21 Salads to Warm the Soul
Roasting. Grilling, Sautéing. Blanching. Frying. So many wonderful ways to cook up salad ingredients to create warm and fuzzy recipes. Delectable warm salads for those cold nights and blustery days.
For all true salad lovers, we are constantly searching and creating recipes to suit the many occasions in our lives, budgets, dietary preferences, sudden cravings and of course, the seasons.
Seasons steer our salad making decisions down a different trajectory not only from a produce availability point of view but also hot or cold it is.
As we move into the cooler months, the construct of our salads also shifts as we yearn for more comforting ingredients like pumpkin, carrots, beetroot and potatoes.
These vegetables immediately conjure warmth and heartiness. There is no better way to enjoy them than to cook them up and create salad recipes that warm the soul.
The oven never really shuts off in the winter, and the kitchen is in a perpetual state of roasting. Have you ever wondered how an oven actually works? Did you also know that there are 2 types of ovens?
More and more households are opting to install a convection oven as opposed to a regular conventional oven. A convection oven is one that has an exhaust system and a fan that circulates air around.
This circulation allows food to cook more evenly, so if you have a few things going on multiple racks, there is less chance that one would cook faster than another or have uneven hot and cold spots.
A convection oven also helps to reduce the amount of moisture in the oven allows the food to brown and crisp up nicely on the outside while retaining all the lovely juices on the inside of the dish.
So, what is a conventional oven, which by the way, is what most people have? This oven has 2 elements. The hardest working part of the oven is the heating element at the bottom of the oven that does most of the work.
This oven is a bottom-up heat appliance where the heat rises from the bottom to cook the food from below.
It also has a broiler function which is the heating element on the top. You would turn this on if you want to crisp up the top of your lasagne or melt that cheese on your bread. Many ovens nowadays will allow you to turn both on at the same time.
Understanding your oven is an integral part of home cooking as it will change the way you cook. You will have to get to know it better and understand its limitations.
It is, however, still the one appliance that can produce so many variations of cook on so many different vegetables. This allows us to create such fun and diverse salad recipes!
The oven, of course, is just but one of the many different ways to make warm salads. You can use your grill to give it some smokiness, sauté on your fry pan with some aromats or even a simple blanch for crunchy al dente vegetables.
Whichever you choose to do, warm salads have a place on our dinner table. No need to give them up just because the weather is warmer.
Here is our comprehensive list of warm salads that will get you through any hibernation blues!
Tamarind Roasted Baby Eggplant Salad
1/21
As these glorious pops of baby eggplants are slowly roasting away in a sweet yet tart homemade tamarind sauce, prepare the burgundy tipped red oak lettuce, crunchy pomegranate arils and sweet fresh raspberries.
What a warm and fuzzy feast!
Grilled Broccolini Salad and Barley
2/21
Serve up gorgeous bouquets of grilled broccolini on a bed of chewy barley, caramelised shallots and sweet dried cranberries.
A grain and broccolini salad perfect for those cooler months or when you’re entertaining family and friends.
Balsamic Roasted Figs and Halloumi Salad
3/21
Sweet balsamic roasted figs layered over a bed of crispy halloumi cheese is a fantastic way to start any meal and get the taste buds salivating.
Thai Prawn Salad with Chilli Tamarind Dressing
4/21
Freshly grilled prawns, aromatic Thai herbs and a zesty Chilli Tamarind salad dressing with a good kick of chilli, this Asian-inspired salad is mouth-watering goodness.
Forbidden Rice Salad and Miso Baked Salmon
5/21
Complement the nutty flavours of this Forbidden Rice Salad with tasty sweet and umami shiro miso.
Counterbalance the dense rice with the soft flakes of salmon and the creamy texture of edamame. What a beautifully balanced salad!
Baby Cauliflower and Spiced Chickpeas with Beetroot Tahini
6/21
What could be more scrumptious than whole roasted baby cauliflower?
Combine them with spiced chickpeas and beetroot tahini, and you’ll have a Middle Eastern inspired salad that won’t disappoint.
Roast Pumpkin Salad with Israeli Couscous and Apple
7/21
A Roast Pumpkin Salad is nothing but goodness served on a plate.
Envelop it with the pop of Israeli couscous, crunch of an apple and smeared with tahini dressing, it’s a match made in heaven!
Charred Corn Avocado Salad with Roasted Red Onions
8/21
This Charred Corn Avocado Salad with Roasted Red Onions combines all the fresh flavours of summer in a salad bowl.
