Winter Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing

Winter Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing is light and refreshing with an assortment of winter greens, crunchy veggies and seasonal fruit. It’s topped with a sweet and tangy dressing made with clementines and honey, and makes the perfect side salad for cold winter evenings!

This post was originally published in January 2018. It has been updated with new photos and text, including helpful tips for readers. The recipe has also been adjusted to use more seasonally appropriate ingredients. A photo of the previous version of this salad is included at the end of this post.

It’s the second week of January and the short days, cold wind and continuous snow are already getting to me. I mean, I love the occasional cold evening where I can curl up by the fire in a cozy blanket and sip on a hot cup of tea, but can we just have a little more daylight and sunshine?

In the absence of sun, this winter citrus salad has been my little ray of sunshine. Once citrus season hits, this simple salad is a staple in our house, and the orange honey dressing goes on just about every salad.

Why you’ll love this sunshine salad for winter too:

• It’s super simple to make. Just blend up the dressing, assemble the ingredients and toss.
• You need just a handful of ingredients for both the salad and dressing.
• It’s totally customizable. Use the winter fruit and veggies you have on hand.

Ingredients to make this winter salad with citrus:

For the salad:

• Spinach
• Red cabbage
• Carrot
• Clementines
• Blood orange
• Kiwi fruit
• Goat cheese

For the dressing:

• Clementines
• Honey
• Red wine vinegar
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Parsley

How to make this winter fruit and veggie salad:

• First, make your dressing. Just add all of the ingredients, except for the parsley, to your blender and blend on high until well combined. Pour into a jar or glass dish, stir in the parsley, and cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

• Next, add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Drizzle on the desired amount of dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How do you store citrus honey dressing? Since the dressing contains puréed clementines, it should be stored in the refrigerator. The dressing will solidify a little, so just let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and then shake or stir it before using.

• How long will the dressing last? If stored properly, this dressing should last for 2-3 days.

• Can you make this salad in advance? As mentioned, the dressing can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. You can also prepare your fruits and veggies in advance and store in the refrigerator. However, to avoid a wilted salad, you should wait to combine the ingredients and toss with the goat cheese and dressing until just before serving.

Additional tips and suggestions for making citrus salad with honey dressing:

• If you don’t have spinach, kale is another hearty winter green that works well in this salad.

• I added kiwi fruit, but you can use other winter fruit such as persimmons or pomegranate arils.

• You can change up the citrus element by using grapefruit or other varieties of oranges such as cara cara.

• While I used clementines in the dressing, you can also use oranges or tangerines. Just make sure whatever you use is seedless.

• To make it a more filling salad, add some chicken or sprinkle on some nuts such as walnuts, almonds or pistachios.

• When making the dressing, be sure to add the parsley after the dressing is blended. If you blend it in, your dressing will be tinted green.

• To make this salad dairy-free, just leave out the goat cheese.

What do you eat with a winter salad:

• Pair it with a hearty quiche or egg bake for brunch.

• Add it to dinner along side these turkey burgers or this salmon quinoa bake.

• Enjoy it on its own for lunch. Just add some protein such as chicken, shrimp or salmon to make it a full meal.

Other citrusy salads you might enjoy:

• Grapefruit Salad with Cilantro and Goat Cheese is tart and refreshing with mixed greens, herbs and creamy goat cheese, all topped with a citrus cilantro dressing.

• Citrus Crunch Salad is a healthier version of coleslaw with crunchy veggies and walnuts, crumbled blue cheese and a tangy citrus vinaigrette.

Pin this winter salad to make with dinner tonight!

If you make this Winter Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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Winter Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing

★★★★★ 5 from 12 reviews

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Toss
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Winter Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing is light and refreshing with an assortment of winter greens, crunchy veggies and seasonal fruit. It’s topped with a sweet and tangy dressing made with clementines and honey, and makes the perfect side salad for cold winter evenings!

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Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 2 clementines, peeled and separated into pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley

For the salad:

• 6 cups baby spinach, packed
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 2 clementines, peeled and separated into pieces
• 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
• 1 blood orange, sliced
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

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Instructions

1. Make the dressing: Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender, except the parsley, and blend on high until well combined. The dressing will be pulpy. Stir in the parsley. Pour into a dish or jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
2. Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add all of the salad ingredients, drizzle on the desired amount of dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

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Notes

1. The dressing makes about one cup, so you may have some leftover. Just store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 days. The dressing will solidify a little, so just let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and then shake or stir before using.
2. The salad ingredients are customizable, so feel free to use other winter greens, veggies and fruit that you have on hand.
3. While I used clementines in the dressing, you can also use oranges or tangerines. Just make sure whatever you use is seedless.
4. When making the dressing, be sure to stir in the parsley after the dressing is blended. If you add it to the blender, your dressing will be tinted green.

Keywords: citrus salad, winter citrus salad, sunshine salad