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Spring brings new life, and with it fresh and flavorful salads! Mix ’em all up in these crave-able spring salad ideas!!
More Collections: Spring Dinner Ideas, Spring Desserts, Green Salad Recipes
We Love Refreshing and Bright!
After the heavy comfort food of winter, I’m itching to taste the bright flavors of spring. Spring salads are the perfect way to enjoy those refreshing flavors!
Why we love spring salads:
- From your garden! If you’re lucky enough to have a spring garden, you can use all the great produce from there or check out a farmers’ market.
- Versatile. Try substituting a spring mix salad in place of regular lettuce! This swap-out can be great for your digestion following a winter diet of heavy foods.
- Healthy. These wonderful leafy greens provide a rich source of dietary fiber – a great way to start your spring menu!
Spring Produce
Seasonal produce is great to use in these salad recipes. They can offer a tender texture or a bit of a crunch. Their colors and flavors also add to the salad’s appeal!
Vegetables. Our favorites include asparagus, beets, broccoli, carrots, fennel, spring greens (lettuce, baby spinach, romaine, kale), cucumbers, green beans, snap peas, potatoes, radishes, and rhubarb.
Fruits. Some of our favorite spring fruits include apricots, avocados, blueberries, cherries, kiwis, lemons, mangos, oranges, pineapples, and strawberries.
Build a Perfect Spring Salad
Elements of a perfectly satisfying salad include a base of greens, a body full of produce and proteins, a delicious dressing, and top it off with a garnish (often bacon bits, green onions, or croutons).
- Cheese adds an extra layer of flavor to pasta salads or veggie salads. It can be cubed, shredded, or crumbled. Some favorite cheeses include feta cheese, goat cheese, parmesan cheese, blue cheese, and cheddar cheese.
- Nuts and seeds. Use chopped or sliced nuts. They can be raw, roasted, or candied. Almonds, walnuts, and pecans are the most used nuts. You can also toss in some poppy seeds, chia seeds, or sunflower seeds.
- Fresh herbs and spices can be incorporated for a hint of extra flavor. Use a light touch to not be overwhelming. Herbs often used include fresh dill, fresh mint, fresh basil, cilantro, chives, parsley, and thyme. Simple spices like black pepper and salt can offer a flavor boost.
- Protein. When served as a main dish, I like to add protein such as grilled chicken, shrimp, bacon bits, black, kidney, or white beans, hard-boiled eggs, buffalo chicken, or chickpeas.
- Dressing. Use a classic combination of extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar to make a light vinaigrette, a simple spritz of lemon juice, or a creamy dressing. Some favorites include Greek Dressing, Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe, Homemade Ranch Dressing, Pesto Salad Dressing, or Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing.
Best Spring Salad Ideas
We love a fresh salad filled with seasonal fruits and veggies! We have rounded up our favorites, there is sure to be something for everyone.
1 Cobb Salad
2 Fruit Salad Recipe
3 Chicken Caesar Salad
4 Strawberry Harvest Salad Recipe
5 Pasta Salad Recipe
6 Broccoli Salad Recipe
7 Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe
8 Potato Salad Recipe
9 7 Layer Salad Recipe
10 Wedge Salad Recipe
More Springtime Salads & Slaws
For even more spring salads, perfect as a side or main dish, we’ve rounded up more favorites!
11 Easy Coleslaw Recipe
12 Kale Salad Recipe
13 Asian Citrus Chicken Salad Recipe
14 Tomato Mozzarella Salad Recipe
15 Arugula Salad Recipe
16 Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
17 Broccoli Strawberry Salad Recipe
18 Cashew Chicken Salad Recipe
19 Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe
20 Cucumber Tomato Salad Recipe
21 Green Bean Salad Recipe
22 Honey Mustard Chicken Salad Recipe
23 Cheesecake Factory Luau Salad Recipe
24 Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe
25 Waldorf Salad Recipe
26 Greek Orzo Salad Recipe
27 Broccoli Slaw Recipe
Spring Pasta Salad Ideas
We love salad in our house, but our love for pasta also runs deep and when you combine the two, watch out! You’ll want to eat the entire bowl when you make any one of these recipes.
28 Chicken Pasta Salad
29 Chinese Pasta Salad Recipe
30 Mozzarella Pasta Salad Recipe
31 Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
32 Layered Pasta Salad Recipe
33 Asian Pasta Salad recipe
34 Taco Pasta Salad Recipe
35 Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad recipe
Simple + Delicious!
One of our favorite salads to enjoy during spring and summer is a classic Cobb Salad.
The layers of cheese, bacon, and veggies pack every bite with so much flavor and there are multiple ways you can change this dish up by simply swapping out the protein or the dressing you pair with it. This salad will always be a hit!
Here is the recipe:
30+ Spring Salad Ideas
Ingredients
- 6 cups romaine hearts chopped
- 1 avocado sliced
- ½ cup cheddar cheese cubed or grated
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 chicken breast seasoned, fully cooked and cubed
- 1 cup corn sautéed or broiled
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 2 boiled eggs chopped
- 2 green onions sliced
Instructions
- Wash chopped romaine and dry.
- Add lettuce to a large serving platter or a large salad bowl.
- Add all of the toppings in layers and garnish with green onions. Serve with your favorite ranch dressing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Perfect Spring Salads
We’re sure you will find some new favorites from this list of spring salad ideas listed above. Whether you are looking for the best salad to accompany a meal, or to serve as a meal itself, you’re sure to find the perfect recipe!
More Collections: Summer Salads, Healthy Pasta Recipes, Healthy Dinner Ideas
MADE THE COBB SALAD – DELICIOUS, SHARED WITH THE NEIGHBORS USED MONTEREY JACK – JALAPINO CHEESE FOR A LITTLE KICK, TURNED OUT GREAT, WILL DO IT AGAIN N AGAN, SAVED SOME FOR MYSELF – MMMMM MMMMM GOOD !!!!!!