Give your salad a winter twist with my easy winter salad recipe. This Spanish-inspired salad uses winter fruits and veggies like orange, pomegranate, and red cabbage for a delicious, healthy, and beautiful salad you'll crave all year long.
I love salad and could eat one every day (and I really should!). I especially love creating salads around seasonal produce. I love the challenge of combining flavors, and choosing the right dressing to match.
When Devour Tours released a cookbook of winter-themed Spanish recipes, I knew I'd have to include a winter salad recipe. Spain's winter bounty includes all sorts of greens, lettuces, persimmon, pomegranate, quince, cabbage, walnuts, citrus fruits... we are spoiled for choice!
This winter salad is loosely based around the Madrid tradition of having lombarda con piñones (red cabbage and pine nuts) for the holidays. I knew I wanted to incorporate red cabbage, oranges, and pomegranate and I went from there.
Key Ingredients
Key Ingredients: Red cabbage, carrot, lettuce, orange, pomegranate, walnuts, cheese, sherry vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
The beauty of this salad is that everything is flexible. If you don't have or like an ingredient, just substitute something similar. Some ideas:
- Instead of lettuce use kale
- Instead of red cabbage use radicchio
- Instead of carrot use radish
- Instead of orange use blood orange or grapefruit
- Instead of walnuts use pecans
Spanish Winter Salad: Step by Step
Start by preparing all of the ingredients -- if you have everything prepped in advance, putting the salad together is very quick! Thinly slice or shred the cabbage and carrot, cut the lettuce and orange, remove the pomegranate seeds, and shave the cheese into thin pieces.
Then simply mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. I sometimes leave the cheese and orange slices for last, so that I can arrange them nicely.
To make the vinaigrette whisk all of the ingredients together and then reserve until you're ready to serve the salad. Dress the salad right before serving.
Recipe Tips & FAQs
- You can prepare the salad in advance (the day before) but I would leave the orange and cheese for right before serving. Otherwise, the cheese could get dry or absorb other flavors, and the orange will release juice making the salad watery.
- Always save the dressing until serving time. No one wants limp lettuce!
Spain is delicious all year round. Winter fruits in Spain include oranges, mandarins, pomegranates, custard apples, persimmons, kiwi, strawberries, and apples. Winter vegetables in Spain include leafy greens, artichokes, cabbage, and peas. Many vegetables are grown year-round in Spain as well, such as broccoli, radishes, zucchini, and beets.
Serving Suggestions
This salad can accompany just about any meal! It can be the main course if you add a piece of grilled chicken or salmon on top. It can be a healthy part of a tapas spread or a side dish for a Spanish stew. It also works really well for a Spanish inspired Thanksgiving spread!
More Spanish Salad Recipes
If you like this delicious winter salad with orange and pomegranate, don't miss these other healthy combinations.
- Ensalada Mixta: The classic Spanish mixed salad you'll find in every restaurant.
- Malaga Salad: Salt cod and oranges mix in this hearty and delicious salad from Malaga.
- Tuna and Avocado Salad: One of my all-time favorites, this salad is a must-try.
- Orange and Red Pepper Salad: This delicious Spanish salad mixes roasted red peppers with oranges and hard-boiled egg.
- Lentil Salad: A cold lentil salad that's perfect for lunch or a healthy side dish.
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Spanish Winter Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- ¼ head of red cabbage thinly sliced or shred
- 1 large carrot shredded
- 4 cups romaine or little gem lettuce washed and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 orange or sub blood orange
- ½ pomegranate seeds only
- ¼ cup walnuts (30g)
- ¼ cup shredded cured sheep's milk cheese (50g) such as Manchego or Parmesan. Shaved or sliced very thin.
For the Dressing
- ½ orange juice only
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or sub red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (60ml)
- generous pinch of salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Salad
- Slice the cabbage thinly and shred the carrot.
- Cut the lettuce into bite-size pieces.
- Cut the pomegranate in half and remove the seeds from one side.
- Cut the orange slices into small pieces.
- Combine all of the above ingredients along with the walnuts in a large salad bowl.
- Top with the cheese, if using.
- Dress right before serving.
Orange Vinaigrette Dressing
- Whisk together the orange juice, vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Notes
- You can prepare the salad in advance (the day before) but leave the orange and cheese for right before serving. Otherwise, the cheese could get dry or absorb other flavors, and the orange will release juice making the salad watery.
- Always save the dressing until serving time. No one wants limp lettuce!
Nutrition
What do you think? Will my Spanish winter salad accompany your next meal? Enjoy!
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