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Winter White Salad Recipe
With Thanksgiving behind us, I've been feeling the need to cleanse my palate from the butter, cream, protein, bread, pies, and all the other indulgences we enjoy for a few days at the end of November. And what better way to cleanse than with a salad full of fresh fruit and veggies! While visiting the local grocery store I got inspired to craft this Winter White Salad -- it's hearty, crisp, and yes, healthy.
Let's start from the beginning though... I went to not one, but three Thanksgiving dinners last week. That's the danger of living so close to all our relatives -- everyone expects us to make an appearance! Really it's not something to complain about; I love being close to our families and I love that we are so well cared for (and fed!) during the holidays. But, it does mean that I tripled the amount of over-eating, so a little detox this week is definitely in order, and salads are a great way to get started.
Why You'll Love this Winter Salad
Salad can be sort of an unappealing proposition in the winter, when stews, roasts, and mulled drinks are the best suited foods for the weather. But during the holidays, it's more important than ever to find ways to consume fresh fruits and vegetables to offset all the heavy food and sweets we indulge in during parties and family meals. So I'm kicking off a series of winter salads here on the La Crema blog -- healthy, fresh dishes that are still hearty enough to make a filling meal on a cold night.
The first salad in this series is an all-white stunner. Roasted cauliflower, crunchy Belgian endive, sweet pears, grapes, and toasted pine nuts all come together with a blue cheese and buttermilk dressing to hit all the notes a salad needs: savory, bitter, sweet, and rich. The cauliflower adds some heft, but if you're looking to make this a heartier meal, a cup of prepared couscous stirred in definitely wouldn't be amiss. Served with a glass of La Crema Monterey Chardonnay, which has a buttery richness that complements the funky blue cheese and bitter endive really nicely, you have an elegant, veggie-based meal to keep your eating habits on track as we kick off the holiday season.
Winter Salad Key Ingredients
The beauty of this winter white salad recipe lies in its specific, snowy color palette and the way each component brings a different texture to the plate. By sticking to a monochromatic theme, you create a dish that looks incredibly sophisticated on the table while offering a surprisingly complex range of flavors.
- Roasted Cauliflower: Instead of boiling or steaming, roasting the florets at a high heat brings out their natural sugars and adds a savory, caramelized edge that serves as the "meat" of the dish.
- Belgian Endive: These small, spear-like leaves provide a sharp, clean crunch and a hint of bitterness that keeps the salad from feeling too sweet.
- Ripe Pear and Green Grapes: This duo provides the essential juicy sweetness. The pear offers a soft, floral note while the grapes add a bright, snappy texture.
- Toasted Pine Nuts: A quick toss in a dry pan is all it takes to release their oils, adding a buttery richness that rounds out the sharper flavors of the greens.
- Blue Cheese and Buttermilk: These are the stars of the dressing. The blue cheese provides a salty, tangy funk that is mellowed out by the creamy Greek yogurt and smooth buttermilk.
How to Make this Winter White Salad
The secret to a great salad is all in the preparation and the layering of flavors. You want to make sure the cauliflower has enough time to get those crispy, golden edges in the oven, as that roasted flavor is the perfect counterpoint to the fresh, raw fruit.
- Roast the Cauliflower: Crank your oven to 400°F. Slice your cauliflower florets thinly so they lay flat on the pan, toss them with olive oil and sea salt, and roast for about 20 minutes. You want them tender but with plenty of color.
- Prep the Base: While the oven does its thing, slice your Belgian endives into rounds and core your pear. Keeping the pear slices thin ensures they integrate well with the smaller endive leaves.
- Whisk the Dressing: In a small bowl, combine your buttermilk, Greek yogurt, and lemon juice. Fold in the crumbled blue cheese last; you want to keep some of those chunks intact for little bursts of flavor.
- Assemble and Serve: Toss the warm cauliflower with the endive first to slightly wilt the greens. Plate the mixture, then artfully tuck in your pear slices and grapes. Top the whole thing with a generous drizzle of the blue cheese dressing and a handful of toasted pine nuts.
Winter White Salad
Author: Katie Morris
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 1/2 head cauliflower, florets cut into thin slices
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- 3 Belgian endives, cut into thin rounds
- 1 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
- 3/4 c. green grapes
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan
- 1 small clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 1/2 c. buttermilk
- 1/3 c. plain Greek yogurt
- 3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
- juice from 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the cauliflower slices with the olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Spread on a metal rimmed baking sheet and roast until tender and lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- To assemble the salad, toss the roasted cauliflower with the sliced endive. Divide between 2 plates and top each salad with a few slices of pear, a handful of grapes, and a sprinkling of pine nuts.
- To make the dressing, whisk together the minced garlic, buttermilk, Greek yogurt, crumbled blue cheese, and lemon juice until thickness is consistent and a few chunks of cheese remain. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Drizzle dressing on top of each salad, refrigerating any extra dressing for another use.
Pairing Winter White Salad with Wine
A glass of La Crema Monterey Chardonnay is the ideal partner for this recipe. Monterey is known for its cool-climate vineyards, which produce wines with a distinct crispness and citrus-driven profile. This particular Chardonnay has a subtle, buttery richness that feels like an extension of the creamy buttermilk dressing. It acts as a bridge between the savory roasted cauliflower and the sweet pears, while its natural acidity cleanses the palate after every bite of rich blue cheese.
If you are looking to explore other styles, the La Crema wine portfolio has several different directions you could take. For instance, if you want something even more vibrant and lean, a Sauvignon Blanc would highlight the tartness of the lemon juice and the snap of the green grapes. On the other hand, if you’re serving this as a heavier meal with added grains or protein, a Pinot Gris offers a slightly rounder mouthfeel that holds its own against the earthy toasted pine nuts. Even a chilled Pinot Noir could work if you want to lean into the savory, roasted elements of the cauliflower.
