I struggle with eating salads in the winter. I want warm, cooked food. I want to sip hot chocolate and soup and munch on salty popcorn. I don’t want to make a cold salad or chomp on cold vegetables. However, I feel so much better when I prioritize leafy greens every day. Taking a season off would mean missing out on so many benefits.
So when I find a way to make a salad more enjoyable for the winter, I’m holding onto it! And sharing it. This is my current favorite. It’s easy enough to whip up for lunch or dinner and yummy enough to eat a lot of and enjoy it.
A colorful bowl brimming with gems of antioxidants and nutrients galore is just what our winter meals need!
If you don’t want to buy a whole purple cabbage for this salad, skip it! However, if you do get some, I enjoy roasting the leftovers. This meal is also a fam favorite that uses leftover purple cabbage: BBQ Soy Curl Sheet Pan Dinner.
You can change up the ingredients however you’d like and the dressing will make it! Some green onions, avocado, grapefruit, pumpkin seeds, apple, other types of greens, etc could be delicious options.
When you combine these ingredients in a salad, you get a nutrient-dense combination that can:
- Boost Immunity due to the vitamin C and antioxidants in purple cabbage, oranges, and leafy greens.
- Improve Heart Health through healthy fats from tahini, fiber from cabbage and greens, and the anti-inflammatory properties of all the ingredients.
- Support Digestion thanks to the fiber in purple cabbage, oranges, and leafy greens, as well as the healthy fats in tahini.
- Enhance Skin Health with the vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy fats that promote glowing skin and reduce signs of aging.
Gut Health Benefits of this Salad
Did you know that diversity of plants–not just quantity–can have a dramatic affect on your gut health?! Makes me want to eat this salad every day!
- Gut Microbiota Diversity: The variety of plant-based foods in this salad—each offering different fibers, antioxidants, and phytonutrients—helps increase gut microbiota diversity. A diverse microbiota is associated with a healthier gut, as different bacteria thrive on different types of nutrients. The more diversity in your diet, the more diverse and balanced your gut bacteria become, leading to better digestion and absorption of nutrients.
- Prebiotics and Probiotics: Prebiotics (fiber from cabbage, oranges, tahini, and greens) serve as food for probiotics (the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut). By nourishing these bacteria, you help maintain a balanced and thriving gut microbiome, which is linked to better digestion, a stronger immune system, and reduced inflammation.
- Reduced Gut Inflammation: Many of the ingredients, such as the antioxidants in purple cabbage, oranges, and leafy greens, have anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation in the gut can lead to issues like bloating, gas, and even more serious digestive conditions. These anti-inflammatory compounds can help calm and repair the gut lining, promoting healing and a healthy gut environment.
In conclusion, the diversity of plants in this salad—each bringing its own form of fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and healthy fats—supports a wide range of beneficial actions in the gut. Together, they enhance digestion, maintain healthy gut flora, reduce inflammation, and ensure better absorption of nutrients, ultimately contributing to optimal gut health.
I love a good oil-free dressing. Here is another seasonal salad with an undetectably-oil-free dressing: Thanksgiving Green Salad (also called Pear Pecan Green Salad).
Winter Green Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Orange Tahini Dressing
- 2 TBSP frozen 100% orange juice concentrate
- 2 TBSP water
- 2 TBSP tahini
- 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Salad
- 4 oz spring mix or chopped lettuce (about 4 cups)
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 2 oranges, peeled and chopped
- 1 pomegranate
- 2 TBSP sunflower seeds or slivered almonds
Instructions
- Mix the dressing together with a whisk or in a blender until smooth.
- Collect all the seeds from the pomegranate, chop the oranges, etc. Toss all the salad ingredients together, then toss with the dressing. Enjoy immediately.
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