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.
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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 salad
- 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
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
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.
If stored properly, this dressing should last for 2-3 days.
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.
Recipe tips
- 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.
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.
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Winter Salad with Citrus Honey Dressing
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 2 clementines, peeled and separated into pieces (about 1 cup)
- ¼ 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
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
- 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.
- The salad ingredients are customizable, so feel free to use other winter greens, veggies and fruit that you have on hand.
- While I used clementines in the dressing, you can also use oranges or tangerines. Just make sure whatever you use is seedless.
- 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.
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Enter your email address and I'll send it straight to your inbox. You'll also receive new recipes from me regularly!
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
Did you make this recipe or have any questions?
I love reading your comments and addressing your questions, so please leave your comments and ratings or questions below!
Chef Markus Mueller | Earth, Food, and Fire says
Great idea for a salad! I love using up leftover on my salads and usually always have olives, tomato, and cucumbers around. Then I just add some nuts or seeds and whip together a quick vinaigrette. No planning required!
Leanne says
Thanks Markus! I can never let fresh fruits and veggies go to waste, so I always end up making a salad with random ingredients! The salad you describe sounds delicious. Love adding seeds and nuts, and a homemade vinaigrette is a must!
Nicole | What She Ate says
What a gorgeous, flavorful salad! I'm hoping by making a sunshine salad, that the sun will take the hint and show itself. 😉 Hope you have a great weekend, Leanne. I'm just gonna drool over this salad for a little while longer.
Leanne says
Thanks Nicole! Yes, I'm hoping if I keep making this salad the warmth and sunshine will show up! I'll keep you posted on that! 😉 I hope you had an awesome weekend!
Loreto Nardelli says
Hi leanne, I just love the colors and presentation of your salad. The fact that you did a fridge clean up and came up with such a beautiful dish is a bonus. I liked that you julienned some of the veggies, there is something playful about veggies done this way and I love that crunch you get from them. Your dish had me day dreaming of spring, the smell, the birds chirping and the swaying of the tree branches with the formation of the new buds.
Lovely dish and post
Cheers! Loreto@sugarlovespuces
Leanne says
Thanks Loreto! Now your comment has me daydreaming of spring!:) I love to add julienned veggies to my salads for the very reason you described. Of course, it takes a bit more time, so I don't get to do it as often as I would like. I'm glad this salad conjured up some happy images for you! Have a great week!
Nathalie says
Hi Leanne, your colorful salad brings some sun in that « Spring-doesnt-want-to-come kind of day! It looks so fresh and yummy! 😋
Leanne says
Thanks Nathalie! I might be eating this salad for a few weeks yet if I'm waiting for spring weather to arrive!
Agness of Run Agness Run says
Such a perfect combination of some exceptionally healthy ingredients, Leanne! Can I use some other kind of cheese for this salad?
Leanne says
Thanks Agness! Of course, you can use any kind of cheese you like! That's the best part about this salad. It's totally adaptable to your likes! But I totally recommend topping it with the citrus honey dressing! 😉
Deepika|TheLoveOfCakes says
This is such a bright and cheerful salad for these winter days! I love the sound of this clementine dressing! It's always refreshing to try new flavors together!
Leanne says
Thanks Deepika! The clementine dressing is tasty, and really easy to make. I've been whipping up a batch every few days! Enjoy the rest of your week!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
Those short winter days can really be depressing. I'm craving everything sunny right now and this sounds perfect! Have a great week, Leanne! PS, I can't wait to see the overnight oats-green smoothie recipe. It sounds right up my alley!
Leanne says
Thanks Kelsie! I totally agree about the short winter days. I miss late evening sunsets! As for the overnight oats green smoothie, it's now up on the blog. Hope you like it!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
This is definitely one happy bowl! Looks like you had a lot of goodness in your fridge! It looks healthy but totally satisfying at the same time. And I definitely need all those colours in front of me with the dreary weather we've been having! Happy Friday, Leanne 🙂
Leanne says
Thanks Dawn! It felt like spring this weekend, so I'm holding out hope for an early spring! In the meantime, I'll just keep making this salad! Have a great week!
Kim | The Baking ChocolaTess says
Wow! This salad looks freaking amazing! It's beautiful and I'm pinning for later! YUM! 🙂
Leanne says
Thanks Kim! I hope you get a chance to give it a try! Let me know if you do!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I'm so into citrus fruits right now Leanne! This salad looks spectacular. Loaded with everything healthy for the new year! LOVe that dressing!
Leanne says
Thanks Mary Ann! I'm with you on the citrus fruits! Totally addicting! Have a great week!
puja says
Oh, my Gosh!!! This salad looks fantastic Leanne. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Leanne says
Thanks Puja! Glad you like it! 🙂
Ashika | Gardening Foodie says
This salad looks amazing Leanne, so bright and full of colour...definitely brightens up a cold dark season. I cannot wait to try out this recipe, so pinning to make for lunch this week 😋
Leanne says
Thank you so much Ashika! I hope you enjoy it. I had it for lunch again today, and I'll probably have it again tomorrow! Let me know what you think if you make it!
heather (delicious not gorgeous) says
this salad looks awesome! i love having fruit in my salads (it makes things so juicy and sweet!), so the cherries and clementines here sound perfect (:
Leanne says
Thanks Heather! I love adding fruit to my salads for the very same reason! Currently obsessed with clementines, so they're ending up in all my salads!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
Winter is so hard!! I feel like January is definitely the worst - it's so dreary and all of the excitement of Christmas is over. We need more bright and sunny dishes like this to get us over the hump!! I can't wait to try out that dressing. Pinned!
Leanne says
Thanks Katherine! I hope you like the dressing. And I totally agree that January is the worst month. But once we get to February, spring will be no time getting here! Right?! 😉
Christina says
Oh man, this recipe is seriously calling my name right now. I'm craving salads like crazy this month so your recipe is right up my alley! I can't wait to try this1
Leanne says
Thanks Christina! Salads are calling my name this month too! I hope you get a chance to make it! Let me know if you do 🙂