Discover the best recipes for special salads for the end of the year parties here. See also how to prepare and the main benefits of these natural and healthy dishes.
Salads make up the starter and complement special meals such as Christmas and New Year’s dinners and banquets. But nobody wants to serve a simple salad on these occasions. So why not surprise everyone with the most natural, healthy and delicious salads?
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8 natural and healthy salads for the end of the year
In this topic, you will learn how to make the best special salad recipes for Christmas and New Year parties. All of them make a lot of use of natural foods and products, which will fill the banquets with flavor.
1. Coleslaw, fruit and yogurt salad
This is a smooth, slightly sweet, flavored salad. Goes very well with tender and tender red meats. Its flavor contrasts very well with meat and oven recipes. Also, it’s quite colorful. So, it helps with the look of the table!
To prepare, cut into thin strips ½ white cabbage, ½ red cabbage and 2 green apples. Grate 2 carrots and mix everything in a bowl. Add 1 cup unsalted nuts or peanuts and 1 cup dried fruit or raisins. There, the salad itself is ready!
For the sauce, cook 2 pots of plain yogurt, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper to taste and some chopped mint leaves in a pan. Mix well and taste until you hit the point of flavor you want.
Finally, bring the warm dressing to a bowl with the salad and mix well. Do this 30 minutes before serving the salad. If you do it too soon, the salad will be too moist. If you do this when serving, there won’t be time for the cabbage to wilt and be perfect.
2. Mayonnaise salad with apple
The mayonnaise salad is typical and traditional. She is present at various family parties, especially at social gatherings, Christmas and New Year. Here, we’re going to show you the recipe for a complete mayonnaise salad with a difference: apple!
Cut 2 carrots and peeled potatoes into small cubes. Cook and set aside until cool. In a bowl, place 1 can of green corn, 1 can of peas , 1 apple, chopped into cubes (with or without skin, at your option), 100g of raisins, 2 tablespoons of grated onion, 1 cup of natural mayonnaise and the carrots and boiled potatoes. Mix it up and go!
This is a cold salad, so refrigerate a few minutes before serving. To decorate the table, the tip is: line a plate with bright green lettuce leaves and place the mayonnaise salad on top. You can put some walnuts or peanuts on top to make it crispy.
3. Chicken and corn salad
This chicken salad ends up being the center of attention at dinners! When seasoned well, it can even compete with the famous turkeys and tenders for Christmas. And best of all, it’s not hard to do. So roll up your sleeves and surprise your guests!
To prepare, smoke or roast 1 chicken in the oven, with the spices of your choice. Then remove the bones and cut into small pieces. In a large bowl, mix together 1 can of green corn, 1 can of peas, 2 chopped green apples, 1 jar of natural mayonnaise, 1 can of non-whey cream, and the chicken.
While mixing, add a pinch of salt evenly spread over the salad and mix again. Some people also add pineapple syrup to this recipe, but it’s optional.
To decorate, you can serve on a platter lined with lettuce leaves and add some red cherry tomatoes! Cherries in syrup also go well with the flavor of this salad.
4. Sea salad (octopus and potatoes)
Have you ever had octopus salad with potatoes? Yes, this is not a traditional salad, but it is delicious and surprises everyone who eats it! So why not give this surprise to your guests and relatives? The sea salad is delicious!
To prepare, the first step is to salt the octopus to wash it. Cut the tentacles (1.5 kilograms or so) and leave them in 200 g of coarse salt for 10 minutes. Then wash them under running water. In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and saute 1 white onion, 6 chopped garlic cloves , 1 celery stalk and spices of your choice.
With the garlic, onion and celery braised, add the octopus, 300 ml of white wine, 2 tablespoons of natural tomato paste and close the pan. Leave on pressure for 20 minutes for the octopus to pick up the flavors. Then remove the octopus without the sauce and set aside.
Meanwhile, peel 3 potatoes and 2 carrots. Cut into cubes and cook. At the end, set aside to cool. With the octopus, potatoes and carrots ready, mix everything in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, juice of half a lemon, black olives.
5. Sweet potato salad with shrimp
Do you want to offer a salad unlike any you’ve ever eaten and surprise everyone’s palate? So the best option is the sweet potato and shrimp salad, two tasty and distinct ingredients that are almost never found in recipes! However, they form a unique combination that makes your mouth water.
