Bright Lemon Spring Salad (Printable)

A crisp salad of radishes, peas, and greens dressed with a bright lemon vinaigrette, perfect for fresh seasonal tastes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 cups mixed spring greens such as arugula, baby spinach, and watercress
02 - 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and sliced diagonally
03 - 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen green peas
04 - 6 radishes, thinly sliced
05 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Lemon Vinaigrette

06 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 teaspoon honey
11 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
14 - 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the mixed greens, sugar snap peas, green peas, radishes, and red onion.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - Drizzle the lemon vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls and garnish with fresh chives and crumbled feta cheese if using. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It takes fifteen minutes from farmers market bag to table, which means you can actually eat vegetables while they're still exciting to you.
  • The lemon vinaigrette tastes bright enough to make you forget you're being healthy, which is honestly the best kind of salad magic.
  • Radishes and peas together create this perfect sweet-spicy conversation that keeps happening with every bite.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad more than five minutes before eating—I learned this the hard way with a collapsed, sad salad that looked like it had given up on life.
  • The lemon zest matters as much as the juice; it adds flavor that the juice alone can't deliver, so don't skip it even when you're tired.
03 -
  • Slice your radishes on a mandoline if you have one and you want them gossamer-thin, but watch your fingers—I once had to explain to my doctor why I showed up with a radish-shaped nick on my thumb.
  • If you're making this ahead for a picnic or lunch box, keep the dressing separate and dress it right before eating, or pack the greens and vegetables in one container and the vinaigrette in another so you can do it yourself.
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