Hearty Winter Salad
This salad is one of my absolute favourites—locally sourced, fresh, and hearty. Thanks to B.C.’s greenhouse growers, we can enjoy fresh produce year-round, like the Delicato butter lettuce I’m using in this recipe. Perfect for meal prep or a quick meal, this cheeky winter salad is packed with flavour and texture, and it will fill you up!
Ingredients
- 1 head of B.C. lettuce, chopped (like Windset Farms’ Delicato Butter Lettuce)
- One half of a B.C. green cabbage, chopped (like BC Fresh)
- 1.5 lbs of small & waxy B.C. potatoes, cut in half (like BC Fresh)
- 6-8 raw B.C. boneless chicken thighs (like Fraser Valley Poultry)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 B.C. Ambrosia apples, cut into thin slices
- 1 large tbsp of grainy mustard
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup dried cranberries (like The Bog Riverside Cranberry Farm)
- 4 oz (or one small package) of B.C. goat cheese (like Mt Lehman Cheese Company)
- ½ cup of raw pumpkin seeds (or substitute for B.C. hazelnuts)
- 1-2 tbsp of sugar to taste
- Salt to taste (like Vancouver Island Salt)
- Pepper to taste
Preparation
Preparing the Potatoes
- Wash and halve the B.C. potatoes.
- Boil gently in a pot of salted water until tender (5-10 mins), and fry in a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper until golden and crisp (4 to 5 minutes for each side).
Tip: You can also skip the pre-boil step if you cut the potatoes into smaller pieces and pan-fry them for longer to make sure they’re cooked through. Leftover roasted potatoes work great too!
Marinate and Cook the Chicken
- Preheat the oven to broil on high.
- In an oven-safe dish, mix:
– ½ cup maple syrup
– ¾ cup soy sauce
– 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
– 5 minced garlic cloves
– Salt and pepper to taste - Add the chicken thighs to the marinade and flip them to coat. For extra flavour, let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or two prior to cooking.
- Place the dish with the marinated chicken in the oven (uncovered) and broil on high for 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and cover. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing into bite-sized pieces. Tip: Save the marinade juices as an extra flavor boost for your salad dressing!
Make the Dressing
- In a jar, combine:
– 1 heaping tablespoon grainy mustard
– 2 tbsp soy sauce
– 4 tbsp maple syrup
– ½ cup red wine vinegar
– ¾ cup of olive oil
– Salt and pepper to taste - Shake well and set aside.
Pickled Apples
- Add thinly sliced apples to a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix ½ cup of white vinegar, 1-2 tablespoons of sugar (to taste), 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Mix until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Pour the pickle mixture over the apples and stir to ensure everything is coated.
- Let the apples sit for at least 10-15 minutes to absorb the flavours.
- Drain the excess liquid before adding apples to the salad.
Assemble the Salad
- Wash and chop the lettuce and cabbage.
- In a large serving bowl, combine cabbage, lettuce, roasted potatoes, sliced apples, chicken, and crumbled goat cheese.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
- Top with pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.
Pro tip
Did you know you can meal prep salads without them turning into a soggy mess?
The secret: keep the ingredients separate until you’re ready to dig in – that means the greens, dressing, apples, roasted potatoes, and chicken should be kept in separate containers and tossed together just before eating.
Hearty Winter Salad beverage pairing
Pair this salad with Kindred Cultures Cranberry Turmeric Kefir Water—its subtle sweetness and tang complement the cranberries in the salad.
Featured B.C. products
Mark Singson
@MarkSingson | marksingson.com
Mark Singson is the passionate chef behind FAM Inc., a culinary venture that blends his love for food, art, and music into memorable pop-up dining experiences. A former Top Chef Canada contestant, Mark made his mark at notable Vancouver restaurants, including The Fairmont Pacific Rim and AnnaLena, as well as Vue de Monde and Saint Crispin in Melbourne, Australia. He is a firm believer in the importance of sourcing locally. Mark’s cuisine combines B.C. ingredients with comfort and finesse, shared through a British Columbian Filipino lens.
