17 Bright Spring Salads We Love

By Maria Yagoda
Updated March 30, 2020
Credit: Eva Kolenko
From a refreshing, sweet-salty farro salad to a Niçoise with crunchy shaved artichokes, these spring salad recipes are perfect for highlighting spring produce.
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Buttermilk-Dressed Spring Greens

Credit: Abby Hocking
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Chef Eli Dahlin of Dame in Portland, Oregon, blends full-fat cottage cheese into this supereasy buttermilk dressing to add body and a luxurious creaminess.

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Quinoa Salad with Spring Vegetables

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When she’s cooking at home, The Chew co-host Carla Hall likes to prepare whole-grain salads. “They’re nutritionally awesome and really filling, plus they have a great neutral flavor that’s a blank canvas for anything,” she says. Here, she simmers red quinoa with white wine, tarragon and thyme, then tosses it with radishes, peas and lima beans. “It’s important to drain the cooked quinoa or the finished dish will be watered-down and clumpy,” Hall says.

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Mascarpone-Stuffed Roast Chicken with Spring Herb Salad

Credit: © TINA RUPP
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Geoffrey Zakarian likes this chicken even better when it's served at room temperature alongside a chilled wine.

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Farro Salad with Spring Peas, Onions & Feta

Credit: Christina Holmes
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Despite its name, the Purple Pig serves fantastic vegetarian dishes like this lovely, light grain salad. Red pearl onions are worth seeking out here; they lend a wonderful sweetness and a beautiful purple hue to the combination of tender peas, creamy feta and nutty, chewy farro.

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Spring Lettuce Salad with Roasted Asparagus

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The rolling hills surrounding Lexington, Kentucky—some of the country's most expensive rural real estate—are used primarily for Thoroughbred grazing. "But outside that 15-mile ring are great farms," says Amber Huffman, the Jackson family's private chef. She features farmers' market lettuces here, which get warmed by roasted asparagus.

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Snapper Zarandeado with Cal-Mex Spring Salad

Credit: © Con Poulos
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Guajillo chiles and soy sauce in the mayonnaise rub create a great spicy, extra-savory crust on this fish. Matt Gandin serves the snapper Cal-Mex-style with a grilled spring vegetable salad.

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Quinoa Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

Credit: © Quentin Bacon
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Quinoa is one of the most versatile gluten-free ingredients. It's high in protein and fiber, and makes a fantastic healthy grain salad. This easy salad features crunchy sugar snap peas and roasted pumpkin seeds for salty crunch.  It can be made in advance and enjoyed at room temperature for picnics, cookouts or just a healthy brown bag lunch.

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Asparagus Salad with Kaffir-Lime Curry and Peanuts

Credit: © Chris Court
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This salad is a tribute to Carmellini’s former boss, Gray Kunz. The combo of kaffir lime leaf and curry powder in the sauce is “classic Kunz circa the mid-’90s,” when they cooked together at Lespinasse in Manhattan. The tangy sauce is also terrific with soft-shell crabs or steamed white fish.

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Potato Salad with Green Beans and Salsa Verde

Credit: © Coral Von Zumwalt
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A terrific salsa verde makes this velvety potato salad extraordinary. Here the salsa is made with parsley and chives; try making it with other summer herbs, like tarragon or basil, as well.

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Toasted Lavash with Dukka and Spring Salad

Credit: © Chris Court
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Middle Eastern cooks add the nut-seed mix dukka to olive oil as a dip for bread. Lynch cleverly sprinkles it onto thin sheets of lavash to fold around asparagus, goat cheese and herb salad like a wrap sandwich.

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Snap Pea–Radish Salad with Herbed Yogurt

Credit: © Con Poulos
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The herbed yogurt in this dish from Portland, Oregon, chef Joshua McFadden is our new summer staple. Mix up the herbs (we like tarragon, dill and cilantro in here, too) or add in some minced shallot or chopped pickled ramps leftover from spring. The recipe is incredibly versatile—any peak-season summer produce will work.

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Farro Salad with Radishes, Snap Peas, Olives, and Pecorino

Credit: Eva Kolenko
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Chewy, sweet, and earthy, farro makes the perfect base for a springtime salad. (This one tastes even better the next day.)

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Shaved Artichoke Salad

Credit: © John Kernick
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To make sure your artichokes are super fresh, chef Chris Behr says that they should squeak when you squeeze them.

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Little Gem Salad with Toasted Spice Vinaigrette

Credit: Eva Kolenko
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Pair this colorful, refreshing salad with a lemony Sauvignon Blanc.

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Charred Avocado Salad with Cilantro Mayo

Credit: Victor Protasio
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Searing firm-ripe avocadoes transforms them into slightly smoky, creamy treats that can be the star protein of any salad.

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Grilled Asparagus Salad

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Bobby Flay’s sweet and smoky salad brings together sweet grape tomatoes, briny kalamata olives, and sharp white cheddar.

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Niçoise Salad with Baby Artichokes

Credit: © Con Poulos
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Thinly shaved artichokes add the perfect crunch to just about anything.

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By Maria Yagoda