Sunday Brunch 2025: Salad

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The ‘Winter Transition Salad’ enriches this year’s Sunday Brunch buffet with color and structure. Not to mention a very high nutritional value (external recipe, created by my friend Dawn from California)

Recipe by Dawn [information about the author]

This hearty salad is the perfect transition from winter to spring. Combining lightly steamed winter vegetables, crisp spring vegetables and a tangy orange dressing, this salad spans the gap of the seasons.

Ingredients for ‘Winter Transition Salad’

Salad

  • Arugula (2 handfuls per person)
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 4 cups lightly steamed vegetables cut into bite size pieces (I used asparagus, purple cauliflower, white cauliflower, beets and green beans)
  • 2 cups raw vegetables (I used carrot shreds, radishes and radicchio)
  • 1 can northern white beans
  • Orange sections (I used blood orange but any orange will do)
  • Hemp seeds

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup orange juice (about 60 ml)
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar (about 60 ml)
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (250 ml)
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • Salt to taste

Preparations

Vegetables

  1. Cut vegetables of choice into bite size pieces with the exception of the beets if using. You can use any vegetables you like! Some suggestions: cauliflower, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, asparagus. Put the vegetables in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam for 5-7 minutes until they are just tender. Remove them from the steamer and place in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
  2. If using beets peel them, keep them whole and rub with a little olive oil. Put them in a baking dish with a 1/2 cup of water and cover with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until they are tender.
  3. Cut other vegetables in bite size pieces. You can use what ever vegetables you like! Some suggestions: pea pods, cucumber, radish, celery, the possibilities are endless!

Dressing

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until incorporated.

Assembly per serving

  1. Place about 2 handfuls of arugula in the bowl, top with 1/4 cups quinoa, 1 cup steamed vegetables, 1/4 can of white beans and 1/2 cup raw vegetables.
  2. Garnish with orange sections and sprinkle with hemp seeds. Drizzle with the orange dressing.

Serves 4

Side Notes:

  1. Other options: If paprika doesn’t work so well for you as a fruit (yes, they are actually fruits, in the nightshade family, like tomatoes) or as a spice, use the mildest paprika powder you can get and swap the salt for smoked sea salt. This should replace the smoked paprika.
  2. I love how Dawn has paired the orange with the hearty vegetables here. It is also a typical California fruit, so there is a local touch to this tasty dish as well. I am really looking forward to putting it on this year’s Sunday Brunch buffet. Thank you, Dawn, for this delicious treat!