12 Spring Salads to Brighten up Your Table

Make the most of spring produce with these light, refreshing salads.

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Published April 08, 2025

20170713-misticanza-wild-greens-salad-vicky-wasik-11.jpg — Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

My husband jokes that he doesn't bother asking me what I want for dinner anymore, because my answer is always the same: vegetables. That is especially true during the spring and summer, when alliums, fresh herbs, and green vegetables are abundant. As the weather warms up, I begin swapping hearty soups and stews for crisp salads starring short-lived seasonal ingredients. Ramps, asparagus, peas, and lettuces make their way into all our meals, giving salads, pastas, and eggs a bright pop of flavor. Below, you'll find an assortment of refreshing spring salads—including a tangy pea and preserved olive salad and a Roman-inspired mixed green salad—that are light and bright, and sure to chase the winter blues away.

Spring Vegetable and Arugula Salad With Labne and Cucumbers
J. Kenji López-Alt
The secret to throwing a delicious salad at a moment's notice is keeping an assortment of blanched vegetables ready to go. For the easiest salad, toss blanched spring vegetables, salted cucumbers, and red onions in a punchy dressing of lemon juice, mustard, and olive oil, then pile it onto a bed of rich, tangy labneh.
Spring Vegetable and Arugula Salad With Labne and Cucumbers
Roasted Oyster Mushroom and Watercress Salad
Vicky Wasik
Pair pan-roasted oyster mushrooms with watercress—a peppery spring green that is satisfyingly substantial in its own right—with a healthy helping of shaved cheese for a robust spring salad.
Roasted Oyster Mushroom and Watercress Salad
Fattoush (Chopped Vegetable and Pita Salad)
Serious Eats / Mai Kakish
Packed with crunchy vegetables, toasted pita, and halloumi, this vibrant salad from Serious Eats contributor Reem Kassis is a star in its own right. It's light and refreshing, and a dressing made with lemon juice and pomegranate molasses brings bold, tart flavor.
Fattoush (Chopped Vegetable and Pita Salad)
Salade Lyonnaise (French Bistro Salad)
Serious Eats / Two Bites
This staple bistro salad of Lyon features bitter greens tossed in a warm vinaigrette and is topped with chewy lardons and a gooey poached egg. Cooking the bacon over moderately low heat prevents it from burning, and sautéing the shallots in hot bacon fat mellows out the allium's sharpness.
Salade Lyonnaise (French Bistro Salad)
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Pea, Olive, and Preserved Lemon Salad
Serious Eats / Jen Causey
This easy salad from Serious Eats contributor Nargisse Benkabbou combines sweet peas with briny olives and tangy preserved lemon—and takes just 15 minutes to make.
Pea, Olive, and Preserved Lemon Salad
Roman-Inspired Mixed-Green Salad (Misticanza alla Romana)
Vicky Wasik
The onset of warmer weather means the arrival of tender greens at farmers market, which makes spring the best time to make a mixed-green salad like this one. Modeled after misticanza, a Roman salad that's traditionally made from various wild greens, this salad is especially delicious when made with a combination of tender, peppery, herbal, and bitter greens. A splash of olive oil, some salt, and a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar is all you need to help those flavors shine.
Roman-Inspired Mixed-Green Salad (Misticanza alla Romana)
Spring Vegetable Salad With Poached Egg and Crispy Bread Crumbs
J. Kenji López-Alt
Crisp-tender peas, snap peas, and asparagus star in this verdant salad that takes just about 30 minutes to make. Topped with soft-yolked poached eggs and buttery toasted bread crumbs, this simple dinner is a delicious way to celebrate the arrival of spring.
Spring Vegetable Salad With Poached Egg and Crispy Bread Crumbs
Snap Pea Salad With Creamy Yogurt-Mint Dressing
Vicky Wasik
Though snap peas are delicious raw, a quick blanch helps set their vibrant green color and softens them slightly. Shocking the peas in ice water stops the cooking process, keeping them plump and snappy. A creamy dressing of yogurt and fresh mint brings it all together.
Snap Pea Salad With Creamy Yogurt-Mint Dressing
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Warm Farro Salad With Asparagus, Peas, and Feta
Yasmin Fahr
This salad celebrates the transition from winter to spring by combining asparagus, snap peas, kale, and farro with a tangy vinaigrette, briny feta, and almonds.
Warm Farro Salad With Asparagus, Peas, and Feta
Easy Fava Bean and Carrot Salad With Ricotta
J. Kenji López-Alt
Crunchy carrots and fava beans don't need much to shine. Here, we blanch them until they're just tender, then dress them in a bright vinaigrette of lemon juice, zest, and olive oil. Served with toast and a healthy dollop of good-quality ricotta, this salad makes a great side or light meal.
Easy Fava Bean and Carrot Salad With Ricotta
Peas and Carrots Salad With Goat Cheese and Almonds
J. Kenji López-Alt
Peas and carrots are a classic combination in dishes like shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie, and fried rice—but the vegetables are also delicious when turned into a salad. Creamy goat cheese brings a pleasant richness, toasted almonds provide crunch, and a drizzle of honey gives the salad a touch of sweetness.
Peas and Carrots Salad With Goat Cheese and Almonds
Tiger Salad (Lao Hu Cai), à la Xi'an Famous Foods
Vicky Wasik
Savory, refreshing, and tart, this dish is inspired by the lao hu cai—or "tiger vegetable salad"—served at Xi'an Famous Foods. It's easy to make: All you have to do is combine peeled celery ribs, crisp scallions, fresh cilantro, and a few slivers of hot chile pepper with a sweet-tart dressing of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar.
Tiger Salad (Lao Hu Cai)