The Winter Salads You Need to Make Before the Season Ends

“This salad is all about texture. The crispy chicories, jammy dates, and crunchy walnuts are very satisfying,” says Kelly Mariani, chef at Scribe Winery, in Sonoma County.

Refreshing yet comforting, a winter panzanella offers the key to low-stress holiday hosting. It’s simple, quick, and an all-around favorite, so you can easily switch out ingredients and make it what you want. Bonus: The sturdy radicchio won’t wilt, so you can prep this in advance.

“The pairing of beets with pistachios and citrus is a classic blend of flavors in the California cuisine repertoire, and we [often] take a twist on this combination with the addition of mandarins that are bursting with salinity, spice, and heat,” explains Bryan Oliver, who is chef de cuisine at Little Saint. “Roasted baby beets are tender, sweet, and earthy, allowing the bright flavors of spring mint from the farm to round out the dish. [In the restaurant] we make our own pickled mandarin for this dish using California mandarins, but [here] store-bought pickled lime can be used as a substitute for similar results.”

“Radicchio is an incredibly versatile ingredient in the kitchen. I love the way the outer leaves crisp up on the grill, and the inner leaves get perfectly tender,” says Sonoma-based chef Kelly Mariani of Scribe Winery.

Bittersweet chicory and luscious beets are napped with saffron aioli in this delicious salad.

Who doesn’t love a salad you can eat with a knife? A garnish of pomegranate seeds and minced chives brings color to the plate.

This salad from Cafe Gratitude’s executive chef and featured in the Cafe’s cookbook, Love is Served, is perfect for cold months, with pomegranate, maple, and walnuts all coming together on a bed of kale under a blanket of balsamic dressing. The combination of fresh, crisp greens and sweet walnuts and dressing make this a delightfully cozy salad and a perfect way to start meals and gatherings of any size. 

Slice cabbage thicker than you would when making a slaw, giving it a substantial crunch that remains even after it’s drenched with tangy, creamy dressing. 

The bitterness of the charred radicchio is balanced with a generous drizzle of spicy-sweet honey and wisps of salty cheese. If you can’t find treviso, use any kind of radicchio, hearts of romaine, endive, or escarole. More is more with this salad so go to town with the toppings.

“Even if you don’t like beets, you’ll love this salad,” promises Denver chef Alon Shaya. “The nutty flavor from the sesame in the tahini pairs well with the earthiness of the beets.” Shaya suggests adding Aleppo peppers for a spicy kick or substituting orange juice for lemon to add more sweetness.

This delicious charred Caesar salad from the Peninsula Beverly Hills is roasty and toasty in the very best way. Dressed with a pepper anchovy dressing and topped with croutons, it’s a perfect indulgent lunch or stay-at-home date night dish.

When he’s cooking in the wild, Elias Cairo, head salumist of Olympia Provisions in Portland, likes to make a heartier salad using ingredients that stay beautiful even if they get banged around a bit in the cooler.

This salad is a light but still festive way to serve corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day—or to use up leftovers the next day.

A dinner party of bold, salty tapas gains an element of freshness from this slightly sweet, crunchy salad created for us by chef Ryan Pollnow of Aatxe restaurant in San Francisco. You’ll have a bit of leftover vinaigrette for your next salad.

This easy fruit salad looks especially striking made with multiple varieties and colors of blood oranges and grapefruit, but it’s just as delicious with a single kind of each. You’ll have enough syrup leftover for flavoring sparkling water or lattes.

The ocean flavor of Dungeness meets earthy hominy in this twist on the Mexican soup posole, from chef Aniedra Nichols of Elway’s Cherry Creek restaurant in Denver. “Dungeness crabmeat has a natural orange-red hue from the shell that makes the salad look vibrant,” she says. You could also use shrimp, scallops, or fat flakes of Pacific cod.

Chefs Jaret Foster and Mona Johnson of Tournant catering in Portland created this bright, tart salad as a counterpoint to a rich Thanksgiving dinner. Whole parsley leaves are tossed with mixed chicories, slices of pickled winter squash, and an apple cider vinaigrette for nice palate-cleansing acidity.

We love the play of savory-sweet flavors and big textures in this hearty winter salad from Rocky Maselli of A16 Rockridge in Oakland—and his foolproof technique for cooking farro.

A little corn syrup is the secret to keeping the candied nuts in this salad from crystallizing. (And they make a great quick appetizer or gift from your kitchen, too.)

Time: 30 minutes. Both pomegranate juice and seeds go into this salad.

Annabelle Breakey likes to use La Tourangelle walnut oil, which you can find at well-stocked grocery stores, for this fresh salad.