Winter Salad & Warm Cranberry Honey Dressing makes eating salad outside of the summer months something you’ll crave. Big flavors and warm dressing will get salad back on your menu with a bang!
Do you find you eat salad all summer long and as soon as late September rolls around it goes on the back burner?
It’s soup recipes for the win instead?
Slow Cookers and Instant Pots cook away making hot hearty vegetable mixtures.But eating a salad has seems best left for May and later. Until now.
This Winter Salad recipe is one you’ll crave in the summer months.
Similar to Fennel and Orange Salad, the beautiful colors, bright, delicious flavors will have everyone running to the dinner table every time it’s served.
How to Get Excited about Eating Winter Salad
Salad in the winter, when not eating it often, is like an oasis of sorts.
We all need our greens but a cold, light salad isn’t what we crave in the cold winter months.
There is a trick to get around this: big flavor and warm temperatures!
When making winter salad, combining seasonal fruits and vegetables creates exciting flavors and is visually beautiful,
‘We eat with our eyes first‘ really is true. The same goes for salads.
The prettier and more colorful, the more we want to eat them.
Winter produce has deeper flavor.
Combining the sweetness of fruit, some bitter greens, crunch from seeds or nuts creates an exciting, satisfying recipe.
Winter Salad Ingredients
This ingredients in this winter salad are simple.
They can be changed up to include any of your winter favorite ingredients too!
- Mixed Greens
- Pears
- Blackberries
- Pomegranate Arils (seeds)
- Pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels)
How to make Winter Salad
- Select two salad plates (or one larger plate if for a main dish portion).
- Divide the lettuce between the plates.
- Layer with the fruit, adding the pepitas on top.
- Drizzle with a few tablespoons of dressing and serve.
How Many Does this Winter Salad Recipe Serve?
This winter salad recipe makes two side salads or one entree salad. It can be doubled or quadrupled if serving a group.
Warm Cranberry Honey Dressing
Beautiful, pink Warm Cranberry Honey Dressing is full of healthy ingredients.
The vibrant flavors make eating salad addictive!
It will perk up the most ordinary of salad ingredients and is a great option for winter holiday salads.
Warm Cranberry Honey Dressing is a favorite to dress up any winter salad.
It is not only a beautiful presentation but full of antioxidants, polyunsaturated fats and Vitamin E (great for our parched skin and hair in the winter months).
Dressing Ingredients
- fresh cranberries
- honey
- shallots
- apple cider vinegar
- grapeseed oil
How to Make the Cranberry Dressing
The dressing is easy to prepare in a blender. Use it for any salads as well as this winter salad.
All the ingredients (except salt and pepper) are put in a blender and pulsed to make a smooth, silky dressing.
Warm the dressing briefly before serving for the best flavor. This can be done in the microwave.
Storing the Cranberry Dressing
Keep the dressing in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator.
Having it on hand makes it easier to add to greens or a full salad!
More Easy Dressing and Salad Recipes to Try
- Red Grape Jicama Walnut Salad with Mango-Jalapeno Poppy Seed Dressing
- 15 Salad Dressing Recipes to Get You Excited About Salad Again
- Mongolian Beef Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette
- How to Make Raspberry Vinaigrette
- Fennel and Orange Salad
Try These Recipes too
- Cranberry Goat Cheese Party Appetizer
- Cranberry Salsa
- Candied Pecans
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Warm Cranberry Honey Dressing and Winter Salad
This flavor packed seasonal salad will make salad in winter something exciting! Warm Cranberry Honey Dressing compliments spicy winter greens, sweet fruit and crunchy seeds. It can also be made and kept in the refridgerator to dress up greens when the mood strikes.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Warm Cranberry Honey Dressing:
- 1/4 cup fresh Cranberries
- 2 tablespoons Honey
- 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Mustard (dry)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Shallots
- 1/4 cup Grapeseed Oil
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste
Ingredients for side Winter Salad:
- 6 cups Mixed Greens (prepared mixed organic greens offer many options or use your favorite lettuce)
- 2 small ripe Pears , cored and sliced thinly lengthwise
- 20 large Blackberries rinsed
- 1/2 cup Pomegranate Arils (seeds)
- 6 tablespoons roasted Pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels; available in most bulk food areas of grocery stores)
Instructions
Instructions for Warm Cranberry Honey Dressing:
-
Place all ingredients into a blender (except salt and pepper) and pulse to fully puree ingredients to emulsify the dressing. Warm for a few seconds in the microwave before dressing the salad.
Instructions for the Winter Salad:
-
Place the greens on two salad plates (or one large plate if making one entree salad). Layer the pear slices, berries, pomegranate arils and pepitas on top of the lettuce. Dress with a few tablespoons of dressing and serve.
Originally published: November 16, 2014
Becky Hardin says
I need this salad and dressing in my life. I love any type of cranberry and honey together. YUM
Laura says
I love cranberry everything but never thought of using them for a dressing. This looks so good! And I love how healthy it is and simple to make.
Cheryl S says
This salad has so many great flavors the blend perfectly…….but the warm dressing just pushes it over the top!! Thanks for sharing
Sara says
That cranberry dressing was so delicious and easy to make. I put extra on my plate so I could dip my rolls in it – so good!
Betsy says
Tangy and delicious! What a great salad dressing! Love the salad ingredients, too. Added some 4 yr white cheddar to my salad because I love cheese with fruit. Perfect. Definitely doing this one again!
Rachael Yerkes says
so dang good! Perfect to go with our thanksgiving salad this year!
lisa says
not only does this recipe sound delicious, but it is such a beautiful color!
Matt Taylor says
Super yummy! I love salad and I love a good dressing. This is so light and festive. Perfect for the holiday season! 🙂 Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Lauren Kelly says
This salad is always a huge hit when we entertain! The dressing is delicious too!
Carolyn says
Yum!
Megan says
That dressing looks amazing!
Allison Cooper says
My mouth is watering over here! This is the kind of salad and dressing that I could be happy eating every single day of my life. Bring on the yum!
Ra'Nesha says
Sounds refreshing and tasty I love a good salad mostly with fruit and veggies no meat.
Vanessa Delia says
All I have to say is the dressing makes this recipe. I really want to try this sometime.
Sherry says
I am loving the combination of flavors for this salad dressing. It looks simply scrumptious. I don’t enough salads.
Stacie says
This salad looks absolutely delicious. I have never thought of using a warm salad dressing. This I have to try.
brianne says
What a beautiful and colorful lunch! I am so making this for myself!
Nicole says
The colors in this salad are beautiful! Lovely photos. I think the Cranberry Honey Dressing sounds delicious. I love a yummy salad with lots of flavors.
AnnMarie John says
I’ve never made a salad dressing like this before but I sure would love to! I think it’s going to be perfect for the season and I’m definitely going to enjoy it. Thanks for the tips on how to properly prepare the dressing!
Pam says
This sounds and looks delicious. I am a sucker for a good salad any time of year.