In preparation, the first thing you should do is the sweet potato chips. Cut the sweet potato into very thin slices and place in a bowl of ice-cold water for 10 minutes. Then, distribute the chips on a platter lined with parchment paper, season with salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes until crisp.
Meanwhile, season raw shrimp with lemon and oatmeal, then roast in a skillet with butter. If you prefer fresh shrimp, do not use the flour, just the lemon. Take out the prawns when roasting and bake cheese cubes in the same butter.
Finally, with the prawns, cheese cubes and roasted chips, combine them in a bowl. Add the green leaves of your choice (mainly lettuce orchard), seedless green olives and honey mustard sauce (2 tablespoons mustard to ½ honey).
6. Salty Caesar
Caesar salad is a very famous salad of leaves, cheese and chicken. What gives its name is the sauce that accompanies it: caesar sauce. It is also very simple to make and pleases all palates. See how to prepare below:
Preparation is very simple. In a large bowl, mix the leaves of 1 iceberg lettuce and 2 romaine lettuce. Add 1 cup of croutons (small pieces of bread baked in oil), ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese and 2 sliced roast chicken fillets (without skin or fat).
For the sauce, place in a blender 3 tablespoons of natural yogurt, 3 tablespoons of oil, the juice of ½ lemon (Tahiti or Sicilian) and salt to taste. Beat until smooth and spread over the salad.
This salad serves 4 people and is simply delicious. If you want to make a larger portion, multiply the indicated measurements.
7. Vegan Eggplant Salad
Prefer a vegan and delicious option for guests who don’t eat meat? Don’t worry, the vegan eggplant salad is delicious and not difficult to prepare. See below:
Cut 3 eggplants into small pieces and leave in salted water for 10 minutes (1 teaspoon of salt for every cup of water). Then squeeze them to remove the liquid. Cut into cubes 1 white onion, 1 pepper of each color (green, yellow and red). Take everyone to a platter.
Add 1 chopped garlic, 1 bay leaf, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 3 tablespoons black olives, oregano, 1 pinch of salt well spread and drizzle with ¼ of vinegar. Leave in the oven for 40 minutes at medium temperature.
Finally, remove from the oven, drizzle with 1 drizzle of oil and let it cool. There, the beautiful and delicious vegan eggplant salad is made.
8. Egg salad
Last but not least, the famous egg salad. Let’s show you the simplest and most delicious recipe for you to rock in the kitchen!
Cook 5 eggs, peel and cut them into small squares. Add 4 heaped scoops of natural mayonnaise. Also add 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and ½ cup croutons. Season with salt and pepper, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Okay, see how simple it is? And the best part is, it’s great with several types of meat.
Healthy salad dressings
Finally, we can’t fail to show you several options of healthy sauces to use in the most diverse types and recipes of salads. So, pay close attention, as this is one of those tips that will last you the rest of your life.
Mustard and honey
This is a very famous salad dressing, and it ended up falling in the taste of many people, who use it in other recipes such as sandwiches and hamburgers.
To prepare honey mustard sauce is very easy. Mix 2 tablespoons mustard with ½ tablespoons honey. Add 1 pinch of salt, pepper and a few drops of oil. That simple. It is very tasty with leafy salads and green salads.
However, opt for natural mustard, without condiments or preservatives. Mustard is a food rich in nutrients that protect the liver. Honey, on the other hand, is antiseptic, antioxidant, improves digestion and has a calming effect.
Apple sauce with carrots
This is another very tasty recipe, low in calories and based on natural ingredients. See how simple it is to prepare! In a blender, place ½ peeled apple, ½ chopped carrot, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of oil, ½ chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth.
Yogurt broth
Whether as a snack or as an accompaniment to snacks, the yogurt sauce is delicious and for those who like a salty and smooth taste.
To prepare, place in a blender 1 jar of low-fat yogurt, 1 teaspoon of natural mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of onion chopped, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley and 1 pinch of salt. Beat until smooth.
Leave it in the fridge for 1 hour so it stays cool and chilled. Okay, you can serve the yogurt sauce!
My name is Ellie Lauderdale, MD and I am USA based professional Nutritionist .
I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and board certified specialist in sports dietetics who is trained in integrative medicine. I have worked with hundreds of clients, from those suffering with chronic disease to professional and olympian athletes. My goal is to help optimize you from the inside so that you can feel, perform, and look your best on the outside.