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 looks!
How to Make the Best Spring Salad
Roast the asparagus. Roasted asparagus adds texture to this salad, but it will need to roast for roughly 20 minutes, so make sure you get started on this component first. Preheat your oven to 400ºF and remove any woody ends from the asparagus. (You can bend each asparagus spear towards the bottom, and let it snap naturally to remove the woody area.) Then cut it into 1-inch pieces and toss with olive oil and salt directly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Place the sheet pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender.
Prepare the dressing. In a blender, add the lemon juice, olive oil, basil, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper, and blend well. Taste the dressing and make any adjustments that you like, adding more honey if you’d like a sweeter vinaigrette. For a more tangy dressing, you can add a splash of vinegar, or a small squeeze of Dijon mustard, for extra punch.
Assemble. In a large serving bowl, add in the salad ingredients. Start with a bed of lettuce, followed by the sliced radish, shredded carrot, and cooled asparagus. You’ll also want to add in the drained & rinsed chickpeas, sliced avocado, and a sprinkle of feta cheese or goat cheese. (Or leave it off, if you need a dairy-free version.) Finish it off with a drizzle of the basil vinaigrette, then toss well and serve right away.
Feel free to add or swap any other spring veggies you have on hand, such as red onion, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, or green beans. You can also add fresh strawberries for sweetness, or a handful of pistachios or pecans, for added crunch. Want to add more protein? Feel free to top this salad with cooked chicken breast, hard boiled eggs, or crispy air fryer bacon. For vegetarian protein, try baked tofu on top!
More Spring Salads & Side Dishes
Sweet & Crunchy Carrot Salad Smoked Salmon Salad with Dill Dressing Vegan Caesar Salad Potato Salad Best Quinoa Salad Arugula Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette Strawberry Spinach Salad
I can’t wait to hear which salad recipe you try next! If you try this Spring salad recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
