18 Spring Salads to Say Goodbye to Winter

These salads take advantage of spring's fresh but fleeting produce like snap peas, asparagus, morels, and more.

Updated May 13, 2020

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

Spring-produce season is exciting precisely because it's so fleeting. Some fruits and vegetables appear for only a couple months—or even a few weeks, depending on where you live—which accounts for the bordering-on-cultlike veneration of precious finds like rhubarb, morels, and ramps. Asparagus, English peas, snap peas, artichokes, and fresh salad greens will be with us for a while yet, but even they only peak for so long. So, after we've toughed out a long, cold winter, the sudden abundance at the farmers market ranks right up there with "first outdoor cocktail of the year" and "first day without a jacket" on the list of things we most look forward to each spring. There's no better way to celebrate it than by putting together a salad that's a riot of these short-lived seasonal ingredients, either raw or minimally cooked, allowing their fresh green flavors to come out in full force. Below are 18 bright, refreshing salads to make the most of spring produce and chase the winter blues thoroughly away.

Roman-Inspired Mixed-Green Salad (Misticanza alla Romana)
Vicky Wasik
The onset of warmer weather means the arrival of a bounty of tender greens in farmers markets, ones that you can't find (or wouldn't be worth eating) any other time of year. That makes spring the perfect time to go simple with a mixed-green salad like this one, modeled after the salad of wild greens that Romans call misticanza. Avoid the bagged mixes from your supermarket at all costs, and instead select a variety of the freshest in-season leaves you can find; dandelion, watercress, arugula, Bibb lettuce, and mizuna are all good options. Try to create a balance of tender, peppery, herbal, and bitter greens, and dress them with nothing more than olive oil and a squeeze of lemon so their unique flavors can shine.
Get the recipe for Roman-Inspired Mixed-Green Salad (Misticanza alla Romana)
5-Minute Radicchio and Watercress Salad
Vicky Wasik
For a basic, super-quick version of the mixed-green salad above, try this mix of hearty, bitter radicchio; lightly spicy arugula and watercress; and sharp radishes. We created this salad to serve alongside buttery fried chicken cutlets, but it's a great complement to any dairy-rich or meaty entrée.
Get the recipe for 5-Minute Radicchio and Watercress Salad
Spring Vegetable and Arugula Salad With Labne and Cucumbers
J. Kenji López-Alt
Want the ability to throw together a delicious spring-y salad at a moment's notice? It helps to have a supply of seasonal vegetables pre-blanched, shocked in ice water, and stored in the refrigerator for just such an occasion. This bright salad makes the most of that tactic by combining blanched asparagus, snap peas, English peas, broccolini, and favas with salted Persian cucumber, arugula, sliced red onion—we like to soak the onion in hot water for a few minutes to soften its harsh bite—fresh mozzarella, and creamy labne for richness and tang. Check out our guide to preparing green spring produce for more information on getting these vegetables salad-ready.
Get the recipe for Spring Vegetable and Arugula Salad With Labne and Cucumbers
Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios
J. Kenji López-Alt
Many of us think of beets as a hardy winter staple, but the first beets of the year are actually harvested in the spring, and they tend to be the smallest and sweetest specimens you'll find. We especially love them roasted for deeper, more concentrated flavor. This colorful dish combines roasted beets with a crème fraîche spiked with fiery horseradish (a classic accompaniment for beets), plus a simple dressing flavored with lemon, herbs, shallot, honey, and chopped toasted pistachios.
Get the recipe for Roasted-Beet Salad With Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Pistachios
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Roasted Oyster Mushroom and Watercress Salad
Vicky Wasik
For a straightforward salad that eats like a meal, oyster mushrooms make a great base—their robust, meaty texture and earthy flavor will lend balance to the lighter, green components of the dish. Here, we pair pan-roasted oyster mushrooms with watercress—a spring green with a peppery flavor and plump stems that are satisfyingly substantial in their own right—and a healthy helping of shaved Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese.
Get the recipe for Roasted Oyster Mushroom and Watercress Salad
Spring Vegetable Salad With Poached Egg and Crispy Bread Crumbs
J. Kenji López-Alt
This salad relies on the same approach described above of blanching crisp and sweet green vegetables until they're tender—you can do the blanching in advance, if you're thinking ahead, but it takes just about 20 minutes if you're not. We finish that mix of fresh veggies with rich elements designed to balance them out: soft-yolked poached eggs and golden, buttery toasted bread crumbs. If the thought of poaching eggs makes you nervous, our recipe and handy video will take all the fear away. And, for a similar salad without the bread crumbs, try this recipe, which incorporates ramps (a.k.a. spring's most coveted allium) and a tangy lemon zest vinaigrette.
Get the recipe for Spring Vegetable Salad With Poached Egg and Crispy Bread Crumbs
Snap Pea Salad With Creamy Yogurt-Mint Dressing
Vicky Wasik
Sweet snap peas, one of spring's most iconic vegetables, can make a great salad all on their own. Though they're tasty even when completely raw, as with other produce of the season, blanching them first sets their vibrant green color and softens their texture, leaving them plenty snappy but with a more tender bite. Because fresh mint always puts us in a springy mood, we flavor the creamy yogurt-based dressing with minced mint leaves, as well as shallot and lemon juice.
Get the recipe for Snap Pea Salad With Creamy Yogurt-Mint Dressing
Snap Pea Salad With Mint and Tahini-Harissa Dressing
J. Kenji López-Alt
