My best winter salads
and my top meal of the year so far
Hello and welcome back to my newsletter.
I’ve been on a bit of a mission this winter and somehow managed to post two new salad recipes. Heavily indulgent dishes (especially desserts) always seem to do well for me, but I also want to share recipes that reflect how I actually like to eat. My latest radicchio salad with blue cheese, pear, apple, and fennel is one of those. I threw just about everything at it to distract from the bitterness of the radicchio. I know many of you love this leaf; it’s undeniably beautiful, but I find it quite a challenge. In the end, I enjoyed this salad, especially the mix of textures.
I added pear, apple, and pickled sultanas to bring a fruity note. I think winter salads need fruit. The creamy, sharp blue cheese delivers a big flavour hit, and it all comes together with a blood orange vinaigrette spiked with Dijon and maple syrup for balance.
It got me thinking about winter salads in general and how I love them to be hearty, both in structure and flavour. I want plenty of ingredients. Somehow, winter salads need more going on than their flimsy summer counterparts. They’re usually low on tomatoes (which are out of season anyway), and often include some sort of fruit. Grains, pasta, or chickpeas work well to bulk things up.
So I’ve rounded up a few of my favourite salads for the colder months. In case, like me, you still want to eat salad but can’t face another mixed green number.
Let me know in the comments – what’s your go-to winter salad?
A few of my favourite winter salad recipes
Radicchio salad with roasted butternut and blue cheese
Roast carrot and barley salad with pickled sultanas
This is one of the heartier salads on my website, and I love making it in winter. Pickled sultanas (and currants are my latest obsession), and I always have jars in the fridge. I have taken to adding them to my chicken and tuna salads, too. They are flavour bombs.
I don't have many pasta salads on my website, but this is my favourite of all time. The creamy anchovy dressing is a game-changer.
I made a green goddess variation with avocado, which is also so good.
Ottolenghi's roast chicken and 3 rice salad
This is a complete meal, but it is technically a salad, so I will include it here. It's utterly delicious, a lovely winter salad option, and a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken. Or buy a chicken to make the salad.
Panzanella salad with white anchovies, fennel, and capers
This recipe by my friend Fiamma Swainston is such a delicious salad that works very well as a starter. It's great all year round. Since visiting Spain 2 years ago, I have been in love with white anchovies (boquerones).
Crispy noodle slaw with a soy, honey & ginger dressing
This is a family favourite and everyone loves it. Toasted two-minute noodles, sesame, sunflower and flaked almonds make this a textural adventure. The sweet honey, ginger and soy dressing ties it all together.
You can find all my recipes for your winter salad inspiration here.
In case you missed it
My best oxtail braised in red wine (oven or pressure cooker recipe)
I shared my best-ever oxtail recipe last week. I got a text from a friend in Canada to say a friend of hers had made it and thought it was the best, too, so that made my day. I always love getting feedback about the recipes I share. I few other people have DM’d me to say it was a hit.
Inspired by the Greek dessert galatopita, this ruffled phyllo pie takes on a South African twist with a creamy, cinnamon-spiced custard, similar to a milk tart. It has a crispy and chewy texture, and I can’t wait to experiment with adding berries in the summer or even making a savoury version with a cheese custard and roast butternut.
Out & About
I recently had the pleasure of experiencing the six-course Winter Explorer Menu at Salon, where Luke Dale Roberts and executive chef Carla Schultz take you on a beautiful culinary journey.
The meal begins with a selection of seasonal snacks, each paired with a curated cocktail. Every bite was delicious and immaculately presented.
Diners can choose between the more compact six-course Explorer Menu or the full eight-course tasting. We opted for the six, which still felt generous and deeply satisfying.
The bread course was a standout — Salon’s signature croissant-like roll served with whipped butter, shaved Boland cheese, and Branston pickle. A cheeky nod to Luke’s English roots.
One of the highlights was the Duck Suzette, featuring duck breast dry-aged for seven days, flambéed tableside and served with citrus emulsion and a rich duck jus. A true showstopper.
This has been my best meal of the year. Everything was so delicious and inspired.
Winter Explorer Menu
SNACKS
Horseradish Oyster
Winter Citrus Taco
BREAD
Branston Pickle & Cheese
SICILY
Caponata — Octopus, linefish, saffron
MOROCCO
Tagine — Lamb, mutabal, grape & preserved lemon
FRANCE
Duck Suzette — 7-day aged duck breast, citrus emulsion, duck jus
SOUTH AFRICA
Fynbos Honey — Malt barley, pear, local mead
The Winter Explorer Menu is priced at R875 per person with the option to add 3 extra snacks. Beverage pairings are available, matched to small-batch wines or seasonal cocktails.
Thank you for being here. See you soon for more deliciousness.
Sam x
It's interesting Sam - I don't think about salad at all in winter! I think soup!