I always feel like salads in the winter should be different than salads in the summer. Something seems incongruous to me if we’re having tomatoes and cucumbers with lettuce in the heart of winter, and though I love Martha’s baked goat cheese salad, as well as my favorite roasted pear salad, I’ve needed to expand my winter salad vocabulary this year. I found this recipe in Sustainably Delicious with a claim that it was one of Paul Newman’s favorite. Well, that’s enough to convince me to give it a whirl. Their salad, though, was decidedly a warm-weather creation, so I changed it to feel more seasonal, but like all the salads, any number of vegetables could be used to change its personality.

Winter Chopped Salad

• 1/4 c. white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 t. honey
• 1/2 t. sea salt
• 1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
• 3 medium stalks celery, diced (1/4-inch)
• 2 medium carrots, diced (1/4-inch)
• 2 medium tart apples, peeled and diced (1/4-inch)
• 2 large golden beets, roasted, peeled, and diced 1/4″
• 4 c. baby arugula
• 1 bunch watercress
• 1 c. crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 c. toasted almonds, roughly chopped

1. Whisk vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper in a large salad bowl until well combined.
2. Add celery and carrots to the vinaigrette. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour (or longer, if you want a stronger pickled flavor. I did!)
3. Add apple, beets, arugula and watercress to the bowl; toss to coat. Add almonds and toss to combine.