Spring is in the air! To celebrate the season, I’m making a beautiful fresh spring salad. This simple spring salad takes just 15 minutes, and it’s even faster if you prep ahead.
I love the variety of fresh seasonal produce and the lemon honey vinaigrette that ties everything together.
Quick Look: Spring Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Method: Assemble, no-cook
- Main Ingredients: Greens, asparagus radishes, artichokes, peas
- Flavor Profile: Savory, lemony, bright with lots of texture
- Ideal for: Spring sides, Easter, brunch
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Use Seasonal Produce
Making a delicious spring-inspired salad is about using the freshest produce you love. Feel free to swap the mix-ins as you please. Here are some of my favorites:
- Shaved Brussels sprouts
- Various radish varieties. If you can find watermelon radish, it will really make your salad pop with gorgeous green and pink colors!
- Carrots. If you can find rainbow carrots, those will add great color! Roast them first.
- Roasted beets
- Snap peas (you can eat them raw, I always sliced them diagonally for presentation)
- Arugula, mint, watercress or micro greens – they add texture and a bite
- Cucumbers
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh asparagus: Bottoms trimmed. Find ones that have minimal blemishes. If they look wrinkled or wilted, they are not fresh anymore.
- Crisp greens: I use both a basic spring green mix from the grocery (find ones that look crisp and fresh). I also complement this spring salad with beautiful butter lettuce.
- Radishes: I use regular radishes, but feel free to use other varieties, such as watermelon radish, which they have gorgeous vibrant colors!
- Artichoke hearts: I’m a huge artichoke lover! No need to cook fresh artichokes here, canned is just as good.
- Green peas: Preferably fresh, but frozen and thawed are fine too.
- Goat cheese: I use herbed goat cheese for extra flavor. Feta cheese is also a great option.
- For the lemon vinaigrette: freshly squeezed lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, dijon mustard, minced garlic, honey, salt, and pepper.
- Other: Olive oil, salt, pepper
As always, check out the recipe card down below for quantities!
Substitutions and Variations
- Canned Artichoke Hearts: Hearts of palm
- Butter Lettuce: Boston or Bibb lettuce
- Grains: Farro, bulgur, or quinoa.
- Add nuts: Walnuts, almonds, crushed pistachios, or pine nuts.
- Cheese: If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, try feta cheese or shaved parmesan.
- Other dressings: Lemon Basil Dressing, Creamy Balsamic Dressing, homemade Greek Dressing.
How to Make a Gorgeous Spring Salad
Step 1: Dressing. In a mason jar, combine the freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, minced garlic, honey, salt, and pepper. Seal the jar and shake vigorously until evenly combined.
Step 2: Gently cook asparagus. Raw asparagus isn’t very pleasant to eat, so we’ll lightly cook it. In a skillet, sauté chopped asparagus for 2 minutes until bright green and still a little crisp. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Assemble. On a large serving platter (I use an oval one), arrange the butter lettuce. Then, top with a bed of green spring mix and lettuce. Arrange the remaining ingredients on top, preferably in groupings of 2 or 3 for presentation. These layers make it extra pretty.
Step 4: Dress. Drizzle the prepared lemon dressing over the salad. And that’s it, a low-effort but incredibly gorgeous fresh spring salad in no time!
Tips for Success
- Use a salad spinner to thoroughly dry your washed greens for best results.
- Blanching asparagus instead. If you’d rather not sauté thems, blanch them in simmering water for 2 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath. Pat dry well.
- When picking the lettuce or greens, make sure they are vibrant green and crisp. Stay away from wilted or pale greens.
- Composed platting: For presentation, I’d recommend not tossing the ingredients of this salad altogether. Instead, spread everything evenly on top of the greens, then just drizzle the dressing over. It’s like a work of art!
What To Serve with a Spring Salad
Try this fresh spring salad my grilled chicken skewers, grilled lemon marinated chicken or marinated grilled shrimp.
Or keep it simple with just pan seared chicken breast. To make it even simple, just layer in bundles of prosciutto.
These main dishes would also go really well with a side of this spring salad:
If you’re building an Easter menu, my crockpot spiral ham is brown sugar ham are must-makes!
Prep Ahead Tips
- Pre-wash the lettuce and veggies. Use a salad spinner to remove excess moisture – this will keep your greens crisp.
- Pre-dice or slice the other ingredients and refrigerate.
- Pre-soak sliced radishes in water to remove some of the bitterness.
- Lightly blanch asparagus and refrigerate.
- Make the dressing up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. It may solidify in the fridge. If this happens, pop it in the microwave for just a few seconds to loosen it up.
Recipe FAQs
Of course! Try feta cheese or shaved parmesan cheese. For something stronger, blue or gorgonzola cheese are great options.
Oil and water don’t mix. Dijon mustard is the binder that brings them together by emulsification. I find dijon mustard to be milder than yellow mustard.
Soak sliced radishes in ice water for at least 30, then pat dry before serving.
Preferably not. It will be soggy.
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Fresh Spring Salad
Ingredients
- ½ pound fresh asparagus - bottoms trimmed
- Olive oil - for the asparagus
- 8 leaves butter lettuce - or Boston or Bibb lettuce
- 5 ounces spring green mix - about 6 cups
- 3 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 12 ounces canned artichoke hearts, halved
- ⅓ cup fresh or frozen peas - thaw if frozen
- 4 ounces goat cheese, torn into smaller pieces - I use herbed goat cheese
Lemon vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice - plus more to taste
- ⅔ cups extra virgin olive oil - plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 clove fresh garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon honey - plus more to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the lemon vinaigrette: Combine all the lemon vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar. Cover with the lid tightly and shake vigorously until fully combined. Adjust the dressing ingredients to taste, if needed. Set aside.
- Lightly cook the asparagus: On a skillet or grill pan, add a small amount of olive oil over high heat. Cook the asparagus for about 1-2 minutes per side, until slightly tender but still crisp. This will make the asparagus slightly tender and easier to eat. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Assemble the salad: On a large platter, arrange the butter lettuce. Then add a bed of spring green mix. Gently tuck the asparagus into the greens, and arrange the remaining salad ingredients on top.
- Drizzle with the prepared lemon vinaigrette. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pick vibrant green and crisp greens. Farmer’s Markets are great places to find the freshest produce available.
- Use a salad spinner to rinse and dry your greens. It does a great job getting rid of the extra water droplets. This way, your greens will stay crisp.
- Feel free to swap or add any ingredients to this salad. Use your favorite ingredients.
- For the lemon dressing, I’d recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice and good quality olive oil.
- Prep ahead: The lettuce and greens can be pre-washed and dried (use a salad spinner), and the rest of the vegetables can be pre-diced or sliced. The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance. If it solidifies, let it sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes prior to using, or microwave it for just a few seconds to loosen it up.
- Use your favorite spring vegetables.
- Other dressings: Creamy Balsamic Dressing or any vibrant dressings you like. Store-bought is fine too.
Nancy Warner says
Hi Tania!
I made this salad today for a Mother’s Day get-together and everybody loved it! I substitute sugar snap peas for the asparagus and topped it with a few handfuls of sunflower shoots.
Thanks for the yummy idea!
Tania says
Hi Nancy! Thank you. Happy Mother’s Day!