Bring the heat to your salad this winter
With the weather getting chilly and the blankets coming out, it’s only fitting that your food starts to warm up to counteract the cold. You start heading for the soup and chili more than the salad, but that doesn’t have to be the case. You can warm yourself up and still enjoy a tasty salad; all you need is a warm salad.
That might sound strange, but it’s more common than you would think. Take your usual salad base and top it with some nice and toasty toppings and you’re set for the winter!
As with all salads, you can be as creative as you want. It’s all about adding your favorite flavors together to make something delicious. But, in case you need some inspiration, I’ll explain how to make one of my favorite warm salads.
Start with your typical salad base. I prefer kale, arugula or romaine lettuce with my warm salads. Then, start thinking about what you want as your toppings. Like I said, be creative. You can add warm vegetables or proteins or you could just warm up your dressing. I like to pan cook a piece of chicken and slice it into strips and add some warm green beans, cooked yellow peppers and some cool tomatoes to balance it all out. Then, I’ll pour a couple of tablespoons of vinaigrette into a cup and heat it in the microwave. Finally, toss it all up and you’re done.
Warm salads are a quick and easy way to transition your favorite simple dinner from summer to fall and then to winter. There are plenty of delicious looking warm salad recipes out there if you’re not feeling creative too. These are just a few that peaked my interest: Southern BBQ Pork Salad, Apple Blue Cheese Salad with Warm Bacon Onion Dressing, Sausage & Warm Garbanzo Bean Salad with Salsa Verde & Crispy Shallots and My Favorite Fall Salad.
I hope these keep you nice and toasty this winter! If you have a favorite warm salad recipe, feel free to share them with us on our Facebook page!
