The simplest and most delicious salads for New Year 2021
Salads for the 2021 New Year of the Ox can be prepared using a wide variety of ingredients—meat, fish, sausages, vegetables, grains, fruits, and herbs. However, it's important to remember that the year's totem animal—the White Metal Ox—will not be kind to anyone who includes beef in the holiday menu. Therefore, even if you have a favorite dish that your family can't imagine a feast without, it's best to substitute this ingredient. You can experiment with both familiar appetizers and those you're preparing for the first time.
New Year's 2021 Salads: New Recipes with Photos, Simple and Delicious
Regardless of the number of guests at the table, you always want the dishes to be not only delicious but also beautiful. At New Year's, presentation is half the battle, especially when there are children at the table. They'll love trying a salad shaped like a snowman, a Christmas tree, or other holiday decorations.
When planning what to cook, you need to consider the tastes of everyone at the table. Those on a diet will avoid recipes with mayonnaise, while others don't want to overeat and prefer light vegetable appetizers. So, a single salad won't suffice—you'll need to prepare at least three or four.
A simple salad without mayonnaise called "Minute"
This is a very quick dish. It can be served to your family for dinner or served on the New Year's table, beautifully garnished with greens.
Ingredients:
- canned beans - 1 can;
- cheese - 130 g;
- pickled cucumbers - 2-3 pcs.;
- loaf - 3 slices;
- greens - to taste;
- sour cream - 4 tbsp. l.;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- mustard seeds - 1 tsp;
- salt and pepper.
The highlight of this salad is the piquant dressing. It's best to make it ahead of time so it can steep. Combine sour cream, pressed garlic, French grain mustard, pepper, and salt. Set aside.
Step-by-step recipe with video:
- The pieces of bread are cut into cubes and dried in the oven until golden brown.

- The same slicing is done with cucumbers and cheese—no need to grate it. The beans are placed in a sieve to remove the liquid.
- Mix the prepared ingredients and season.
Delicious mushroom salad with honey mushrooms
The dish is simple to prepare and layered. Therefore, don't leave the slices until the last minute before guests arrive—the dish needs to be well-seasoned, otherwise the flavors won't meld. This "Mushroom Glade" will be a feast for the eyes for New Year's.
Ingredients:
- 390 g pickled honey mushrooms;
- 2 potatoes;
- 300 g smoked brisket (or chicken, ham);
- half a bunch of dill and parsley;
- a few green onion feathers;
- 4 eggs;
- mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
It's best to boil the potatoes in their skins ahead of time. To make peeling easier, plunge them into cold water. Don't leave them in the water for too long, though, to avoid them becoming soaked. Once they've cooled slightly, they're ready to remove.
Step-by-step recipe with video:
- The salad is assembled in layers. The first layer is coarsely grated potatoes, salt, and pepper. Next, a layer of mayonnaise is applied after each layer.

- Chopped green onions and diced brisket.

- The third layer is eggs, pre-grated on a coarse grater. This layer should be lightly compacted, and the mayonnaise should be smoothed over it with a spoon.

- Finally, add the garnish. Add chopped herbs, dill, and parsley, and top with pickled mushrooms.
A very tasty classic herring under a fur coat
For a unique presentation, add a bunch of fresh dill to the usual ingredients. If you have pomegranate seeds, that's great – you'll have even more "toys."
Ingredients:
- herring - 1 pc.;
- potatoes - 3-4 pcs.;
- carrot - 1 large;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- light apple - 1 pc.;
- beets - 1-2 pcs.;
- dill - bunch;
- mayonnaise - 200 g;
- vinegar 9% - 50-60 g;
- sugar - 1 tsp;
- boiled water - 60 ml.
If the herring is very salty, soak it in milk diluted 1:1 with water. Leave it soaking for 15-30 minutes. Boil the potatoes and carrots and let them cool.
Step-by-step recipe:
- The onion is chopped and marinated: covered with vinegar, water, sugar and left for 30 minutes.
- The herring is cleaned, all bones removed, cut into small pieces and laid out in a herringbone pattern.

- The potatoes are peeled, grated and placed on the fish, covering it.
- Place pickled onions on top, and then finely grated carrots on top.

