One of the best things about spring, after the improving weather, is the abundance of fresh produce on offer. This spring salad uses some of the best ingredients that spring has to offer; asparagus, radishes and watercress to name a few.
You can experiment with the amount of each ingredient you use too. Let your fridge guide you—if you have more of one ingredient than another leftover then use it up. or, if you have a preferred ingredient, chuck some more of that in. You could also use frozen broad beans here; still give them a blanch and pop them out of their shell so the salad remains super green. The beauty of this salad is in its versatility—tweak it slightly and it'll still taste sublime.
Plus, it's great for you too. Sunflower seeds are wonderful for your skin, heart and immune system, while many of the ingredients while help you hit your five-a-day with ease.
Method
- Mix together the asparagus, radish wedges, sugar snap peas, broad beans, courgette and salad onion. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Prepare the baby gem lettuce into leaves and wash.
- Mix together the dijon mustard, lemon juice and slowly add the extra virgin olive oil to create a smooth dressing.
- On a large plate, place a few of the larger baby gem leaves, now start to cover with the vegetables, then add the rest of the baby gem leaves and then the remaining vegetables.
- Finish by scattering the watercress, dill and sunflower seeds over the salad. Lastly, dress the salad with the dressing.
Ingredients
- 4 asparagus spears, sliced
- 4 radishes, quartered
- 50g sugar snap peas, sliced
- 100g broad beans, blanched briefly and de-shelled
- 1 small courgette, sliced into discs
- 1 salad onion, sliced
- 1 baby gem lettuce
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- Juice of half a lemon
- 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 50g watercress
- 2-3 sprigs dill, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
What could I add to my spring salad?
If you want to serve up a more substantial spring salad, try roasting a chicken, shredding it and mixing through the roasted meat. You'll still get the goodness of the vegetable packed salad as well as a the protein from the chicken.
And if you're a pescatarian, this dish would also work well with fish or seafood—especially prawns or shrimp.
For an extra pop of flavor, you could even add some fruit to really jazz up this spring salad recipe. Try strawberries for a really unique taste.
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