Green salads are full of nutrients and a big part of a healthy diet which we all strive to follow. Making a delicious salad, by using the freshest seasonal ingredients is possible in every season, but clearly it is much more exciting during the warmer seasons of the year. With the abundance of so many beautiful ingredients, this Crisp Spring Salad with a Refreshing Yogurt Dressing, is so easy to assemble!
Each vegetable in this salad is at its very best at this time of the year; bright, crispy, tender – a great combination of flavors, colors and textures. It all comes together with a refreshing yogurt dressing, but you could also toss it with a simple vinaigrette, like this one.
This delicious spring salad can be served on its own as a light meal with some toasted, hearty bread, or, as a bright counterpart to your favorite grilled protein, such as fish, chicken or steak.
Ingredients for the Crisp Spring Salad with a Refreshing Yogurt Dressing
For the salad, here are the ingredients you will need:
- Half a head of butter or bibb lettuce, any tender lettuce will do
- Radishes, thinly sliced, to add crunch and a pop of color
- A few spears of asparagus, blanched until just tender but still crisp
- One small cucumber, cut into ribbons to add freshness
- A few sugar snap peas, blanched until crisp tender
- Fresh dill, which adds great herbal flavor
- Lemon zest (optional), for a bright, zingy note
- Pistachios (optional), for added crunch and nutty flavor
For the yogurt dressing, we need:
- Greek yogurt, the real thing, not “Greek-style”
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Mustard, a good Dijon mustard for zip
- Extra Virgin Olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
Variations to this Crisp Spring Salad with a Refreshing Yogurt Dressing
You can use this recipe as a starting point and then change things up based on your preferences and what you have available at home:
- Use different vegetables: any tender spring lettuces will do. You can also use tender green beans instead of sugar snap peas
- Add cheese: crumbled Greek Feta, a good quality goat cheese, or, mini mozzarella cheese, to make the salad even more substantial
- Use other fresh herbs: fresh chives would go well here
- Switch the nuts: instead of pistachios, sliced almonds are a great addition
- Add some protein: toasted chickpeas add nutty flavor and protein
- Use another dressing: your favorite vinaigrette or try this one
How to serve this Crisp Spring Salad with a Refreshing Yogurt Dressing
This fresh, vibrant spring salad can be served as part of a whole meal, next to garlic-lime kebabs, Mediterranean chicken kebabs, classic chicken Milanese, pan-seared cod, or, grilled lamb meatballs! I hope you get to try it while these classic spring vegetables are still in season and at their peak for the most delicious possible flavor!
- Salad
- ½ head of Butter or Bibb lettuce
- 4 radishes, cut in half and thinly sliced
- 6 spears of green asparagus
- 2 tsp. table salt
- 1 small cucumber, cut into ribbons
- 8 Sugar Snap peas, strings removed, blanched, and sliced on the bias
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- --- zest of half a lemon
- 2 TBSP. pistachios
- Yogurt Dressing:
- 2 small garlic cloves, grated
- 2 TBSP. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. mustard, preferably Dijon
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- 4 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- Prep the vegetables: trim the asparagus by snapping the stem ends off – each spear of asparagus will naturally break at the right point as you bend it. Trim the snap peas and remove the strings. Slice the radishes and cut the cucumber into long ribbons.
- Prepare an ice bath: fill a large bowl halfway with ice and cold water. Place a colander inside the bowl and set aside. Line a plate with paper towels (to drain the snap peas).
- Blanch the asparagus and the sugar snap peas: fill a medium sauce pan halfway with water and place over high heat. To the pot, stir in 2 teaspoons of table salt and then add the asparagus and peas. Cook for 2 minutes until their color turns bright green and they are tender, but still crisp. Use a slotted spoon to take them off the water and place them into the ice bath to shock them. Wait until they are chilled and lift the colander from the cold water. Shake the colander and transfer the snap peas to the paper lined plate. Allow them to drain, pat them dry and set aside.
- Make the yogurt dressing: combine the lemon and the garlic in a small bowl (this will take the edge off the garlic). Then whisk the mustard and the yogurt into the bowl and season with salt and pepper. Last, stir in the olive oil and set aside. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Assemble the salad: in a bowl, toss the lettuce, radishes, cucumber, and snap peas. Season with a little sea salt and toss gently. Place on a serving platter and top with dollops of the yogurt dressing, then sprinkle evenly the pistachios and the fresh dill. Serve at once.
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That first pic of the salad looks like a work of art, Marilena 😍.
I like that you said Greek yogurt, the real thing, not “Greek-style” – so many people skimp on the good stuff!
Thank you so much Kiki, for your kind words! Yes, there is a big difference between Greek yogurt and “Greek style” yogurt, don’t you think?