Sweet, smoky charred corn mixed with avocado, cherry tomatoes, roasted red onions and a lemon Dijon dressing makes it a perfect side salad for any barbecue or potluck gathering.
Creamy Beef Sausage and Crunchy Roast Potato Salad
9/21
Inspired by the classic bangers and mash and transforming that idea into a Roast Potato Sausage Salad that’s bold in flavour and big in heartiness.
Tricolour Quinoa Salad with Roast Vegetables
10/21
Deliciously sweet roasted baby peppers, caramelised eggplant and tangy lemon mingled in with nutty tricolour quinoa and a zingy lemon garlic dressing.
A colourful warm vegan quinoa recipe that would shine at any potluck meal.
Gluten Free Pasta Salad with Tarragon Mustard Chicken
11/21
This black bean spaghetti is an excellent ingredient for a healthy Gluten Free Pasta Salad.
Add some lean, baked chicken and you’ll have a hearty salad to have as a side or a meal on its own.
Charred Truss Tomato Salad with Stracciatella
12/21
Classic pairings of truss tomato with Stracciatella di buffalo mingled with a deliciously fresh basil and mint pesto.
Stunning to serve and easy to make. Pretty good, hey?
Dukkah Eggplant Baked Slices Salad
13/21
Nothing quite like marrying age old African and Middle Eastern ingredients in one salad recipe.
These dukkah eggplant baked slices are so well complemented by the hearty Israeli couscous and succulent pomegranate arils. A wonderful combination!
Curried Vegan Cauliflower Steak Salad
14/21
Imagine infusing a Vegan Cauliflower Steak with some of the most aromatic spices found in curry powder.
Then imagine the smells in the kitchen as they roast themselves into delectable pieces of joy. What a salad!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Dutch Carrots
15/21
Sweet maple roasted Brussels sprouts and Dutch carrots salad, what’s not to love?
Along with the nutty texture of freekeh balanced with freshness of peas and rounded off with creamy goat cheese, our warm Brussels sprouts salad is insanely flavoursome.
Baked Portobello Mushroom Salad
16/21
This portobello mushroom salad is a meaty, smoky and earthy recipe accompanied by delicate micro leaves, crunchy pistachios and finished off with a lemon parsley vinaigrette.
An easy way to serve up a warm, fancy salad for a special occasion!
Whole Baked Apple Arugula Salad
17/21
Combine the sweet and salty whole baked apple stuffed with bacon and shallots with the peppery notes of arugula leaves and red cabbage.
Transform an otherwise simple salad with a bit of imagination and fun!
Roasted Beetroot Salad with Halloumi and Pomegranate Glaze
18/21
This Roasted Beetroot Salad and Halloumi has a rich, deep colour with delicious flavours.
The crunch of the pistachio and the sweetness of the pomegranate glaze will make this a showstopper.
King Oyster Mushroom Salad with Yellow Beans
19/21
A special occasion calls for a majestic salad. This King Oyster Mushroom Salad exudes umami flavours complemented with sweet yellow beans and butter crisped sage.
What a decadent combination!
Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Asparagus
20/21
When it comes to time in the kitchen, not all recipes should be rushed. Allow these heirloom tomatoes to be slow-roasted as it basks in its own sweet juices.
Serve up with some asparagus and avocado for some crunchy and creamy textures.
Vegan Couscous Salad with Blistered Tomatoes
21/21
It’s incredible how such everyday ingredients such as tomato and basil can make for such a flavoursome salad recipe.
Complement the sweet blistered tomatoes with broth infused Israeli couscous for a quick and easy side salad.
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This is an unbelievably fabulous collection of salads. We’ve made it about half way through the list and have loved every one!
I literally have a salad EVERY day for lunch and I love being able to switch it up now!
My kids LOVE the pumpkin and apple couscous salsa. I can’t wait to go through the rest of the list.
This is such a fantastic collection of delicious, warm salads to try. For me, I can never go past eggplant, so the dukkah eggplant will be the first on my list. I am thinking I should have a dinner party and offer a selection of these dishes – yum!
Oh my goodness these salads are a must try – every single one. I could not actually pick or choose. I’m saving this post and I’m going to make every salad here starting from as early as tomorrow. They all look absolutely delicious and exactly my kind of food. Beautiful presentation all throughout. Thanks for sharing!!