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With butter lettuce, radishes, asparagus, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette, this spring salad is the perfect way to take advantage of spring produce!
Spring is here! We’re finally getting longer days, the temperature is rising, plants are blooming, and there’s an abundance of fresh produce to be had. This time of year, my body craves all things light and fresh, which makes this spring salad a perfect way to usher in the new season! Isn’t there just something so magical about the way that food marks the seasons? Whenever I see asparagus go on sale at our local grocery store, I know spring is just around the corner. Summer brings fresh berries, melons, and bright tomatoes, and then we move into fall, where all things pumpkin and squash take over. In winter, we get to enjoy the bounty of fresh citrus and cruciferous vegetables. As much as I get excited about changing my wardrobe and seasonal holidays and activities, I look even more forward to getting to change up what we’re eating.
So, let’s talk about this spring salad. Here we have a bunch of ingredients that just scream spring to me! The base of this salad is butter lettuce, which is one of my favorite lettuces. It is tender and crisp, and you can often buy it as “living lettuce” with its roots still intact, so it stays good for a long time. Next up, we have some shaved fennel, which I think is one of the most underrated vegetables! Fresh fennel has a mildly sweet, licorice flavor to it, and delivers a lot of crunch. To counter the sweetness of the fennel, we’ve added thinly sliced radishes, which have a slight bite to them. Finally, we added some thinly shaved asparagus, fresh chopped dill, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette to tie this spring salad.
Tell us below, what’s your favorite thing about spring?
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest about 1 lemon
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice about 2 small lemons
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Salad
- 1 head butter lettuce leaves washed and torn
- 1 bunch radishes thinly sliced
- 1 bulb fresh fennel thinly sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus shaved
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until fully combined.
- Plate the lettuce, fennel, asparagus, and radishes, then sprinkle with the chopped dill. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve!
Recipe Notes
- This dill and garlic salmon would be a perfect topper to make this a main dish salad!
Sunil Dogra says
Tasty and delicious salad. I will try this once for sure. Thanks for this.
Alecia says
Looks delicious! Question – when you shave the asparagus, do you eat it raw? I can’t say that I’ve ever eaten raw asparagus.
Amber Goulden says
Yes, it is raw! When thinly shaved and dressed it is great!
Caitlin says
This was so good. Served with some grilled chicken and yum yum. If I had fresh spring peas I might add those in too but yeah this salad is spring perfection.
Melissa Guevara says
We are so glad to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to share with us. -Melissa
Caitlin says
This was so good. Served with some grilled chicken and yum yum. If I had fresh spring peas I might add those in too but yeah this salad is spring perfection.