As the name suggests, Spring Salad is a seasonal salad filled with spring’s bounty of vegetables: Asparagus, snow peas, peas and cos lettuce (romaine), dotted with goats cheese for some creamy tang and a fresh lemon dressing. Elegant, pretty and refreshing!
Welcome to Day 9 of the inaugural Holiday Salad Marathon, where I’m sharing 30 salads in a row through to Christmas Eve – just for something different to the usual sugar-loaded baking countdowns!!
And I actually have to share this one today, otherwise I’ll have to change the name to “Summer Salad” (today’s the last day of spring)!
Spring Salad
This is a wonderful, vibrantly green salad that makes the most of vegetables that are in season during spring, when they’re at their cheapest and best.
The whole point of this Salad Marathon is to share ideas for something more interesting than a dreary iceberg lettuce with tomato and cucumber routine, and this salad ticks that box!
A combination of cooked and raw ingredients, this salad is made with blanched asparagus, snow peas and peas which are then piled onto baby cos lettuce (aka romaine) leaves, dotted with soft goats cheese and drizzled with a lemon dressing.
“Seasonal” is often no more than a token word in the food world, but this salad’s as truly seasonal as it gets!
What goes in Spring Salad
Here’s a visual of what you need (which I realise I just listed above… this is just in case you glossed over the words!!😂)
The vegetables are all conveniently blanched in the same pot to simplify the recipe. I just add them in the order it takes for them to cook until “tender crisp”, meaning they are just cooked: Not raw but still a bit crisp, rather than boiled to death, soggy and sad.
As for the baby cos lettuce (aka romaine), the smaller leaves can be used whole. For the larger outer leaves, I like to cut it down the middle, like so:
There’s nothing this salad won’t pair with (Asian food aside, really). Alongside a quick Honey Garlic Chicken Breast, or BBQ Smothered Beef Brisket. A classic piece of seared fish or Crispy Skin Salmon (perhaps with a Lemon Butter Sauce), a big steaming bowl of Creamy Chicken Pasta or as a side to a summer Marinated Vegetable Pasta Salad.
Classic, seasonal, vibrantly green and elegant. I think you’ll enjoy this one! – Nagi x
What is the Holiday Salad Marathon?
This is my inaugural Christmas recipe countdown where I am sharing 30 salad recipes in a row until Christmas Eve – something completely different to people’s usual baking countdowns!
These salads are in addition to my regular 3 new recipes a week. Because aren’t you bored of the usual tomato-cucumber-lettuce garden salad routine??
Click here to see all the Holiday Salad Marathon recipes to date, or sign up for instant updates and you’ll receive a free email alert whenever I publish a new salad! 🙂
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Spring Salad with Goats Cheese
Ingredients
Salad:
- 3 bunches (24 spears) asparagus , woody ends snapped off (Note 1)
- 120g / 4oz snow peas (about 16 large or 20 smaller ones), trimmed and string removed
- 1 head baby gem or cos lettuce (aka romaine) washed (16 leaves, Note 2)
- 2 cups fresh or frozen peas (Note 3)
- 90g / 3oz goats cheese
- 1 cup (loosely packed) fresh mint leaves, , roughly torn
Lemon Dressing:
- 1 tsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 2 tbsp (30ml) lemon juice
- 6 tbsp (90ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
- Add snow peas to pot, boil for 1 1/2 minutes.
- Add the asparagus spears, boil for another 1 1/2 minutes.
- Add frozen peas, and boil for another 30 seconds or until the water just returns to a simmer, and peas turn bright green.
- Immediately drain, refresh vegetables under cold running water until cooled to stop cooking process.
- Remove the asparagus and snow peas, blot with paper towels to dry. Leave peas in colander to drain, giving them a toss now and then to help them dry. (It's important to dry vegetables, otherwise it dilutes the dressing and it won't stick. You could use a salad spinner with care, o just let them naturally dry which is easier.)
- Split the larger baby cos leaves down the middle, use the small ones whole.
- Cut asparagus stems in half on a slight angle.
- Shake Dressing ingredients in a jar.
- Combine vegetables in a bowl, dress and toss.
- Arrange salad on a platter (Note 5). Top with small chunks of goats cheese. Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
No interest in this recipe as I was photographing it! Now if it were a hunk of beef, he’d be heavy breathing all over it……
This was a hit. My mum asked for the recipe and has made it for her friends too. Very popular.
