Salad of the Week: Winter Jewel Bowl

An earthy, colorful winter bowl built on tender greens, hearty grains, and a creamy oil-free dressing — bright enough to feel fresh, steady enough for the season.

This week’s Salad of the Week is the Winter Jewel Bowl — roasted beets, crisp carrots, tender greens, and bright pops of pomegranate layered over bulgur and lentils.

Each week I build a bowl using the same simple framework — leafy greens, a few key add-ins, and a simple oil-free dressing. The ingredients change, but the structure stays the same. That’s what makes daily salads realistic without overthinking.

You can follow this exactly, or use it as inspiration and swap based on what you have growing, what’s in your fridge, or what sounds good to you.

What Makes This Bowl Special

This bowl brings together earthy winter vegetables, bright fruit notes, and steady whole-food ingredients in a way that feels both colorful and deeply satisfying.

• Tender leafy greens and chopped kale create a fresh base with enough structure to hold the heartier toppings
• Bulgur and lentils add fiber, plant-based protein, and steady staying power that makes this salad feel like a complete meal
• Roasted beets and crisp carrots bring warmth, contrast, and gentle sweetness alongside toasted walnuts for crunch
• Pomegranate arils add brightness and jewel-like pops of flavor that lift the entire bowl
• The Walnut-Balsamic Vinaigrette ties everything together with subtle sweetness, depth, and creaminess from blended walnuts

The result is a winter bowl that feels vibrant without being busy — nourishing, textured, and easy to return to throughout the week.

This Week’s Bowl

Leafy Lettuce

• Use a mix of tender leafy greens you enjoy — tower-grown or store-bought — such as romaine, leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, or spring mix

Cruciferous Greens & Veggies

• Kale, chopped small

Alliums (Onion Family)

• Red onion, thinly sliced

Plant-Based Protein & Staying Power

• Bulgur, cooked and cooled
• Lentils, cooked and cooled

Amp Up the Volume

• Beets, cubed and roasted and cooled (red, golden, or a combination)
• Carrots, thinly julienned or ribboned

Signature Ingredient

• Pomegranate arils

Healthy Fats

• Avocado, sliced or cubed
• Walnuts, toasted

Finishers

• Sprouts
• Fresh cracked pepper

Walnut-Balsamic Vinaigrette (Oil-Free)

This creamy dressing adds gentle sweetness and depth that complements earthy beets, bright pomegranate, and hearty grains. Blended walnuts create a smooth texture that lightly coats the greens and toppings, helping the whole bowl feel cohesive without heaviness.

This is a make-once, use-all-week batch (6–8 servings).

Ingredients

• 5–6 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup raisins (or 4–5 pitted Deglet Noor dates)
• 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 large clove garlic (or 2 small)
• 1/2 tsp thyme, dill, or oregano

Directions

Blend until creamy. Adjust thickness with water if needed.

Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator and shake before using.

How I Build the Bowl

1. Add a generous base of leafy lettuce to your bowl.
2. Scatter chopped kale over the top.
3. Add bulgur and lentils.
4. Spoon roasted, cooled beets into the bowl.
5. Add carrots and red onion.
6. Add avocado and toasted walnuts.
7. Sprinkle pomegranate arils, sprouts, and cracked pepper.
8. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently before eating.

Prep Ahead Tip

This bowl comes together very easily when a few components are prepared ahead.

At the beginning of the week, I like to:

• cook bulgur
• cook lentils
• roast the beets
• slice red onion
• prep carrots
• toast walnuts
• blend the dressing

Everything gets stored separately in mason jars, so building a salad is mostly assembly. I harvest or prep greens fresh right before putting the bowl together.

When those pieces are ready, a colorful bowl like this comes together quickly — which makes eating this way feel simple and realistic to repeat throughout the week.

Serve With (Optional)

This week I paired the Winter Jewel Bowl with a bowl of Creamy White Bean & Rosemary Soup.

The combination of hearty salad and warm soup creates a balanced winter meal — colorful, comforting, and deeply nourishing.

Notes & Variations

Easy swaps

• Bulgur → Farro

• Bulgur → Quinoa (gluten-free)

• Lentils → White beans

• Walnuts → Pumpkin seeds

Easy add-ins

• Orange segments

• Shaved fennel

• Fresh parsley

Prep note

Roast cubed beets at 400°F for 20–30 minutes, flipping halfway, until fork-tender. Allow them to cool completely before storing.

Final Thoughts

Introducing bulgur into this bowl adds a slightly lighter texture while still giving you the steady satisfaction of a grain-based salad. It absorbs the dressing beautifully and pairs especially well with roasted beets and bright pomegranate.

Building one bowl each week using the same simple structure keeps daily salads flexible and repeatable — even in the middle of winter.

If you’d like more help building simple, nourishing salads using a flexible framework, you can download my free Tower-to-Table Recipe Guide here:

👉 https://verticalhydroponicgarden.com/free-recipes

Here’s to simple, nourishing meals — one bowl at a time 🌱

Karen
Vertical Hydroponic Garden