These spring salad recipes are a delicious and easy way to enjoy many of the season’s fresh fruits and veggies. Simple preparation and seasonal ingredients make these salad recipes perfect for the season. Our colorful spring salads come together in a jiffy; no need to spend hours in the kitchen.
Whether you want a light side salad or a heartier salad for a main dish, a few quick steps and a couple of your favorite ingredients and these spring salads will wow any spring party guest. Plus, many of our favorite spring salads will pair beautifully with your Easter ham. Beyond basic lettuce and dressing, we’ve added flavorful parings like poached shrimp and orzo, strawberries and bacon, and crispy chicken and broccoli. Take a look through our best-ever spring salad recipes that make the most of seasonal ingredients and choose the one you just can’t resist.
Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Just as spring begins, you’ll find sweet and crisp sugar snap peas in abundance in the produce section. Halved lengthwise, the snaps add a perfect crunch to this salad while edible blooms, like nasturtiums, bring in a pop of color. Lemon and parmesan-y breadcrumbs are the finishing touch.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
There’s nothing bacon doesn’t make better, and that includes this spinach salad which calls for reserving some of the bacon drippings to use as the dressing.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Clair Spollen; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Fresh sugar snap peas, dill, shallots, and lemon juice bring plenty of flavor to this shrimp pasta salad. All you need in 30 minutes of hands-on time. “This salad is delicious! It is worth the time and effort to prepare,” says one reader.
ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; FOOD STYLING: ALI RAMEE; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINE KEELY
Serve this dish as a full meal for your next spring luncheon. Mix cooked and cooled basmati rice with shredded chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, almonds, celery, and herbs then toss with a simple vinaigrette for a hardy meal.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
It doesn’t take a laundry list of ingredients to throw together a delicious salad. Simple salads like this one with baby romaine lettuce, orange segments, and thinly sliced radishes are the perfect addition to any spring menu.
Strawberries are the star in in this seasonal salad, with two cups tossed with cherry tomatoes, spring greens, and bacon, and another cup used to make the honey-Dijon vinaigrette. This sweet and savory salad is perfect for Mother’s Day brunch or a luncheon, and can be made heartier with shredded chicken or whole grains. For the dressing, it is so good, you’ll want to make extra.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
If you’re looking to impress company, this filling salad is just the thing. Ripe, in-season strawberries that give bursts of freshness are balanced with creamy burrata and crispy, salty prosciutto. “This is a showstopper for brunch,” says one reader.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Rebecca Cummins
You only need 15 minutes to toss together this refreshing chicken salad. Pistachios add a little crunch while avocado lends a creaminess. Serve on a bed of mixed greens.
Potato salad gets a fresh and crunchy twist with bright flavors and lots of yummy texture. Dill and chives add herby notes, Dijon vinaigrette provides tang, and sharp radishes add crunch. Make the dressing ahead of time for easy assembly.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
There’s cucumber salad, then there’s the best cucumber salad. This recipe keeps the flavor profile light but complex with country Dijon, dill, and basil. The red onions add beautiful color alongside the greenery.
Served warm, this roasted salad is the perfect dish for a cool spring day. Fresh arugula, roasted broccoli, white beans, and shaved Parmesan are a hearty combination for lunch or dinner.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Inspired by Chick-fil-A’s now-discontinued salad, this version is made with carrot ribbons. “My mother made this for years and I have always loved it,” says one reviewer. “Sometimes I will substitute dried cranberries for the raisins and it works beautifully too.”
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
All you need is a simple mixture of cucumbers, red onions, sherry vinegar, whole-grain mustard, olive oil, salt, and sugar to toss together this light and refreshing salad.
Nothing says, “It’s spring!” like a strawberry salad. Ripe strawberries, sharp blue cheese, and candied pecans are the perfect trifecta of salty, sweet, and crunchy. This salad would be delicious topped with grilled chicken, pork tenderloin, or boiled shrimp for added protein.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Whether you grew up knowing this dish as wilted lettuce or killed lettuce, the common thread is the greens are smothered in a dressing made with the bacon drippings. “My mother, her mother, and her mother have made “Wilted Lettuce,” for generations,” says Merry.
This colorful version of a classic Cobb is fresh, nutritious, and indulgent at the same time. To amp up the dressing, bacon (and drippings) are added to the red-wine vinaigrette. This salad is flexible, swap the shrimp for chicken or ham, and the blue cheese for feta, and several ingredients can be prepared a day ahead.
If you’re looking for the ultimate comfort salad recipe, give this BLT variety a try. Complete with buttermilk-parmesan dressing, it’s rich and creamy. Cut down on cleanup while adding a flavor boost to the croutons by baking them on the same sheet pan as the bacon. Complete this salad with buttermilk-parmesan dressing, it’s rich and creamy.
