Food & Cooking Recipes Salad Recipes 11 Warm Salad Recipes That Are Perfect for Cold Weather These sophisticated salads, which call on cauliflower, chicories, mushrooms, beans, and more, combine warm and room-temperature ingredients. By Dakota Kim Dakota Kim Dakota Kim is a food, culture, and outdoors writer living in Los Angeles. Dakota specializes in providing gear reviews, authoring ecommerce articles, interviewing chefs and cookbook authors, and exploring food culture and history. Previously, she worked at Sunset and Edible San Luis Obispo, and owned a restaurant. Editorial Guidelines Published on December 16, 2022 Photo: David Malosh If a warm salad seems enigmatic to you, you're not alone. You may think this is a gourmet dish that high-end chefs serve at restaurants, not a casual lunch you make at home. But there are so many reasons why you should be making warm salads—starting with the fact that you're missing out if you don't. For starters, warm or cooked food is comforting in colder climates, or in winter. Would you rather have your farro warm or cold when the temperatures drop? We think the answer here is a given. The contrasts inside a warm salad can be exciting, too. While some ingredients may be warmed or even consumed hot, others might be cold and refreshing. For example, the heat from crispy potatoes can add a gorgeous wilt to spinach, half-cooking it for your warm meal. These salads also pack a variety of textures, from crispy to tender. Whether a warm salad is your dinner's supporting actor or the starring player, you'll enjoy biting into these savory and versatile dishes that bring heat to your plate. Our Favorite Main Course Salad Recipes 01 of 11 Warm Spinach Salad with Fried Egg and Potatoes This classic warm salad keeps it simple with sunny-side up eggs on top of a slightly-wilted bed of spinach, crispy potatoes sautéed in the same skillet as the eggs, and a tangy, just-rich-enough dressing. View Recipe 02 of 11 Seared Artichokes with Warm White-Bean Salad Con Poulos If steamed artichokes have left you wanting in the past, this one-pan take on a warm white-bean salad brings a nice, crispy sear to the often-intimidating ingredient. Combined with homemade croutons and garlicky white beans, this dish oozes Italian vibes. View Recipe 03 of 11 Warm Farro-and-Winter-Greens Salad Lennart Weibull You can use any greens you like in this easy bowl. The recipe calls for throwing together warm farro, shrimp, beets, feta, and greens. View Recipe 04 of 11 Warm Lentil-and-Cauliflower Salad Chris Simpson Tomatoes and lentils are tasty on their own, but when you get roasted cauliflower "steaks" in on the action—along with peppery arugula and toasted almonds—you're winning dinner. View Recipe 05 of 11 Warm Mushroom and Chicories Salad David Malosh Warm salad is about no fear. You're telling disparate ingredients of different textures and temperatures that they belong together, and in this case, they pass the test with flying colors: shiitake and oyster mushrooms play artfully with chicories, hazelnuts, and pomegranate seeds. It all comes together with a toss in a white balsamic vinaigrette. View Recipe 06 of 11 Warm Duck Salad with Caramelized Beets Lennart Weibull This clever recipe employs duck breast in contrast to bright citrus and caramelized beets, using the duck fat drippings, combined with garlic, parsley, and coriander seeds, to create an herby, delicious sauce. View Recipe 07 of 11 Warm Spinach Salad with Shiitake Mushrooms and Red Onion Paola + Murray Try this fun recipe, which highlights the different flavors of one ingredient in a single bowl. You'll enjoy spinach two ways, both sautéed and fresh, along with pickled red onions in white balsamic. Then, meaty shiitake mushrooms and toasty sesame seeds are layered over everything. View Recipe 08 of 11 Warm Lentil Salad with Poached Eggs Christopher Testani A stir-fried vegetable mélange, along with French green lentils and a lemony Dijon dressing, make for a nice meal. Adding super-savory upgrades, like eggs, goat cheese, almonds, and parsley, take this warm salad to the next level. It's served with poached eggs on top. (If you're in a time crunch, quick-fry the eggs). View Recipe 09 of 11 Warm Spinach Salad with Soy Vinaigrette Armando Rafael When it comes to a warm salad, don't be afraid of a sweet, umami-rich dressing or roasting sauce. Cremini and shiitake mushrooms shine when roasted with soy sauce, honey, and Dijon, and the residual heat of the baking sheet warms your spinach, carrots, and dressing for you. View Recipe 10 of 11 Warm Quinoa and Chicken Salad Christina Holmes Every busy cook loves a one-pot meal, and this recipe lets you cook everything in a saucepan, like a risotto, including the quinoa and the vegetables. This salad is also delicious as a cold salad or sandwich topping the next day. View Recipe 11 of 11 Warm Potato Salad Potato salad doesn't need to be a cold picnic dish. Use still-hot, steaming potatoes to deliver heat to a simple mustard dressing, and then grate some egg on for a luscious, warm side dish. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit