Delicious Spring Salad Recipe
This Spring Salad celebrates fresh Spring produce! Featuring a flavorful basil vinaigrette, it would make the perfect green salad for an Easter brunch, or your next potluck.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT❤
It’s loaded with Spring vegetables. Roasted asparagus, crisp radishes, shredded carrots, and lettuce are the main event in this dish!
It’s flavorful. When you blend fresh basil into a simple lemon dressing, your salad will taste like it came from a restaurant. Fresh herbs make such a huge flavor difference!
It’s filling. Canned chickpeas are convenient, and add extra texture and protein to this spring salad recipe. Paired with fresh avocado and tangy feta cheese, this salad will leave you feeling satisfied!
It’s colorful. All of these components make for a beautiful salad that is perfect for bringing to a gathering. It looks impressive, and it even tastes as good as it.
PREP TIME: 10MINUTES
COOK TIME: 20MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 30MINUTES
SERVINGS: 4
INGREDIENTS:
⭐1 pound asparagus (1 bunch; 12 oz. after woody ends removed)
⭐1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
⭐fine sea salt
⭐5 ounces spring salad mix (or other baby lettuce)
⭐1 large carrot , shredded
⭐3 radishes , trimmed and thinly sliced
⭐1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed
⭐1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles
⭐1 ripe avocado , pitted, peeled, and sliced
DRESSING
⭐3 tablespoon lemon juice
⭐1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
⭐1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (tightly packed)
⭐1 tablespoon honey
⭐1 clove garlic
⭐1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
⭐1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
⭐Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Remove the woody ends from the asparagus by bending the spears towards the bottom; they should snap where the tougher ends should be removed. Slice the asparagus into 1-inch pieces, then place them on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle the top with salt, and roast until it’s tender, about 15 minutes. (If using thinner asparagus, it may be done in as little as 10 minutes.)
⭐While the asparagus is cooking, prepare the dressing. In a blender, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, basil, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth, and adjust any seasoning to taste. For a sweeter dressing, you can add more honey, and for a more tangy dressing you can add more lemon juice, or a squeeze of spicy brown mustard.
⭐When you’re ready to assemble the salad, start with a bed of mixed greens, and top them with the shredded carrots, sliced radish, drained chickpeas, and roasted asparagus. Sprinkle on the feta cheese (or omit for a dairy-free salad), and add the sliced avocado right before serving, so it won’t brown. Drizzle the dressing generously over the salad, and gently toss. Serve right away.
⭐This salad dressing can be stored in an airtight container, separately from the other salad components, for up to 5 days in the fridge. Once the salad is tossed with the dressing, it will wilt if you store the leftovers, so it’s best to only dress as much salad as you plan on eating, if you’d like to store more for later.
NOTES
Nutrition information is for 1 of 4 servings, assuming you use ALL of the dressing, which you may not. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee. If serving this salad as a side, you may get closer to 6 servings, if people take smaller portions.
For a vegan recipe, replace the honey with maple syrup and omit the feta cheese. You can add a tablespoon of tahini or almond butter to the dressing, to make it creamy instead.
NUTRITIONAL INFO:
Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 604mg | Potassium: 721mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4087IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 4mg