This lovely simple spring salad recipe combines Spring mix lettuce with chopped asparagus and snap peas, feta cheese and red onion, all tossed in a lemon tarragon vinaigrette.
This simple Spring salad celebrates a return to fresh ingredients by combining Spring asparagus and snap peas with Spring mix lettuce.
This salad comes together quickly and easily and is a bit different from the usual, using uncooked asparagus and snap peas. The fresh flavour and crunch are especially welcome this time of year! The bright and fresh lemon tarragon vinaigrette is the perfect complement.
What you’ll need
Spring Mix Lettuce – A Spring salad calls out for Spring mix lettuce, which is a mixture of baby lettuces. This mix brings great fresh flavour and bright colours to the salad.
Fresh Asparagus – Since the asparagus is used un-cooked, look for the thinnest asparagus spears you can find and be sure to cut them into small pieces.
Snap Peas – Also known as sugar snap peas, look for stringless snap peas at the grocer for easy prep. If your snap peas aren’t stringless, you’ll need to remove the string. Simply use a paring knife to cut the tipped end (but don’t cut it off completely). Use the tip as a handle to pull the string down the seam along the side. Discard that string, then cut the other end and pull up to remove the second string.
Red Onion – Red onion brings both colour and flavour to this salad and is the best onion to use when it will be eaten raw.
Feta Cheese – Feta cheese brings a great salty note to this salad.
For the dressing – Lemon, oil, fresh or dried tarragon (or thyme), Dijon mustard and honey (or sugar).
Easy swaps
- Use baby spinach instead of Spring Mix.
- Use shallots instead of red onion.
- Use goat cheese instead of feta.
- Use thyme in the lemon vinaigrette instead of tarragon.
Step-by-step photos
- Cut off and discard the woody ends of the asparagus and then cut into diagonal pieces about 1/2-inch wide.
- If necessary, remove the strings from the snap peas (most grocery store snap peas are stringless these days). Cut into diagonal pieces about 1/2-inch wide.
- Dice the red onion.
Add the prepared vegetables to a large salad bowl with the Spring mix lettuce and the feta cheese.
- Add all the ingredients for the Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette to a small jar.
- Place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously to combine and emulsify the dressing.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat well. Serve immediately.
What to serve with this simple Spring salad
This salad is perfect alongside a simple chicken or fish. My Panko Crusted Cod or Cod Piccata would be a great choice or try it with Miso Chicken or Lemongrass Chicken.
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Get the Recipe: Simple Spring Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 4 cups Spring Mix lettuce
- 1 cup snap peas, uncooked, string removed if necessary and chopped into 1/2-inch diagonal pieces
- 1 cup thin asparagus, uncooked, woody end removed and chopped into 1/2-inch diagonal pieces
- 1/4-1/3 cup red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette:
- Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon, about 1 teaspoon of zest and 1 Tablespoon of juice, plus more juice to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 Tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1/2 teaspoon honey, or white sugar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or canola/vegetable oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Tip! I always measure salad ingredients with my heart and you can too. Add as much of the peas, asparagus and feta cheese as you like.
- Add the Spring mix, chopped snap peas, chopped asparagus, red onion and feta cheese to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Add the vinaigrette ingredients to a small jar with a lid. Be sure to season well with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously to mix well. Taste the dressing and add additional lemon juice (if you'd like more lemon flavour) or more oil (for less lemon flavour), as needed to balance the flavours.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat well. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use baby spinach instead of Spring Mix.
- Use shallots instead of red onion (use about 1 large shallot, thinly sliced).
- Use goat cheese instead of feta.
- Use thyme in the lemon vinaigrette instead of tarragon (use 1/2 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves or a generous pinch of dried thyme leaves).
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
