Colorful and healthy Warm Winter Salad with Pumpkin, Goat Cheese, Cranberries and Avocado Dressing. Comforting, delicious and easy holiday meal ready in 30 minutes!
Warm winter salad is something you are never tired of. When cranberries are in season it’s time to make this amazing looking winter rainbow salad with pumpkin, goat cheese, chick peas, walnuts, cranberries and crispy prosciutto ham with creamy avocado dressing. Look how colorful this salad is! It’s so comforting and so filling that you can make it for dinner as a main dish. I think it looks fancy enough for a holiday meal, too! The best thing about this salad is the balance of flavors, textures and temperatures. If you close your eyes and taste it, there will be salty, sweet, bitter, sour, umami and spicy flavors. You will feel that there are creamy, crunchy and chewy textures. You will enjoy the balance of temperatures, as pumpkin, chick peas and crispy prosciutto are warm whereas the rest of the ingredients are cold. This variety of flavors, textures and temperatures simply makes this salad addictive. And it’s totally fine to make yourself an extra portion just because you deserve some winter holiday goodness. Another good thing about it is that you can make it in less than 30 minutes! I can most certainly say that it’s my go-to winter salad recipe (together with kale pumpkin salad with feta & pesto).
Sometimes I just need a bowl with a little of everything in it to make me happy in the end of the day. If you are into something quick, easy, healthy, seasonal and comforting, check out the recipe below and let me know what you think in comments below!
Warm Winter Salad with Pumpkin, Goat Cheese and Cranberries with Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 200 grams or 7 oz salad greens of your choice
- 1/2 small Hokkaido pumpkin
- 150 grams or 1 cup cooked chick peas
- 2 slices prosciutto ham omit if vegetarian
- 6 slices goat cheese
- a handful cranberries
- a handful walnuts
- salt
- black pepper
For the avocado dressing:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190 ºC or 375 ºF. Remove seeds from pumpkin and slice it with a sharp knife. Place the pumpkin slices and chick peas separately in the baking tray and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Cut prosciutto ham slices in 4 parts. Place them on a baking tray together with walnuts and put in the oven for 3 minutes or until crispy. Let cool. It's very easy to burn them, so be careful.
- Make the dressing: combine all ingredients and pulse in a blender or food processor.
- Distribute salad greens into two bowls. Put roasted pumpkin slices and chick peas on top. Arrange prosciutto chips and goat cheese slices. Sprinkle with cranberries and walnuts. Pour the dressing on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
What is your favorite winter salad recipe? I would love to know!
Cheers,
Elena
P.S. I can’t believe I forgot to mention my beloved Beetroot Salad with Persimmon, Kale and Goat Cheese in this post!
Mollikule
Saturday 21st of October 2017
This went together so easily. Beautiful, nutritious, and tasty. My husband and 7 year old loved it.
Elena Szeliga
Monday 23rd of October 2017
Thank you so much for your feedback! I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe!
ksenchan
Thursday 17th of December 2015
That salad is completely captivating! I can just imagine how the meaty pumpkin would taste with the cranberries and avocado dressing - divine! Thanks for another beauty.
Elena Szeliga
Thursday 17th of December 2015
Thank you so much Ksenia! It was delicious indeed :)