With the arrival of spring comes an abundance of brand new produce to cook with. If you want to get crafty, vibrant spring rolls are a fantastic way to bite into freshness. If you'd rather keep things simple, peas will add a nice punch of green wherever they go. Or enjoy the simplicity of the season by digging into these 13 colorful salads.
Strawberry Arugula Walnut Salad
Farmer's markets are looking brighter these day with a rainbow of fruits and veggies. Here's our favorite go-to spring salad recipe, chock full of fresh fruit + veg we love to savor come springtime.
If this salad proves anything, it's that potatoes and veggies don't need to be a side to your meat. Bring everything together for a dinner option that is refreshing and substantial. (via Healthfully Ever After)
Sweet potatoes and tangerines let us give the chilly months a proper farewell while we greet the warmer weather with peppery radishes and greens. (via Jar of Lemons)
If getting excited over a salad is wrong, we don't want to be right! This bad boy gives us every reason to be enthusiastic with its high-fiber wheat berries and fresh spring produce. (via Vegetarian Ventures)
Crispy fish sticks are set on a fluffy bed of spinach with creamy avocado and crisp veggies, making it perfect for lunch or dinner. (via Purple Avocado)
Don't let the word “detox" deter you from this bowlful of noms. This salad is packed with crunchy, cool, and creamy bits, making it as delicious as it is nutritious. (via The Awesome Green)
Not all salads have to be centered around leafy greens. This herbaceous medley makes the spring pea the star, and we are *starstruck.*(via Happy Hearted Kitchen)
Celebrate spring with spring peas, fresh herbs, creamy hummus, and other goodies that you won't want to pass up. (via The Healthy Hunter)
If you're not yet inspired to hit up the farmers' market, this salad ought to do the trick. Spring produce is always a fun adventure, and this salad lets you go wild. (via This Healthy Table)
Sweet potatoes are reminiscent of the cooler months, but the bright flavors in this salad are the farthest things from. (via This Savory Vegan)
This dreamy salad is perfect for the dinner table, the backyard, or even a picnic basket. The smokey cauliflower and lemony lentils will remind you of summertime BBQs and have you absolutely *pumped* for the warmer weather. (via Lauren Caris Cooks)
Tangy goat cheese joins herbaceous and springy flavors in this irresistible farro salad. Sure, it makes for a great side, but it's so nom-worthy you'll probably ditch the main for a full helping. (via Joyful Healthy Eats)
This crowd-pleasing mix of pasta shells and crisp spring vegetables is perfect for preparing ahead. Bring it along on camping trips, road trips, or just backyard BBQs. Add diced chicken or tofu to make it main-course-worthy. (Whole Foods)
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This post has been updated.
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Dana Sandonato
Born in Canada and now living in the beautiful state of North Carolina, Dana is a coffee-reliant food writer with a healthy appetite, a taste for culinary adventure, a thirst for good beers, and an endless hunger for food photography. When not writing for Brit + Co, she can be found pouring herself into her blog-turned-webzine, Killing Thyme, or taste-testing at local breweries with her husband. Dana's ideal down time includes pizza, marathoning on Netflix, or watching her fave flicks from the 80s and 90s - no matter how great or awful they are!
FAQs
How to make salad more interesting
- Add texture with roasted seeds or nuts. Seeds and nuts are a great salad topper. ...
- Make it more filling with whole grains. ...
- Beans and other legumes add plant-based protein. ...
- Fresh herbs add lots of flavour. ...
- Sweeten your salad with fruit. ...
- Make sure your salad is properly seasoned.
The perfect salad always has a proper balance of sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. My favorite salads always use bitter greens.
How do you make salad worth eating? ›
How to Make a Salad You'll Actually Want to Eat
- 1: Think Beyond Lettuce and Greens.
- 2: Add Heft with Grains and Nuts.
- 3: Add Beans or Other Proteins.
- 4: Make Your Own Homemade Salad Dressing.
- 5: Make it a Flavor Party.
12 Easy Ways to Make Salad Taste Amazing – Seriously
- Make Your Salad a Spectacle. ...
- Mix and Match Leaves. ...
- Upgrade Your Salad Dressings. ...
- Massage Your Salad Greens. ...
- Toss in Cooked Veggies. ...
- Add Fresh Herbs. ...
- Sweeten with Fruit. ...
- Heat Your Salad Dressing.
- Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice over the salad to add brightness. - A splash of balsamic or apple cider vinegar can also enhance flavors. - Add a touch of sweetness with honey, maple syrup, or a handful of dried fruits like raisins or cranberries. - Toasted nuts or seeds can provide crunch and depth to the salad.
What seasoning to put on salad? ›
5 Unique Spices to Add to Your Salad
- Curry Powder. One interesting spice you can add to your salad to make it more flavorful is curry powder. ...
- Garlic. ...
- Ginger. ...
- Mint. ...
- Cumin.
ingredients
- 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling.
- 1 (8 ounce) carton Cool Whip.
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk.
- 1 (16 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained.
- 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges.
- 1 cup seedless grapes (optional)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- 1 cup mini marshmallows.
Restaurants use really good ingredients.
Your ingredients can decide whether your salad turns out average or extraordinary, Jamie Simpson, executive chef liaison at The Chef's Garden, told Allrecipes. "Restaurant-quality salads start with restaurant-quality ingredients," he said.
How do restaurants make salads so crisp? ›
The Keys to Crisp Lettuce
Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture (but not too much!), in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.
What is extremely important in salad making? ›
Season, taste, repeat
Every salad component should taste good enough to eat on its own, so season your leaves, your dressing, and your add-ins (raw veg, roasted veg, croutons, nuts, and protein), tasting for salt and acid as you go. Toss, taste, and—maybe, just maybe—season again.
One of the easiest ways to get some flavour in your salad is to mix up your leaves with bright herbs that pack a punch. Plants like parsley, dill, mint and coriander can really kick your salads up a notch and give them some (much needed) depth and can give a great dose of flavour in every bite.
How do you make a salad not to be boring? ›
- Tip #1: don't be afraid to mix textures, temperatures, vegetables and fruits! When it comes to salads, mixing is key. ...
- Tip #2: the final garnish is the difference between a good and a great salad! Examples? ...
- Tip 3: seasoning, seasoning, seasoning! Use anything your heart desires. ...
- Tip 4: make your salads unique!
Dark, leafy greens like spinach, kale and romaine are packed with fiber. Fiber is what makes us feel full, so be sure to choose salads that contain these greens. If you don't care for spinach or kale, you can stick to iceberg lettuce, but be sure to add protein to your greens.
What can I add to salad for flavor? ›
Add a little more and stop when things start tasting good to you.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness and a “fullness” to a lusterless, dry salad.
- Salt: Subdues bitter flavors and perks up the rest of them.
- Lemon Juice and Zest: Brightens murky flavors, especially with dark vegetables.
Dried Cherries, Cranberries or Raisins: Add these dried fruits for their flavor and texture. They are also quick easy to add with no preparation required! Basil, Chives, Dill or Parsley: Toss small basil leaves or chopped larger ones in with your greens. Try chopped fresh dill.
What makes salad appealing? ›
Answer: 1• What makes salad appealing to the eye? Pull together a colorful salad by using a mix of pale and dark greens and bright add-ins such as ripe tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, sliced carrots, beets and purple cabbage. ... Then spice it up with a flavorful dressing that will have diners reaching for seconds.
