26 Easy Winter Salad Recipes in 20 Minutes or Less

Mature, larger-leaved spinach holds up better to the warm bacon vinaigrette than baby spinach in this healthy spinach salad recipe. If you don't want the spinach to wilt, let the dressing cool before tossing it with the salad.

This festive salad features colorful greens, fruit and cheese tossed with a light and zesty dressing.

This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.

This easy holiday salad gets its flavor from a sweet citrus dressing that's infused into the kale by massaging the greens and the dressing together with your hands. We like a mix of kale for this recipe, but any type of kale will work.

The sweet-and-savory combination of the figs and earthy goat cheese will surely satisfy the palate. If you can't find dried figs, try swapping in dried apricots.

This shredded carrot salad makes a delicious side dish. Cinnamon provides spice in the dressing, while lemon juice offers a little tanginess to balance the flavors. You can make this salad up to 4 hours ahead—any longer and the carrots will begin to lose their crunch. If you have a food processor, use it to speed up the process of grating the carrots.

This salad was one of the favorites chosen from over 1,000 salad recipes for our 30th anniversary issue. In 2004, Deborah Madison waxed poetic about winter ingredients, particularly nuts. "In the chill air of winter, nuts move up to center stage as do their warming, substantial, golden oils--so good with winter salad greens and vegetables, such as shaved fennel, all of which are likely to end up in a salad together," she says. Madison suggested using a mix of lettuces that balance each other here--a mild, tender variety, such as Boston, with a more intense and sturdy green, such as escarole, for instance.

This kale, quinoa and apple salad is perfect for fall. Fresh apples bring crisp autumn flavor, and the kale breaks down when it's massaged with the dressing. Nuts, fennel and quinoa add more layers of texture, while blue cheese lends a savory note.

Salad dressing made from sweet and mellow white balsamic vinegar balances out the assertive greens and Brussels sprouts in this healthy winter salad. If you have one handy, a small mandoline makes it easy to slice the Brussels and apple. To make it a dinner salad, top with shrimp or chicken.

Simple steps give this broccoli salad recipe a more nuanced flavor: soaking the onion tempers its bite and toasting the cumin enhances its aroma. Serve alongside grilled chicken, pork or fish.

This spinach salad tossed with spunky ginger dressing was inspired by the iceberg salads served at Japanese steakhouses across the U.S. Add shrimp for lunch or a light supper.

Green cabbage and carrots are transformed by a bright citrusy dressing made with olive oil, maple syrup, lime and cilantro. Serve this easy slaw alongside grilled chicken or fish.

This crisp cabbage salad with lemon-garlic vinaigrette feels like a lightened-up version of coleslaw with a tangy lemon dressing and a light mix of fresh herbs.

In this mango-avocado salad, the sweet, bright mango works beautifully with the creamy, rich avocado. There is just a touch of heat from the chile-lime seasoning; if you want to kick it up a notch, add a thinly sliced habanero to the mix.

Jessica B. Harris loves green salads, especially those that she can throw together quickly from whatever she has on hand in her fridge. After crisping bacon, she uses the fat in the pan to make a flavorful hot vinaigrette that she pours over the greens, onion and creamy avocado. The result is a beautiful, semi-wilted, warm spinach salad. Read more about why Harris craves this salad and how she stocks her fridge here.

This Caesar salad skips croutons in favor of cheesy pan-fried artichokes for an extra boost of vegetables and the same satisfying crunch.

The magic of this easy spinach salad is the warm, garlic-infused dressing, which makes the spinach, carrots, radishes and scallions slightly tender and helps them absorb a bit of the dressing.

Pure maple syrup, as opposed to artificially flavored and colored "pancake" syrup, is an extraordinary cooking ingredient. Here it adds body as well as rich flavor to the dressing, providing a perfect counterpoint to the smoked cheese.

Peppery arugula and tender, sweet beets are balanced by a simple vinaigrette and briny bits of feta cheese in this arugula, beet and feta salad. Using cooked, peeled beets helps make prep a breeze.

Red pepper jelly is the key ingredient in this piquant yet sweet salad dressing. If you prefer more heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Cabbage maintains a nice crunch when it's tossed with an easy dressing in this simple cabbage salad recipe. This easy salad is perfect for fall when cabbage is at its sweetest.

Inspired by a traditional Moroccan salad, which consists of oranges and radishes, this version adds romaine lettuce and a classic vinaigrette. Fresh orange juice adds acidity and brightness to the vinaigrette. Pomegranate seeds bring color and crunch. This recipe is perfect for a Kwanzaa celebration; read more in "Why the Karamu Feast Is My Favorite Part of Kwanzaa—and a Simple Menu to Celebrate".

This salad is a study in simplicity, so use the best-quality ingredients to allow each one to really shine. Break out that special bottle of olive oil and grab a block of nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano from the specialty cheese section for the biggest flavor impact.

Bitter escarole is an important part of the greens lineup at Colorado chef-farmer Eric Skokan's Black Cat Organic Farm in the winter, particularly when it comes to seasonal salads. Sturdy and crisp, it holds its own alongside a drizzle of garlicky dressing, juicy pomegranate arils and crunchy pistachios.

At the soft center of burrata is stracciatella, a fresh cheese made from shreds of stretched curd, and cream. The cheese's richness complements the juicy tang of citrus and tarragon in this salad.

This carrot-ginger dressing is based on the one served at the Japanese steakhouse chain Benihana. It holds well, so make a double batch to have on hand for salads throughout the week.