offers a whole lot more than you think, like bacon and beans and, of course, wilted spinach, to bring you the ultimate cozy winter salad.
Winter is all about feeling good and finding those bright spots where you can — hopefully at least one salad on this list will give you all those warm vibes.
