5 Unusual Hearty Salads for the New Year's Table 2025

The main attribute of the New Year's table will definitely be salads, but when preparing to meet the Yellow Earth Dog, you need to take into account its preferences, because it is the symbol of the coming year that loves meat. Salads should be hearty and necessarily with meat ingredients. Olivier has traditionally become a favorite dish, but many have already broken this stereotype and are trying to make the New Year's menu more original and colorful. For this occasion, we have a selection that will change your New Year's traditions!

Salad #1: Chicken fillet with prunes

A salad that is easy to prepare but has an unusual taste. Prunes add a sweetish taste to the tender chicken fillet. It is best to prepare it in layers and either divide it into portions or cut the finished dish like a cake. It takes 50 minutes to prepare and is intended for 10 servings.

Ingredients

• Chicken fillet - 450 g;
• Eggs - 5 pcs.;
• Fresh cucumbers – 2 pcs.;
• Soft prunes – 150 g;
• Walnuts – 110 g;
• Mayonnaise – 4-5 tbsp;
• Dill – ½ bunch;
• Parsley – ½ bunch;
• Salt, ground black pepper.

Method of preparation

1. Rinse the chicken fillet with running water. Pour water into a saucepan and put on the fire. Bring the meat to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Wash the eggs, pour water with one teaspoon of salt. After boiling, boil for 10 minutes. Cool the finished eggs, peel, grate on a fine grater.
3. Cut the finished chicken fillet into cubes. Wash the prunes, remove the pits, and cut into pieces. Cut the fresh cucumbers into strips. Peel and chop the walnuts.
4. Place a layer of fresh cucumbers on a plate, then a layer of boiled fillet. Salt, pepper, and spread with mayonnaise. Divide the prunes into two parts, place one on a layer of mayonnaise, place eggs on top, salt, and spread thinly with mayonnaise. Place the remaining prunes. Garnish with walnuts and another layer of mayonnaise.
5. Wash the greens and chop finely. Sprinkle the finished salad and place the dish in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Salad No. 2: "Variegated"

This hearty salad doesn't take much time to prepare. The combination of pork with pickled cucumbers and Korean carrots will give you an unforgettable taste for celebrating the New Year. It takes 40 minutes to prepare and serves 8 servings.

Ingredients

• Pork butt - 250 g;
• Chicken eggs - 5 pcs.;
• Hard cheese – 145 g;
• Korean carrots – 110 g;
• Bell pepper – 1 pc.;
• Fresh tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
• Pickled cucumber – 3 pcs.;
• Mayonnaise – 4-5 tbsp;
• Green onions – ½ bunch;
• Parsley – ½ bunch;
• Dill – ½ bunch;
• Salt, ground black pepper – to taste.

Method of preparation

1. Rinse the pork and cut into 1 cm thick slices. Fry on both sides in a frying pan over high heat. Let cool and cut into small cubes.
2. Wash the eggs, boil them in salted water for 10 minutes after boiling. Let cool, cut into cubes.
3. Wash the bell pepper and remove the seeds. Cut into cubes along with the tomatoes and pickled cucumbers. Wash and finely chop the parsley, green onions, and dill.
4. Place the prepared pork in a deep bowl, add pepper, tomatoes, pickles and greens. Mix well. Then add Korean carrots, salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients with mayonnaise again.

Salad #3: Pork Heart with Peas

The warm salad is very filling and is prepared without any particular difficulties. The only peculiarity: pay attention to the preparation of the pork heart, since the taste of the salad depends on its readiness. It is prepared in 2 hours, and is designed for 8 servings.

Ingredients

• Pork heart - 450 g;
• Chicken eggs - 4 pcs.;
• Carrots – 1 pc.;
• Onion – 1 pc.;
• Canned peas – ½ can;
• Garlic – 2 cloves;
• Apple cider vinegar – 1 tbsp;
• Parsley – 1 bunch;
• Sunflower oil – 3 tbsp;
• Granulated sugar, salt, freshly ground black pepper – to taste;
• Mayonnaise – 3-4 tbsp.

