30 Minute Meals
Spring Mix Salad
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
5 minutes
Yield
4 as a side salad (or 2 large salads)
🥗 Boring salad? Not a chance! This Spring Mix Salad masterpiece with blanched veggies and quick-pickled onions will make your taste buds do a happy dance.
We are going green with my latest spring mix salad recipe! Packed with some of my favourite greens – snap peas, asparagus, and broccolini- this salad is not only fresh and perfect as a main or appetizer but is also bursting with ingredients you will love (not to mention it’s very nutritious).
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Spring Mix Salad
- Green: Snap peas, broccolini, asparagus, and more. This spring mix salad is packed with so many greens!
- Flavorful: This spring mix salad has so many delicious ingredients and is topped with a homemade lemon shallot salad dressing. Not to mention the addition of walnuts gives an amazing crunch!
- Fresh: Prepped and made in only 20 minutes, this salad is best enjoyed the day it is made.
🍲 Ingredients
Walnuts: Walnuts provide healthy fats, fibre, vitamins, and minerals — not to mention they bring the perfect crunch (and nutrition) they bring to this spring mix salad.
Asparagus: Roasted, grilled for this recipe, boil – I love asparagus. It’s one of my favourite nutrient-packed and green veggies – great for gut health and packed with antioxidants, which is why you will love it in this spring mix salad recipe.
👩🍳 How to Make This Spring Mix Salad
- Quickly pickle the onion by adding thinly sliced red onion to a bowl with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 2 tsp salt. Mix and set aside.
- Prep and measure out the broccolini and asparagus. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath (cold water with ice cubes in a large bowl).
- Once the water is boiling, add the broccolini and asparagus and cook for 3 minutes and then remove to the ice bath to cool for a few minutes. Once cooled, remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and pat dry.
- Toss all of the ingredients with the dressing and enjoy.
🗒 Tips and Tricks
- Serving: This Spring Mix Salad is delicious as a side dish served with your favorite baked or barbecued protein.
- Cheese: If goat cheese isn’t your favorite, try crumbled feta cheese instead for a different flavor profile. If you are dairy-free, try a vegan cheese.
- Vegetables: Can’t find broccolini? Regular broccoli works perfectly as a substitute.
🗒 Substitutions
I love this Spring Mix Salad because simple substitutions allow you to easily make it your own. Here are a few ideas:
- Greens: Any mixed salad greens can replace spring mix if unavailable.
- Vegetables: Green beans or sugar snap peas work well in place of asparagus.
- Pickled Element: Capers or olives can substitute for pickled onions if preferred.
- Cheese: Try blue cheese crumbles or shaved parmesan as alternatives. If you are dairy-free, try a vegan cheese instead.
🗒 Best served with
- Fluffy Greek Pita Bread Recipe
- Apple Caprese Sandwich
- Fresh & Easy Bagel Sandwich Recipe
- Broccoli Soup Recipe
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store undressed components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The blanched vegetables will be kept for 2-3 days, and the pickled onions will be kept for up to a week.
🤔 Common Questions
Blanching brightens the vegetables’ color, removes any raw taste, and creates the perfect crisp-tender texture while preserving nutrients. The ice bath stops the cooking process immediately to prevent the vegetables from becoming mushy.
You can prepare components beforehand: pickle the onions and blanch the vegetables up to a day in advance. Store them separately in the refrigerator and assemble with the greens and dressing just before serving.
A light vinaigrette with lemon or champagne vinegar works beautifully with the spring mix and vegetables.
Add grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp. For vegetarian options, include chickpeas, white beans, or marinated tofu. A sprinkle of toasted nuts also adds protein and crunch.
Wash your spring mix and spin it completely dry in a salad spinner. Even a small amount of water will make the dressing slide off and can cause the greens to wilt more quickly.
Spring Mix Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly and quick pickled with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar & 2 tsp salt
- 1 bunch broccolini, cut into 1 inch pieces (including the stem)
- 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces on the bias
- 1 cup snap peas, halved
- 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
- 100 g goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
Lemon Shallot Dressing
- zest from one lemon
- juice from one lemon
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
Instructions
- Quick pickle the onion by adding thinly sliced red onion to a bowl with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 2 tsp salt. Mix and set aside.
- Prep and measure out the broccolini and asparagus. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath (cold water with ice cubes in a large bowl).
- Once the water is boiling, add the broccolini and asparagus and cook for 3 minutes and then remove to the ice bath to cool for a few minutes. Once cooled, remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet and pat dry.
- Toss all of the ingredient swith the dressing and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- This salad is delicious as a side served with your favourite baked or barbecued protein!
- If goat cheese isn’t your favourite, try crumbled feta cheese instead.
- This salad is best enjoyed the day it’s made.
- If you can’t find broccolini, try using regular broccoli.
So good! Quick, easy, fresh! I’m hooked on your recipes. I highly recommend downloading the app!
Thank you so much for the love, hunnie!