Fresh and Flavorful Spring Salad Recipes and Dressings
Salads are anything but dull when you think creatively! We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite spring salads and salad dressings to help you get inspired to try some new combinations and fresh ingredients.
Salad Recipes
Spring Salad With Herb Dressing
Customize this zippy dressing with any combination of fresh, tender herbs like cilantro, dill, mint, or the fronds from your fennel bulb.
Arugula Salad With Chive Vinaigrette
The cruciferous veggies in this salad — arugula and cabbage — contain glucosinolates, which feature sulfur that supports liver function.
Green Goddess Salad
Herbaceous and creamy, the dressing for this classic salad is loaded with flavor, thanks to a surprise ingredient.
Arugula-Fennel Salad With Berries and Lemony Balsamic Vinaigrette
Sliced almonds add a nutty crunch to this bright summer salad.
Avocado-Citrus Salad With Poached Salmon and Yogurt-Dill Sauce
This bracing, citrusy salad is a perfect complement to rich salmon with yogurt sauce.
Cabbage Salad With Anchovy and Garlic Dressing
This salad subs cabbage for Romaine, creating a nice twist on the classic Caesar. Any variety of kale would also work well. For a heartier salad, try adding cannellini beans or chickpeas.
Sugar Snap Pea Salad
As soon as sugar snaps show up at the farmers’ market, I’m instantly happy. Sweet and crisp, this salad is all about the sugar snaps, with a pinch of Aleppo pepper for heat, some fresh ricotta cheese for richness and texture, and edible flowers for color. It comes together easily, looks gorgeous and is oh-so-easy to love. - Celebrity Chef, Seamus Mullen
Raspberry Arugula Salad
Dressed with a tarragon vinaigrette, this makes a wonderfully refreshing light lunch or first course.
Lightened-Up Kale Caesar Salad with Salmon
Kale is the star of this Caesar salad that packs a nutritional punch. A homemade Caesar dressing with a secret ingredient (cashews!) brings the dish together.
Dressing Recipes
Basic French Vinaigrette
A dressing that should be in every confident cook’s arsenal. Pair any high-quality oil with an acid (such as vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice), season, and you’ve got a simple and endlessly versatile vinaigrette that goes with just about any salad.
Classic Creamy Caesar Dressing
A classic since the 1940s, this dressing takes a homemade mayonnaise base and ramps it up with the strong, addictive flavors of garlic, lemon and Parmesan cheese.
Curried Orange-Ginger Vinaigrette
Pair this homemade salad dressing with dark leafy salad greens, such as arugula or spinach, or on any salad topped with toasted nuts and chèvre.
Strawberry-Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
Fresh puréed strawberries offer a creative way to jazz up any salad.
Sweet Citrus Vinaigrette
Top your salad with this zippy and tangy vinaigrette provided by Detroit Public Schools Community District, a partner of the Life Time Foundation.
Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
This simple yet flavorful recipe brightens salads without the industrial ingredients or sugar found in commercial dressings.