Method of preparation

1. Wash the pork heart well, clean it from films. Put a pan with water and heart on the fire, bring to a boil. Boil for an hour and a half, changing the water 3-4 times, so that the product becomes soft and juicy.
2. Marinate the onions, cut into half rings, in vinegar with sugar and salt.
3. Peel the carrots and cut them into small strips. Fry them in a well-heated frying pan with vegetable oil for about 10 minutes, remembering to stir until golden brown.
4. Rinse the eggs and cook in salted water for 10 minutes after boiling. Let cool, cut into cubes.
5. Rinse the parsley thoroughly with cold water, dry off excess moisture and chop finely. Pass the garlic through a garlic press. Cut the heart into small strips and place in a salad bowl. Add ready-made marinated onions, chopped eggs, fried carrots, chopped greens, green peas. Salt, pepper, mayonnaise - to taste. Mix well and serve warm.

Salad #4: "Fattoush" with chicken fillet

This exquisite salad will look gorgeous on the New Year's table. The dish belongs to traditional Lebanese cuisine, is easy to prepare and has a rich taste. Initially, there is no chicken in the Fattoush recipe, but a slightly modified recipe can become an alternative version of a salad of vegetables and chicken. It takes 50 minutes to prepare and is designed for 6 servings.

Ingredients

• Fresh tomatoes - 5 pcs.;
• Fresh cucumbers - 2 pcs.;
• Chicken fillet – 250 g;
• Lettuce - 1 bunch;
• Green onions – ½ bunch;
• Fresh mint leaves – 15 pcs.;
• Garlic – 3 cloves;
• Lemon juice – 2 tbsp;
• Olive oil – 2.5 tbsp;
• Lavash (two-layer) – 1 pc.;
• Sesame – 1 tsp;
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper – to taste.

Method of preparation

1. Rinse the chicken fillet thoroughly under running water, dry, cut into slices, fry lightly on both sides, add salt and pepper, let cool and cut into strips.
2. Wash tomatoes and cucumbers, cut into strips. Wash lettuce well, tear with your hands, put on the bottom of the dish, put a layer of meat and vegetables on top. Salt and pepper.
3. Press the garlic, add olive oil and lemon juice, and blend until smooth.
4. Cut the lavash into small cubes and fry for 2-3 minutes in a frying pan heated with oil, stirring so that it does not burn.
5. Add the finished lavash to the bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients. Add greens, mint leaves, sesame seeds on top, pour in the sauce. Serve warm, without stirring.

Salad #5: Spicy with pork

A spicy, hearty salad with the piquant taste of pork and chili. A hearty dish, the highlight of which is pork with piquant chili and tomato paste. Crispy iceberg lettuce, cucumber and fresh carrots add freshness to the salad. Cooks in 40 minutes, serves 6.

Ingredients

• Pork (cutlet part) - 600 g;
• Onions - 2 pcs.;
• Garlic – 2 cloves;
• Tomato paste – 1 tsp;
• Fresh cucumber – 2 pcs.;
• Carrots – 1 pc.;
• Iceberg - head of cabbage;
• Sour cream – 250 g;
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp;
• Milk – 2.5 tbsp;
• Wine vinegar – 2 tbsp;
• Hot mustard - 1 tbsp;
• Salt, freshly ground pepper, chili powder, sugar – to taste.

Method of preparation

1. Wash the pork tenderloin and cut into thin long slices. Fry with olive oil in a well-heated frying pan for about 5 minutes.
2. Peel the onion and cut into thin half rings, finely chop the garlic. Fry the onion, garlic, and tomato paste in a frying pan. Salt and pepper everything, add chili, and fry for 5 minutes, stirring.
3. For the sauce, mix sour cream, milk, wine vinegar, mustard, a little salt, pepper and sugar in a separate bowl.
4. Wash the iceberg cabbage, dry it and tear it into pieces, put it in a deep bowl. Wash the carrots, peel them and grate them on a medium grater. Wash the cucumbers and cut them into strips. Put the carrots and cucumbers in layers on top of the iceberg. Grease each layer with sauce. The last layer is pork in tomato sauce. Serve the salad warm.