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Winter Salad with Homemade Dijon Dressing

Real Food· Salads

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This easy Winter Salad with Homemade Dijon Dressing celebrates the best produce winter has to offer. A bed of mixed greens tossed with purple cabbage and topped with grapes, pears, cranberries, feta, and roasted nuts and finished off with a Maple Dijon dressing. 

Winter Salad with fruit in white bowl.

A friend recently said she struggles to use all her fresh produce.

I can not say I can relate. My family loves fresh fruit and vegetables and would prefer a salad any day of the week to steamed vegetables.

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However, there are times when the produce is lacking at the store. When I all I can find is root vegetables and hearty cabbages. And while I love these things in dishes like Mexican Coleslaw or Potato Soup, I really long for spring and summer when my stores and farmer markets are bursting at the seems with tender berries and fresh ears of corn.

However, if I dig a little deeper, I can find winter produce that is the perfect making for a fresh salad.

Easy Winter Salad

While I may not have tender berries or vine-ripened tomatoes in the winter, pears, red cabbage, mixed greens, and grapes are always available to me during the colder winter months.

And these humble winter ingredients became the base of a delicious winter salad.

Ingredients in Winter Salad with Fruit

  • Shredded cabbage
  • Tender Mixed Greens
  • Pears
  • Apples
  • Grapes
  • Feta Cheese
  • Candied Nuts
  • Dijon Dressing

All these ingredients come together to form a winter salad that is fresh, vibrant, and full of flavor and textures.

Simple Winter Salad Recipe

Dijon Salad Dressing Recipe

With only a handful of pantry staples, there is no reason to purchase salad dressing. A few ingredients come together to create simple magic–a tangy, slightly sweet homemade vinaigrette.

Many dijon vinaigrette are made with honey, and while that is delightful, I find that using maple in this easy vinaigrette is the perfect counter balance to a winter salad. Plus by using maple syrup instead of honey, this becomes a vegan vinaigrette.

Simply whisk maple syrup, Dijon, Balsamic and salt and pepper with olive oil for this easy Maple Dijon Dressing.

A Few Tips on Mixed Green and Fruit Winter Salad:

  • The key to this salad, like any salad, is to keep the components separate until serving. The greens can be tossed with the grapes, cabbages, dried cranberries, and pears before hand. But wait to dress the salad and top with the cheese and nuts to just before serving, to prevent soggy nuts or wilted lettuce.
  • Omit the feta cheese for a vegan winter salad recipe that is also Paleo and Whole 30 approved. The salad will still be delicious, and if you are craving a salty bite, add in roasted nuts that are salted.
  • I used toasted walnuts for this salad recipe, but you can omit nuts altogether OR use honey roasted peanuts, toasted almonds or pecans. All choices will work.
  • To toast nuts for a salad: heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add nuts and toss for 2-3 minutes or until your nose smells the nuts. You can also roast nuts in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
  • Feel free to use radicchio or green cabbage in place of red cabbage.
  • Any variety of mixed greens works in this simple salad recipe–spinach, a mix, etc.
  • Anjou or Bosc pears are the easiest to find in the winter months around me, but any firm pear will work in this winter salad recipe.

 Recipes to serve with this Winter Salad Recipe:

Let’s Make Winter Salad with Fruit and Dijon Dressing

Winter Salad Recipe

Winter Produce Salad
5 from 2 votes
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Winter Salad with Dijon Fig Dressing

An easy winter salad recipe made with mixed greens, purple cabbage and topped with grapes, pears, cranberries, feta, and roasted nuts and finished off with a Maple Dijon dressing. 

Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword Mixed Greens and Fruit Salad, Winter Salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 -6
Calories 311 kcal

Ingredients

Winter Salad Recipe

  • 9 ounces mixed greens or spinach
  • 1/2 small head purple cabbage sliced
  • 1 large pear diced
  • 1-2 cups red grapes sliced in half
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup roasted walnuts see note

Maple Dijon Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh pepper
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

To Make the Djion Salad Dressing:

  1. Mix together the vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, oil, salt and pepper. Set aside until serving.

To Make the Winter Salad:

  1. Toss together the mixed greens, cabbage, cranberries, pears and grapes.

  2. When ready to serve, add the feta and nuts to the salad and dress with the dressing.

Recipe Notes

  • To toast nuts for a salad: heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add nuts and toss for 2-3 minutes or until your nose smells the nuts. You can also roast nuts in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
  • Nutritional values are calulated based on full salad dressing used and toasted walnuts for 4 servings. 
Nutrition Facts
Winter Salad with Dijon Fig Dressing
Amount Per Serving
Calories 311 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Sodium 402mg 17%
Potassium 791mg 23%
Total Carbohydrates 42g 14%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugars 29g
Protein 5g 10%
Vitamin A 143.5%
Vitamin C 98%
Calcium 13.4%
Iron 17.9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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Comments

  1. That fig balsamic has my name all over it! I love vinegar and have so many varieties of balsamic and reds in my pantry! I need to add a fig infused!

    Reply

  2. Your salad is so bright and colorful and that dijon fig dressing is screaming my name. I love all salads and I’ll be making this one soon. I’m not a fan of steamed veggies, either. I had rather eat them raw or roasted. Beautiful!

    Reply

  5. This sounds fantastic, I love the crunch and the different flavor components…all together in one beautiful, colorful salad. Lovely!

    Reply

  6. I LOVE your creative nature and how you always find amazing recipes to use what is in your fridge! As always, thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  7. What a gorgeous salad! Love the mix of flavors and textures and the use of in-season ingredients!

    Reply

  9. You had me with the fig balsamic dressing – what a great way to take this salad up a notch!

    Reply

  13. Such a beautiful salad, but I’ve got to admit that I’m super excited over the dressing! Love figs and this sounds so good! Love it!

    Reply

  15. Dear Kristen, Your salad is marvelous. I love the dressing…this is a perfect dish for a spring gathering. xo, Catherine

    Reply

  16. This salad looks delicious and bright. I love throwing together random ingredients from the fridge. It is crazy the meals you can make al the while thinking you have nothing in the fridge to eat. I am definitely pinning this!

    Reply

  18. I just love fruit in my salad and I definitely want to try your fig balsamic. It sounds heavenly. Looking forward to Spring!

    Reply

  19. I love all the flavors and colors in this salad and I’ve got to get my hands on fig balsamic – how wonderful!

    Reply

  24. I have not tried fig balsamic but it sounds wonderful. I love figs and I bet it makes a great dressing.

    Reply

  27. This fig salad dressing will happen very soon!! I even have fig balsamic vinegar in my pantry—it was meant to be. Printing it off now 🙂

    Reply

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