This recipe isn't very different in form from the one above, but it swaps out the mild dressing for one with a lot more punch—a blend of yogurt, nutty sesame tahini, and harissa, the powerful North African condiment made from either fresh or dried chilies. Though you can easily find harissa online or in stores, we've also got a couple of recipes for making your own.
Get the recipe for Snap Pea Salad With Mint and Tahini-Harissa Dressing
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Warm Farro Salad With Asparagus, Peas, and Feta
Yasmin Fahr
Farro is a nutty grain that turns plump and tender when cooked, perfect as a base for a hearty warm salad. We pair it with two of the most ubiquitous green vegetables of the season—asparagus and peas—plus sturdy kale, slightly wilted from the heat of the farro. A spicy Dijon-flavored dressing and sharp, briny feta round it out. Let the salad stand for a few minutes before serving to allow all the flavors to be absorbed.
Get the recipe for Warm Farro Salad With Asparagus, Peas, and Feta
Wheatberry and Watercress Salad With Bacon Vinaigrette
Vicky Wasik
Wheatberries are another favorite grain of ours for salads, due to their delightful chewy texture. Though grain salads are endlessly customizable, we find that wheatberries work especially well with pungent scallion and red onion, sharp watercress, and a Dijon-and-lemon vinaigrette enriched with bacon fat. Oh, and naturally, the bacon goes into the salad, too.
Get the recipe for Wheatberry and Watercress Salad With Bacon Vinaigrette
Easy Fava Bean and Carrot Salad With Ricotta
J. Kenji López-Alt
Crunchy carrots and fava beans don't need much fussing with to be delicious, so we do as little as possible with them for this salad, blanching them just until they're crisp-tender. Once that step is done, we combine them with ricotta and a basic vinaigrette of lemon juice, lemon zest, and olive oil. Because the ricotta will stand out here, make sure you choose a high-quality one with no gums or stabilizers; our favorite mass-market brand is Calabro.
Get the recipe for Easy Fava Bean and Carrot Salad With Ricotta
Sichuan-Style Asparagus and Tofu Salad
J. Kenji López-Alt
Asparagus isn't typically used in Sichuan cooking, but it still works nicely in this easy side dish, a mix of blanched fresh asparagus and uncooked tofu cut into matchsticks—plain tofu is fine, though smoked or five-spice will lend the salad extra flavor. It's all brought together with a hot and sweet Sichuan-style vinaigrette, made from red chilies, tingly Sichuan peppercorns, Chinkiang vinegar, and soy sauce.
Get the recipe for Sichuan-Style Asparagus and Tofu Salad
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Peas and Carrots Salad With Goat Cheese and Almonds
J. Kenji López-Alt
Goat cheese is a common addition to spring dishes, as the new crop of young cheeses makes its debut. It goes remarkably well with that old tried-and-true pairing of peas and carrots. We blanch the vegetables, shock them, dry them, then dress them with a simple vinaigrette before piling them onto a bed of the soft cheese. A sprinkle of toasted almonds and a drizzle of honey finish it off.
Get the recipe for Peas and Carrots Salad With Goat Cheese and Almonds
Mustard Oil-Dressed Cucumber Salad
Vicky Wasik
Cucumbers are at their best from about May through August, and we love kicking off spring by taking a refreshing bite out of them. Here, we contrast their coolness with the fiery flavors of mustard oil and red pepper flakes. You can serve this salad next to a number of meals, from rice to seafood and vegetables, but we find that it cuts through meat-heavy foods like steak quite well.
Get the recipe for Mustard Oil-Dressed Cucumber Salad
Snap Pea and Radicchio Salad With Garlic Yogurt Dressing
Vicky Wasik
This vibrant salad marries blanched sugar snap peas with deeply purple radicchio. The radicchio gets charred in the oven to create a caramelized flavor that slightly offsets its bitterness, while the snap peas are tossed in a creamy dressing made up of Greek yogurt, chopped black olives, minced dill, and a touch of olive brine. Our favorite way to finish it off is with fried garlic chips for some added crunch.
Get the recipe for Snap Pea and Radicchio Salad With Garlic Yogurt Dressing
Vegan Tofu and Herb Salad
Vicky Wasik
Aburaage, or fried tofu, gives this clean-out-the-fridge, use-whatever-you’ve-got salad its unique character. After prepping the aburaage, we let it marinate in a warm, savory mixture made up of ingredients like Thai green chili, ginger, soy sauce, and palm sugar. 10 minutes is just enough time for it to soak up all of those flavors. From there, you can mix the aburaage and warm dressing with whatever greens, herbs, and vegetables you like. Eat it on its own or next to a bowl of sticky rice—the perfect vehicle for sopping up every last bit of the tart and spicy dressing.
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Tiger Salad (Lao Hu Cai), à la Xi'an Famous Foods
Vicky Wasik
You can easily experience the tart and refreshing bite of Xi’an Famous Foods’ iconic tiger salad at home. All you’ll need are some peeled celery ribs, crisp scallions, fresh cilantro, and a few slivers of hot chili pepper. Once prepped, the ingredients are tossed in a sweet-tart dressing made with soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Taking note from the version served at Fu Run, we like to top if off with an ample amount of tiny dried shrimp. The result is a spicy and savory salad that goes well with any meal.
Get the recipe for Tiger Salad (Lao Hu Cai), à la Xi'an Famous Foods
White Bean and Tuna Salad
Sasha Marx
Perhaps the ultimate pantry-staple dish, this salad is a light spring meal that’s packed with protein. Creamy, cooked beans and flaky chunks of tuna are mixed with vinegar leftover after marinating the red onions, in addition to bean cooking liquid, olive oil, fresh parsley, and freshly ground black pepper. Though we always recommend using cooked dried beans over canned ones in order to ensure a creamy texture and optimal flavor, you can still use canned beans in this recipe provided you make just a few tweaks. If you want to add some greens to the mix, we suggest peppery arugula or watercress.
Get the recipe for White Bean and Tuna Salad

18 Spring Salads to Say Goodbye to Winter

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