This is not the season for cold potato salad or any other cold salad when you are trying to warm up. Then again, forget any memory of overcooked, withered spinach salads adorned with hard-boiled eggs and greasy bacon dressing. Good warm salads are filled with delicious flavors and appealing textures. The first key to a great warm salad lies in learning to barely wilt the greens, so that the warm vinaigrette brings all the flavors together but doesn’t make the salad soggy. The second key lies in the complementary combination of ingredients.
When a dressing is warm, it has a more pronounced flavor than when it’s cold, plus the heat really brings out all the flavors of the salad. You have to be careful when you dress the greens, though, because you want them to be just slightly wilted.
You can accomplish this in several ways.
Heat the dressing in a pan. Then pour the warm vinaigrette over the bowl of greens, add the garnishes and toss. This method work well with hardier greens like spinach, escarole and kale. You can wilt mesclun this way, too; just dress the greens a little more lightly and serve them immediately.
Or you can arrange the raw greens on serving plates, top with just cooked shrimp or chicken and then drizzle the hot dressing over all. This method is better when the greens are particularly tender, like mizuna or mesclun. Whichever wilting method you choose, just remember you don’t want to fully cook the greens, so don’t put them directly into a hot sauté pan. Don’t wilt the greens until you’re ready to serve them; this type of salad looks and tastes best when freshly dressed.
Warm Spinach Salad with Cannellini Beans and Shrimp
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound baby spinach (7 cups)
- 3 slices of bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 pound shelled and deveined large shrimp
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Directions
Spread the spinach on a large platter. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon.
Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook it in the pan with the bacon fat over moderately high heat until barely pink, about 4 minutes. Add the beans, season with salt and pepper and toss until heated through, about 1 minute. Pour the shrimp and beans onto the bed of spinach.
In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the shallot and cook over moderately low heat until softened, about 1 minute. Add the mustard to the skillet and whisk in the red wine vinegar, then whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and pepper, pour it over the salad and garnish with the bacon. Serve immediately.
Warm Winter-Vegetable Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
- 1 small sweet potato (about 8 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 1 small celery root (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 1 small beet, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 ounce feta, crumbled (1/4 cup)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a medium roasting pan, toss the onion, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, celery root and beet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and roast for about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and lightly browned in spots.
Meanwhile, spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast until golden, about 6 minutes. Transfer the walnuts to a work surface and coarsely chop.
In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the lemon juice, mustard and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fold in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the vegetables and walnuts to the dressing and toss. Top the salad with the feta and serve warm or at room temperature.
Warm Chicken Salad with Green Beans, Almonds and Dried Cherries
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breast cutlets (about 6)
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
- 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon apricot jam
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- 1 head radicchio, cored and shredded
- 1/3 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Directions
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high; season chicken with salt and pepper. In two batches, cook chicken until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. When cool enough to handle, slice chicken crosswise.
In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches salted water to a boil. Add green beans; cover and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Rinse under cold water until cool; drain well.
Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, jam, mustard and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss arugula and radicchio with half the dressing. Divide salad among four plates; arrange chicken, green beans, cherries and almonds on top. Drizzle with remaining dressing; serve immediately.
Spinach Salad with Salmon
4 Servings
Ingredients
- 4 skinless salmon fillets, (6 ounces each)
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (3 ounces)
- 1/4 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette
Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
For the Vinaigrette
In a blender combine vinegar, mustard, garlic, rosemary, water, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. With machine running, add oil in a thin stream; blend until creamy.
For the Salmon
Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from the heat. Place salmon on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Broil, without turning, until opaque throughout, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool briefly, then flake.
Divide spinach and tomatoes among serving plates. Top with salmon, blue cheese and pecans. Drizzle with some of the vinaigrette. Pass the remaining dressing with the salad.
Steak and Potato Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes, halved
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 pound sirloin steak (about 1 inch thick)
- 1 heart romaine lettuce, chopped (about 3 cups)
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for serving
- 1/3 cup shaved Parmesan (1 ounce)
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with 2 teaspoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown and tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over high. Pat steak dry; season steak with salt and pepper and cook until browned and medium-rare, 3 to 5 minutes per side (reduce heat if skillet begins to scorch). Transfer to a cutting board; let rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice against the grain.
In a large bowl, combine romaine and arugula. Add potatoes, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil and toss to combine.
Top salad with steak and Parmesan and serve with lemon wedges.
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