If you’re like me, then winter would still leave you with salad cravings. I mean, veggies are super important to me, and with all the baking I do, I try my best to balance out my sweet tooth with healthy meal options.

So, what happens when it’s freezing outside, and you’re equally freezing inside, and still craving salads, but fully aware that eating cold greens is off the table? Well, that’s the perfect time to turn to warm salads.

Why are warm salads healthier?

Apart from the benefit of enjoying a plate of delicious salad during winter, eating warm salads actually has health-related benefits.

Some nutritionists say warm salad is healthier than cold salads as certain nutrients in vegetables are more easily absorbed by the human body after they are cooked, thus easing the digestion process compared to raw greens. 

Also, because the salad vegetables are only lightly cooked, this prevents high-temperature cooking from destroying the nutrients in the vegetables.

In fact, it has been found that lightly cooking vegetables can increase the amount of minerals provided to the body, and certain vegetables are better cooked than eaten raw, e.g., kale, tomatoes, spinach, etc. Hence you have all the nutrients you need to nourish your body, and please your taste buds.

So we see a triple benefit of having our nutrients intact, increasing the amount of minerals, and even facilitating the absorption process of some of the nutrients.

Warm Red Cabbage Salad with Garlic Butter

I have put together a simple recipe of one of my favourite warm salads ever, one that’s guaranteed to fully convince, and welcome you to the world of warm salads.

The ingredients for this salad are: 

• butter
• minced garlic
• baby spinach
• red cabbage
• balsamic vinegar
• chopped pistachios or other nuts

First, melt the butter. Then add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.

Next, add the red cabbage, and make sure to stir so it’s coated in butter. Cook until it just starts to soften, after which you turn off the heat.

Now, you can add spinach and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Mix well until the spinach begins to wilt from the steam within.

Then you can dish this out, and sprinkle chopped pistachios or other nuts on top.

Voila, food is ready!

You’d notice that because the red cabbage is cooked with butter and garlic, it takes the semblance of a butter vegetable stir-fry. Mmmm, perfect for a cold winter day!

If you want to be creative, warm salads in winter provide you with even more options than leafy greens in the summer, e.g., roasted vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and a variety of nuts, etc. Houmous Salad is another one of my favourite warm salad.

Did you try this recipe? Share with me on Twitter and tag @dailyteaspoon or #dailyteaspoon!

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