Why Hot Salads are a Winter Must
When it comes to healthy meals, salads are a well-known favorite. They often include a mix of vegetables, fruits, and proteins, sometimes with grains and beans for a complete meal. Dressed with your favorite sauce, a salad is both nutritious and convenient. However, the thought of eating cold produce in winter can be unappealing. That’s why “hot salads” are a great alternative.
Hot Salads: Not Just for Summer
Contrary to common perception, salads don’t have to be cold. In fact, many seasonal autumn and winter ingredients are particularly well-suited for making delicious hot salads. But what exactly makes a good hot salad?
Choosing Ingredients for Hot Salads
While most regular salad ingredients can be used, it’s best to swap out those that are better served cold (like lettuce and cucumbers) with more suitable options. Root vegetables, various mushrooms, and protein-rich seafood and meats are excellent choices. 
Root Vegetables: These include vegetables grown partly or fully underground, such as potatoes, carrots, radishes, yams, and sweet potatoes.
Mushrooms: Choose meaty varieties like portobellos, king oyster mushrooms, and shimeji mushrooms.
Proteins: Opt for lean meats like chicken and beef, or seafood like shrimp, scallops, salmon, and tuna.
These options are ideal for hot salads because they’re often not eaten raw and benefit from cooking.
Cooking Methods & Sauce Pairings for Hot Salads
Hot salads are generally prepared using steaming, boiling, or oven-baking. These methods are relatively simple and maintain the natural flavor of the ingredients. Hot salads are assembled like regular salads, with cooked ingredients tossed in a dressing, distinguishing them from stews or oven-baked dishes.
In addition to regular salad dressings, hot salads pair well with bolder flavors like cheese powder, cheese slices, cream, chili powder, garlic, or curry powder. These combinations create complex and satisfying dishes. Eating hot salads in winter is beneficial; the warmth boosts your metabolism and makes it great for those who exercise and want to maintain their weight.
Here are six tasty, easy-to-make, and low-calorie hot salad recipes to get you started:
01. Quick Microwave Steamed Vegetable Hot Salad
Ingredients:
Main:
Sweet potato (sliced): 100g
Carrot (sticks): 50g
Turnip (crescent-shaped): 2
Cauliflower (florets): 80g
Dressing:
Camembert cheese: 100g
Milk: 50ml
Egg (beaten): 1
Garlic (minced): ½ tsp
Black pepper: to taste
Directions:
- Place main ingredients in a microwave-safe container, add a splash of water, and cover. Microwave for 4.5 minutes (500W).
- Heat the dressing ingredients in a pan until the cheese melts and a smooth sauce forms.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and add black pepper.
02. Honey Mustard Sweet Potato and Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
Main:
Sweet potato: ½
Chicken breast: 1
Dressing:
Honey: 1 tbsp
Soy sauce: 2 tsp
Grainy mustard: 2 tsp
Cilantro: 1 sprig
Directions:
- Steam cubed sweet potato until cooked.
2. Poach chicken breast in boiling water for 10 minutes with the heat off.
3.Slice the cooled chicken.
4.Mix dressing ingredients, then combine with sweet potato and chicken. Serve.
03. Lemon Shrimp Hot Salad
Ingredients:
Main:
Shrimp (fresh or frozen): 10-15
Mixed greens: handful
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Avocado (sliced): 1
Salt & pepper: to taste
Lemon Shrimp Dressing:
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Orange juice: 1 orange
Lemon juice: 1 lemon
Red onion (minced): 1
Garlic (minced): 1 clove
Parsley (chopped): to taste
Chili powder: to taste
Directions:
- Combine dressing ingredients, heat in a pan until simmering, add shrimp, and cook for 5 minutes. Season.
- Slice the avocado. Toss with shrimp, greens, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
04. Asparagus and Pea Hot Salad
Ingredients:
- Main:
Green asparagus: 3-4
Pea pods: 200g
Smoked ham: 2-3 slices
Grainy mustard: 120g
Dried herbs, salt: to taste
Cheese powder: 1 tbsp
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Directions:
- Slice asparagus, remove the strings from pea pods and cut them into pieces. Cut ham into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauté asparagus and peas in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add ham, mustard, herbs, and salt. Sauté lightly, then serve topped with cheese powder.
- Optional: Add a soft-boiled egg on top.
05. Mushroom Hot Salad
Ingredients:
Main:
Portobello, shiitake, king oyster mushrooms: 50g each
Garlic (sliced): 1 clove
Dried chili: ½ (chopped)
Olive oil: 2 tsp
Lettuce: 4 leaves
Cherry tomatoes: 4
Italian Dressing:
White wine vinegar (or apple cider/rice vinegar): 1 tsp
Olive oil: 1 tsp
Salt, sugar, minced garlic, black pepper: to taste
Directions:
- Clean the mushrooms and lettuce and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine the dressing ingredients.
- Sauté garlic and chili in olive oil, add mushrooms, cook until done. Turn off heat, add dressing, mix, and pour over lettuce and cherry tomatoes.
06. White Bean and Sausage Hot Salad
Ingredients:
- Main:
Cooked white kidney beans: 200g
Spicy sausage: 4
Onion: ½
Garlic: 1 clove
Salad oil: 1 tbsp
Chili powder: ½ tsp
Black pepper, salt: to taste
Directions:
- Sauté garlic in salad oil until fragrant. Add onion and sausage, cooking until the onion is translucent and the sausage is browned.
- Add white beans and chili powder. Sauté briefly then remove from heat. Season with black pepper and salt before serving.
