Who says salads are only for the summer season? In a 'home cooking' themed episode in , Adam Liaw reveals his winter fave is wombok (aka Chinese cabbage), while his guests choose beetroot and pumpkin. We imagine it was hard to pick just one – there's a lot to choose from, given a lot of delicious veg are at their peak in the colder months, from hearty root veg to leafy kale.
And, they all lend themselves to warm salads that are as nourishing as they are hearty. Here's a brace of warm winter salad recipes that make the most of some of the great veg that are in season.
Chunky and comforting, the smoky paprika in this salad works a treat with the creamy and nutty flavours of egg, chickpeas and potato.
Smoked paprika, potato and chickpea salad. Source: Murdoch Books
Shared by Chris Theodosi in a previous episode of The Cook Up with Adam Liaw, this warm quinoa and roast vegetable salad with balsamic maple dressing is just the thing when you feel like something that's comforting and nourishing.
Warm roasted vegetable salad Source: Adam Liaw
This salad is deliciously earthy and textured, with natural sweetness from the pumpkin and lean kangaroo, balanced with salty crumbled feta. The recipe calls for pearl couscous (also called Israeli couscous), but any of your favourite grains will do.
Warm couscous and pumpkin salad with dukkah kangaroo fillet. Source: Gourmet Game
Roasted hazelnuts and thin slices of lemon are the little touches that really make this dish sing.
Broccolini, cauliflower and freekeh salad. Source: Alan Benson
This Michelle Bridges one-pan vegetarian roasted tray bake, shared on The Cook Up, is an innovative way to try tofu! A versatile dish that works as a side dish or a main course.
Source: Jiwon Kim
There's a couple of tricks that give this salad extra flavour dimensions: the farro is cooked with a bay leaf, the raw zucchini is thinly sliced and marinated in salt and lemon juice, and green (young) garlic is blended into the lemon vinaigrette. If you can't get your hands on green garlic, it can be substituted with a mixture of regular garlic and spring onions.
Green garlic and farro salad with marinated zucchini. Source: Cristina Sciarra
Grilling is not just for meat—it adds a smoky, intense edge to endives and other salad greens.
Charred radicchio and freekeh salad. Source: Benito Martin
A dazzling appetiser or side dish, this lively little salad combines sweet roasted beetroot and pumpkin, tangy pomegranate molasses and fresh mint leaves, all grounded by the earthiness of the lentils.
Warm lentil salad (mercimek salatasi). Source: Hardie Grant Books
Chimichurri is one of those goes-with-just-about-everything sauces. Adding preserved lemon to it gives it that little extra punch.
Roast vegetable and buckwheat salad with preserved lemon chimichurri. Source: SBS Food
Bring some of summer's sunshine to cooler months with this fruit-laden chicken salad. The chicken gets the Mexican treatment with an adobo rub before being grilled.
Grilled chicken with Mexican street salad (pollo adobado con ensalada de fruta). Source: SBS Food
One of the great things about this salad is that it's endlessly variable—you can roast whatever vegetables you have in the fridge that need using and mix them through. Indian spices like cumin seeds, garam masala and turmeric provide a flexible flavour base, as well as changing things up from more common Meditteranean salad dressings.
Curried red quinoa, pea and paneer salad. Source: Kulsum Kunwa
A generous serving of spiced cauliflower turns this grain-based salad into a more hearty meal.
Moroccan spiced cauliflower salad with buckwheat, mint and pistachios. Source: Benito Martin
Pickled vegetables make a nice change from the more conventional roast vegetable salads. The pickling method is a short-cut version, which just takes half an hour. They're bright and tangy, and retain a bit of crunch.
Warm pickled vegetable salad with buckwheat, preserved lemon and dill. Source: Sharyn Cairns