So so good!! I bought asparagus on a whim, while it was cheap, knowing that Nagi had to have a good recipe. Tried this out, loved the crisp veggie flavours and the zesty lemon dressing! My husband loved it too.
Served this for a dinner party and it was SO good. Very impressive looking but sooo easy to execute. Thanks Nagi!
Made this for dinner with company last night, and we all really enjoyed it. My husband even went back for seconds, and he’s not a big salad fan. Thank you!
Recently discovered this salad and we love it. Quick, easy and very fresh. It will be on our Christmas table this year and on regular rotation there after.
Hi Nagi, I made your fabulous Spring Salad and added some home grown beans as per my message below. I wanted to let you know that it was superb and everyone loved it at the lunch I took it to. I have once again handed on your recipe – these friends believe I am your number 1 fan. Little do they know how many number 1 fans you have!! 🙂
I am so glad you enjoyed it Lyn!! N x
Hi Nagi, could you add green beans as another vegetable for this salad. I am growing them at home and they are super yummy? Let me know what you think please. Thanks, Lyn
Hi Lyn! You could definitely replace half the asparagus with beans – just cook them as you would the asparagus until they are crisp tender and run under cold water to keep the bright green colour! N x
Thank you so much for such a quick reply Nagi. I am making this tomorrow, to take to a friends house as my salad contribution. x
Hi Nagi, I would like to make this to take to a lunch, can I prep the vegetables the night before?
Yes you can Lynne! Chef’s tip – prep the veg the day before and keep in individual containers then assemble the salad and dress on the day! N x
Nagi, I have cooked so many of your recipes, but this is the first one I’ve needed to comment on. It was such a beautiful, simple, revelation! The produce right now is stunning and this salad really did do it justice.
Once we are able to entertain again, I will absolutely be making this salad to impress my family and friends and it was so simple as well!
Salads can be hard to get right! So glad you enjoyed it! N x
Brilliant dish and the herb sauce and lemony green salad was a lovely with it. Whole family loves it including my 15month old . Thanks!
I made this salad last night for a bbq with family & it was AMAZING! Everyone loved it – there was none left for lunch today so I am going to make it for dinner again tonight.
Delicious
Hi, can I just shave the asparagus with a vegetable peeler?
Sure could Tina! N x
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I was wondering what nut might you add? I was thinking of adding radish’s too.
One of the very best salads I’ve ever made! The dressing is to die for! I’m making it for the second time tonight. The change I’d suggest is to cut the asparagus before blanching. I’ll keep the ingredients separate until I plate the salad. I mixed it all up with the dressing and kept it in refrigerator. It still tasted great, but the peas were “bleached” by the lemon in the dressing. (BTW, I’ve found your recipes to be awesome.)
Loved this! Could the veges be prepped a day in advance? Or is it better to do the morning-of
Yes, you can cook the veggies ahead of time. Keep refrigerated and make the dressing the day of. I made a big salad including the dressing and kept the leftovers in refrigerator. The salad was still great the next day, but the dressing “bleached” the peas and lettuce was soggy. It was still delicious! Hope you enjoyed the salad as much as I did!!
I made the celery salad and loved it.
Yes, you can cook the veggies ahead of time. Keep refrigerated and make the dressing the day of. I made a big salad including the dressing and kept the leftovers in refrigerator. The salad was still great the next day, but the dressing “bleached” the peas and lettuce was soggy. It was still delicious! Hope you enjoyed the salad as much as I did!!
Absolutely delicious.
Will be a family favourite.
Tin eats is my go to site.❤️
I made this salad last night as I had all the ingredients required.
Oh my goodness…it was so good! It is fresh, bright and cool…and was the perfect accompaniment to some crumbed whiting I made on a hot summer night!
This one is going in my ‘favourite’ recipe file!
Hi Nagi. Planning my Christmas menu at the moment. Have to have soy and gluten free recipes. Just added this beautiful looking salad to our menu to go with lamb shawarma, crispy potatoes and honey mustard chicken. Still trying to decide on a sweet potato salad. You make life easy. Oh and flourless chocolate cake for dessert 🧁
Oh that sounds amazing Noelene!!! Enjoy! N x