Spring salads to spruce up your menu
As the days get longer and the local produce starts to look brighter, salads become an enticing menu choice. Whether you’re starting your meal with a small salad or finding the perfect spring salad to make your entire meal, spring brings a wide variety of salad options. We’ve rounded up fourteen delicious options — we know several of them will make their way into your meal rotation and will stay there throughout the summer.
[scrollGallery ID=181]Protein-packed salads
- The Mason Jar Healthy Taco Salad from Food Faith Fitness meets all sorts of healthy-eating check marks. The paleo-friendly salad is low-carb and high protein, without sacrificing any flavor. The convenient mason jar storage method means you can easily transport the taco salad without making a mess, and you won’t have to worry about forgetting to pack any of the ingredients once you have it assembled.
- If you love the idea of a mason jar salad, try the Spring Cobb Salad from Fit Foodie Finds. A raspberry vinaigrette dressing adds a delicious spring twist to the classic cobb salad. You can prep this salad at the beginning of the week, and it will be ready for lunch whenever you’re in the mood for it — and as delicious as it is, you’d better prepare more than one!
- Yummy Beet offers a Smashed Chickpea Salad with Curry Mayo, which is a fantastic vegetarian salad that could even be used as a sandwich filling. The way she smashes the chickpeas might surprise you, but you’ll likely use her method for all of your chickpea recipes in the future! With only a few ingredients, this salad will end up on your shopping list again and again.
- The Lyonnaise Salad from Today’s Nest is a filling salad that can definitely be considered a meal. With bacon, an egg, and a tasty dressing, the salad is packed with flavor. It’s the perfect salad for a brunch menu, and the beautiful presentation will make you feel like you’re eating something decadent.
- The Roasted Root wants you to take advantage of spring’s bountiful veggies with a Spring Cleaning Detox Salad. While you’re spring cleaning your house, take a few meals to clean up your diet a little, too. Packed with protein, minerals, healthy fats and antioxidants, this salad will help you feel ready to tackle whatever spring may toss your way.
Get your green on with these spring salads
- Some Kitchen Stories will entice you with a bit of fiction with her recipes, and the story introducing the Spring Panzanella Salad with Lemon Dressing will make you smile. The salad explodes with greens, providing several servings of nutrition in a fresh, tasty package.
- The Greek Green Bean Salad from Peas and Crayons takes advantage of the seasonal bounty of green beans. Follow the recipe for bright, crispy green beans that will be the perfect base for the rest of your ingredients.
Salads bursting with fruit flavor
- Strawberry Caprese Salad with Brown Butter Balsamic Vinaigrette from Cooking for Keeps will have everyone in the room asking for the recipe. The combination of flavors — especially the addition of the brown butter to the balsamic vinaigrette — is irresistible, and the salad can be eaten alone or paired with chicken for a complete meal.
- The Apple, Almond, Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Salad from Iowa Girl Eats takes a handful of familiar flavors and combines them in a fresh, new way. In addition to the flavor they provide, the apples and almonds add a ton of crunch to this salad, making it a satisfying, tasty meal.
- Naked Cuisine‘s Blood Orange and Fennel Salad with Fresh Ginger Vinaigrette is a fresh, nutritious salad with a unique perspective on spring’s produce. The sweetness of the blood oranges pairs beautifully with the flavor of the fennel — even if you aren’t always a fan of the anise flavor, this salad offers it in a way you might find interesting and fresh.
Hearty spring salads
- For a perfect picnic potluck, try the Vegan Rainbow Potato Salad from I Love Vegan. Bursting with flavor, this potato salad is colorful and delicious, and it will satisfy anyone looking for a potato salad that doesn’t have egg-filled mayonnaise.
- The Quinoa Arugula Cucumber Salad from Give Recipe combines nutritious quinoa with the fresh and crispy arugula and cucumbers. The salad can be used as a side dish for your entree, but with the quinoa and the tasty, pomegranate dressing, a large bowl could be used as a main meal.
- So Munch Love takes the classic wedge salad and takes it to a fabulous new level with the Corn and Black Bean Wedge Salad. Iceberg lettuce can be overlooked in salad recipes in favor of more flavorful greens, but a wedge salad takes advantage of the cool, crisp iceberg lettuce as the perfect texture and foundation for the creamy, delicious salad toppings.
- The Tangy Quinoa Spring Salad Cups from Simple Bites are a lovely addition to a lunch menu. Mango and jalapeño combine for the ideal balance of sweetness and heat, but the peppers can be left out of the salad if you’re serving it to young children — or if you don’t like spicy food yourself.
What’s your favorite spring salad?
Comments
Thank you so much for linking to my Mason Jar Salad!
Mmmm… all of these salads look so satisfying and fresh! I especially like the idea of the smashed chickpea one. It does sound like it’d make a great sandwich filling! Yum!