Fresh and Healthy Winter Salad

In the summer, I’m obsessed with salads. They’re so light and fresh – perfect for warm evenings on the patio. During the winter I definitely crave more comfort foods like macaroni and cheese or cheesy pesto rolls haha! But we’ve been making an effort to up our veggie intake, which has meant a lot more salads!

I’ve been trying to keep our salads new and exciting, experimenting with different ingredients and flavors. I love everything about this salad! The juicy pear is delicious with the tart cranberries, and toasted pecans are delicious with a hint of salty feta cheese. Topped with homemade shallot and basil vinaigrette, this is a winter salad that we’ll be enjoying all year long!  

Side note: I recently got these to-go dishes from Villeroy & Boch, and I am obsessed. Aren’t they so pretty?? The dishes work perfectly for my salads, and I love that they’re not plastic. We’ve been purging our plastic storage containers, so I really like that these are porcelain. Also eating off of a real bowl is just so much more enjoyable, don’t you think? I use the small dish for my dressing, but it would also be perfect for dips and sauces!

Makes one salad, and about 1/2 cup dressing

Salad Ingredients:

2 cups romaine lettuce
1/2 pear, sliced
1/4 dried cranberries
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons pecans
Optional additions: boiled egg slices, bacon, sliced onion or avocado

Basil Shallot Vinaigrette Ingredients:

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon agave
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons dijion mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Vinaigrette Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of your food processor or blender (I used my Vitamix). Blend until smooth, and add any additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve!

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@thiscelebratedlife)! I love to see and share your creations!