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Fresh, bright, and packed with seasonal ingredients, this easy spring salad brings together crisp vegetables like asparagus, crunchy radishes, sweet peas, and fresh herbs.
Topped with roasted chickpeas, creamy feta, toasted pine nuts, and hard-boiled eggs, then tossed in a zesty lemon dressing, it’s the perfect fresh dish for springtime.
Well, we made it through another winter! There’s something so refreshing about welcoming a new season. After months of cozy meals and cooler days, the idea of a spring salad is a breath of fresh air. It’s time for brighter flavors, lighter dishes, and warmer (and longer) days ahead.
What Goes in this Spring Salad Recipe?
One of the best things about this seasonal salad is how versatile it is. I’m sharing the ingredients of how we like to make this one, but feel free to check out the variations and substitutions section below or go completely rogue and make it your own.
Dressing
- Olive Oil: the base of the dressing
- Dijon Mustard: adds intense mustard flavor
- Lemon Juice and Zest: adds a bright pop of freshness and acidity
- Shallot: adds mild onion flavor
- Champagne Vinegar: if you can’t find champagne vinegar, you can use prosecco or white wine vinegar
- Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
Salad
- Pine Nuts:Â adds texture, toasted for maximum flavor
- Asparagus: tough stems removed and then cut into 1-2″ pieces
- Frozen Peas: defrosted in a bowl of water
- Baby Salad Greens: Any mix of greens you enjoy…romaine, spinach, arugula, chard, etc.
- Radishes: adds a little heat and gorgeous color
- Cucumber: we prefer an English cucumber or a Persian cucumber
- Fresh Herbs: mint, basil, parsley, chives – this blend is so bright and bold
- Feta: totally optional, but we love the saltiness flavor it adds
- Roasted Chickpeas: you can buy roasted chickpeas or roast your own, and they add great texture
- Olive Oil: used to roast the chickpeas
- Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
- Hard-Boiled Eggs: adds protein and heartiness to the salad
This is meant to just be an overview of the ingredients for this salad. For all the details and measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Substitutions and Variations
Salads are easy to customize with whatever you have on hand. Swap the feta for a soft goat cheese, gorgonzola, or even avocado, use snow peas instead of sweet peas, or add extra crunch with pistachios or almonds. You can toss in red onion or shredded carrots, add a little heat with red pepper flakes in the lemon dressing, or finish it off with a drizzle of pesto. For a heartier meal, top it with grilled chicken, salmon, or even tofu.
How to Make a Fresh Spring Salad
This tasty salad is made from the perfect combination of springy ingredients and textures. Here’s how to make it:
- Dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients together and set aside.
- Prep Ahead (Optional): Hard-boil the eggs, toast the pine nuts, and roast the chickpeas up to 1 to 2 days in advance.
- Thaw: Place peas in a bowl of cool water to thaw, then drain.
- Cook: Sauté asparagus in a little olive oil with salt and pepper until tender, then let cool.
- Prep: Slice the cucumber and radishes, and chop the herbs.
- Slice: Cut the hard-boiled eggs in half or into slices.
- Assemble: Add greens, peas, asparagus, cucumber, radishes, herbs, feta, pine nuts, chickpeas, and eggs to a large bowl or platter.
- Dress: Drizzle with dressing, toss gently, add more dressing if needed, then season with salt and pepper and serve right away.
All of the instructions for making this spring salad can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
What to Eat with this Spring Salad
When spring finally arrives, we’re all about firing up the grill and smoker, and this fresh spring salad is the perfect side to go along with it. It pairs especially well with marinated grilled chicken, smoked brisket, classic hamburgers, smoked meatloaf, or BBQ grilled chicken, making it an easy addition to just about any warm-weather meal.
Prep Ahead and Storage Tips
Generally speaking, salads are not great for making ahead of time. They get soggy quickly and are best eaten fresh. That being said, several parts of this salad can be prepped ahead of time. I mentioned this above, but you can make the salad dressing, roast the chickpeas, toast the pine nuts and hard boil the eggs all ahead of time.
Prepare and dress only the amount of salad that you think will be eaten. The ingredients will store much better before adding the dressing. If you do end up with some leftovers, store in an airtight container. It will keep for a day or two.
When warmer temperatures finally come, I crave bright and refreshing flavors. This easy spring salad is vibrant, healthy and looks and tastes so elegant while still being so easy to make! You’re going to love it!
More Spring Recipes:
Watch How to Make Spring Salad Video