- Next, apply a layer of mayonnaise and arrange the apple cubes.
- Cover with a thick layer of finely grated boiled beets and generously grease with mayonnaise.
Salmon Terrine: Salad Jelly
A fish and vegetable dish, reminiscent of both a casserole and a pâté, is served under the unusual name "terrine." In France, it's often referred to more simply as a soup tureen.
Ingredients:
- 380-400 g - smoked salmon;
- 400 g cream cheese;
- 1 tsp fresh parsley;
- 1 lemon.
The classic version of a terrine is baked, but today it's shaped by cooling. There's also no jelly filling, which would extend the dish's shelf life. However, this delicacy is usually eaten in one sitting.
Step-by-step recipe:
- Half of the salmon is cut into slices and laid out overlapping on the bottom of a rectangular pan.

- The remaining fish is chopped with a knife and ground in a blender with cream cheese and parsley until it becomes a paste.
- Place in a mold and lightly compact, leveling the surface.
- Wrap in cling film and put in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.
Before serving, unwrap and cut into portions. Garnish each with a lemon wedge.
Snowdrift Salad
What's winter without snow? A salad decorated to resemble a snowy plain will help remind you of the frost outside, even in the snowless winters that are becoming increasingly common in our climate. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and nuts—these ingredients only enhance the flavor.
Ingredients:
- chicken fillet - 1 pc.;
- mushrooms (champignons or oyster mushrooms) - 300 g;
- potatoes - 2 pcs.;
- eggs - 4 pcs.;
- cheese - 50 g;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- garlic - 1-2 cloves;
- apple cider vinegar - 2 tbsp;
- mayonnaise, salt, pepper - to taste, vegetable oil - for frying.
Potatoes and eggs are boiled in advance, chicken fillet is baked, lightly salted and peppered, adding aromatic spices (ready-made ones are possible).
Step-by-step recipe with photos:
- Pickle the onions. Cut them into rings, cover with apple cider vinegar, add salt and pepper. Drain after 15 minutes.
- Chop the mushrooms and fry them in vegetable oil until tender. Let them cool.

- The fillet is separated into fibers and cut so that later a portion of the salad can be scooped out with a spoon.
- The ingredients are laid out in layers, with a mayonnaise mesh between them. The first layer is meat with marinated onions, the second is mushrooms, and the third is potatoes.

- Grease the surface with mayonnaise and set aside.
- Grate the eggs into a separate bowl and mix with pressed garlic, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise. Form into hemispheres.

- They're laid on top of the salad—they look like snowdrifts. And then, like snow, they're sprinkled with grated cheese, then garnished with pomegranate seeds or nut crumbs.
Royal Salad for New Year 2021: Recipe
Want to show your guests that all is well in life? Prepare an appetizer for the feast using ingredients you probably don't see on the table every day. You don't need to prepare much, but not because it's expensive—the taste is a bit salty, and you won't be able to eat much.
Ingredients:
- 200 g salmon;
- 150 g hard cheese;
- 3 eggs;
- 1 onion;
- 100 g caviar;
- 1 teaspoon sugar;
- 2 teaspoons vinegar.
Before adding more salt, taste the dish. The main ingredients—fish and caviar—are salted during pre-sale preparation. Prepare the serving ring in advance to shape it.
Step-by-step recipe:
- Finely chop the onion and marinate it: add vinegar, water, and sugar. Leave for 30-40 minutes, then squeeze out the excess.

- Boil the eggs, peel them, and separate the whites from the yolks. Grate them separately on a coarse grater. Prepare the cheese in the same way. Mix each component with a small amount of mayonnaise.
- The salmon is cut into small cubes – no more than 0.5-0.8 cm.
Layer the egg white, half the cheese, salmon, onion, and remaining cheese. Press down firmly and remove the ring. Sprinkle with grated egg yolk and garnish with red caviar.
Layered New Year's salad
This appetizer combines two dishes, making it look beautiful on the plate. Adults will appreciate the mushroom salad, and children will appreciate the addition of boletus mushrooms.
Ingredients:
- boiled ham;
- 3 eggs;
- 200 g champignons;
- 2 pickled cucumbers;
- 6 stalks of green onions;
- 50 g cheese;
- a bunch of dill;
- pomegranate seeds;
- 1 onion;
- to taste - mayonnaise, salt, pepper.
You can replace the champignons with oyster mushrooms, and the pickled cucumbers with marinated ones. Just make sure they're neither too sour nor too sweet.
Step-by-step recipe with video:
- Finely chopped onions are fried with mushrooms, brought to readiness, peppered and salted.

- Cut green onions, mushrooms into cubes, and chicken meat across the grain so it’s easy to chew.
- Grate the cheese and eggs separately.

- Fill a pastry bag or syringe with mayonnaise to make it easier to apply the mesh to the layers, separating them.
- Place the following ingredients in order: mushrooms and onions, meat, green onions, cucumbers, eggs, and cheese. Top with a layer of mayonnaise.
And now for the appetizer—porcini mushrooms. To prepare them, you'll need: 1 tablespoon of red caviar, 5 hard-boiled eggs, 1 tablespoon each of coffee and mayonnaise, and 200 ml of water. Cool the hard-boiled eggs in cold water to make them easy to peel. Cut off the blunt end and carefully remove the yolk.
When the water boils, add the coffee, and as soon as the foam rises, add the future mushroom caps. Simmer for 3 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove and let cool.
Mash the yolks with mayonnaise, add the caviar, and stir until smooth, being careful not to break any individual eggs. Stuff the eggs with this mixture and arrange them, upside down, on the edge of a plate. Place the caps on top.
To make the dish truly festive, pomegranate seeds are used to spell out the words “Happy New Year!”
A very tasty salad with chicken liver
Warm dishes are an alternative to cold appetizers at a buffet table. They're filling, but not as heavy as meat and sides—they don't interfere with dancing and fun.
Ingredients:
- chicken liver - 600 g;
- arugula - 100 g;
- white onion - 1 pc.;
- parsley - a bunch;
- cherry tomatoes - 150-200 g;
- pine nuts, spices - to taste;
- olive oil - 2 tbsp;
- soy sauce - 1 tbsp;
- ghee - 1 tsp;
- balsamic vinegar - 1 tsp.
Although the liver takes the longest to cook, it's prepared last. This will keep the salad warm longer.
Step-by-step recipe:
- Marinate the onions. Cut them into half rings, pour in soy sauce, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, and stir.

- Wash the arugula. Tear the sprigs by hand if necessary.
- Rinse the liver, pat dry with a paper towel, and fry in melted butter until cooked through on both sides. If the pieces are large, cut them in half.

- Mix the arugula and lightly squeezed onion. Arrange the liver on a plate, and pile the greens on top. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.
Unusual seafood salad with squid
This bright and beautiful dish can be the highlight of your New Year's feast. This Mediterranean recipe is suitable for everyone—those not concerned about weight gain, those trying to lose weight, and those who simply enjoy delicious food.
Ingredients:
- seafood - 200 g squid and 150 g peeled shrimp;
- lettuce leaves, for example, iceberg lettuce - 80-100 g;
- olives - 16 pcs.;
- cherry tomatoes - 8-10 pcs.
For the sauce: 4 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 5 tbsp vegetable oil (olive), 1 tsp sugar, 2 cloves garlic and a bunch of fresh parsley.
Step-by-step recipe:
- To give the dressing time to infuse, start with it. Press the garlic and chop the parsley. Grind it into a paste with the sugar. Whisk with a fork or an immersion blender with the butter, sauce, and lemon juice. Put it in the refrigerator to infuse.

- Boil the squid in boiling water for 1 minute, to prevent them from becoming rubbery, and the shrimp for 3 minutes. Cool. Clean the shrimp, removing the shell and esophagus. Large king shrimp are cut lengthwise. Cut the squid into rings.
- Large cherry tomatoes are divided into 4 parts, small ones - in half.
The presentation is the most crucial part. The dressing is poured into a sauceboat and placed in the center of the dish. It is surrounded by lettuce leaves, on which the shrimp and squid rings are placed. Tomatoes and pitted olives are scattered randomly on top. A small amount of the sauce is drizzled over the dish just before serving.
If you don't have time to layer the salad, you can mix all the ingredients together. However, it's still best to stick to the recipe's instructions, especially if the dish is assembled to resemble a New Year's symbol, such as a Christmas tree or a snowy plain. The White Bull will surely appreciate this.

















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