33 Fresh Spring Salads That'll Make the Most of Seasonal Produce
These veggie recipes are easy to throw together for a healthy meal.
We’ll eat a salad most days out of the year. Whether it’s an easy fall salad recipe like a delicious roasted squash panzanella or a BBQ salad perfect for a quick summer dinner idea, we see salad as the perfect blank canvas for our favorite produce and other add-ins. Nothing quite whets our appetites for crisp raw vegetables like the first spring days at the farmers' market that make the perfect base to whip up the freshest spring salad recipes.
Packed with raw and lightly cooked vegetables, these recipes go hard on flavor while maintaining the tender crunch and vibrant greens and pinks of the season’s best. Some of them even feature thinly sliced skirt steak, oil-packed tuna and other proteins to turn your salad into a full meal. Not too big on greens? Some of these are loaded with grains, beans and potatoes, which we freshen up with plenty of herbs and citrus.
Many of these salads work brilliantly for meal prep, especially if you get proteins, dressings and other components ready in advance. Grains and heartier veg like carrots and broccolini will also hold up well in the fridge. So whether you’re in search of a light make-ahead meal or the perfect side to your family spring dinner, these healthy salads will help get those much-needed veggies in as the days begin to warm up (sunshine, here we come!).
Bright Radish Salad
Love radishes? Make an entire salad out of them. We like to tame their bite with honey and sweet Meyer lemon juice.
Get the Bright Radish Salad recipe.
Shaved Fennel and Celery Salad
This light, refreshing salad features gets a boost of flavor from chopped capers and Parmesan, which complement the honey-Dijon vinaigrette.
White Bean and Tuna Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
The dressing on this fresh, filling lunch salad is practically all basil, so you get a mouthful of green in every bite.
Get the White Bean and Tuna Salad with Basil Vinaigrette recipe.
Cucumber Radish Salad
Sliced feta and white wine vinegar add just the right amount of punch to round out some sweet, spicy spring veggies.
Get the Cucumber Radish Salad recipe.
Cobb Salad
We confess: we’ll eat a classic Cobb pretty much any time of year, even in the dead of winter. But when springtime rolls around, this bacon-and-cheese vehicle — er, we mean, salad — is at the front of our minds.
Get the Cobb Salad recipe.
Potato Salad with Vinaigrette
Potato salad. Is. A. Salad. With lots of fresh dill and a light, mayo-free dressing, this one is especially perfect for spring.
Get the Potato Salad With Vinaigrette recipe.
Spring Green Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette
The vibrant vegan dressing on this salad gets a complex bite from chopped dried apricots rehydrated in vinegar.
Vegan Caesar Salad
With sweet grilled onions and radishes, this flavor-packed salad is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Get the Vegan Caesar Salad recipe.
RELATED: 70 Vegan Recipes That Are Satisfying and Delicious to Eat
Chicken and Asparagus Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Meyer lemons are a bit sweeter and more fragrant than typical lemons, and they add intrigue to this hearty, fresh salad.
Get the Chicken and Asparagus Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette recipe.
Salmon Niçoise Salad
With easy-to-prep ingredients, this salmon salad is a perfect option for lunch on the go.
Get the Salmon Niçoise Salad recipe.
Spring Panzanella
Toasted sourdough gives this bright green salad a satisfying and hearty crunch.
Get the Spring Panzanella recipe.
Thai Green Papaya Salad
Can't find green papaya? Use underripe mango instead.
Get the Thai Green Papaya Salad recipe.
Tex-Mex Chicken Salad
Rotisserie chicken and pinto beans make this flavorful Tex-Mex salad a filling lunch option.
Get the Tex-Mex Chicken Salad recipe.
Falafel Chopped Salad
Crisp, fluffy falafel is easier to make at home than you may think.
Get the Falafel Chopped Salad recipe.
Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Creamy Feta Dressing
Amp up your salad with a little help from the grill.
Get the Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Creamy Feta Dressing recipe.
Spice-Grilled Steak Salad
Pro Tip: Don't forget to rub the skirt steak with hot paprika before grilling to give it a subtly spicy kick.
Get the Spice-Grilled Steak Salad recipe.
Rhubarb and Citrus Salad with Black Pepper Vinaigrette
We made the most of rhubarb season (April to June!) with this sweet and savory salad topped with a sprinkle of pistachios.
Get the Rhubarb and Citrus Salad with Black Pepper Vinaigrette recipe.
Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp and Ginger Vinaigrette
This is the ultimate meal prep lunch. Make sure to store dressing and veggies separately to maintain maximum crunch.
Get the Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp and Ginger Vinaigrette recipe.
RELATED: A Beginner's Guide on How to Meal Prep for the Week
Shaved Carrot and Radish Salad
Raw carrots star in this side, which gets extra sweetness from a honey vinaigrette.
Grilled Leek Potato Salad
Fire up the grill to give a little char to these epic spring veggies, and you'll never go back to boring potato salad.
Get the Grilled Leek Potato Salad recipe.
RELATED: 58 Easy Potato Recipes For Weeknight Dinners, Thanksgiving and More
Samantha (she/her) is an Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, where she writes about tasty recipes, must-try food products and top-tested secrets for home cooking success. She has taste-tasted hundreds of products and recipes since joining GH in 2020 (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.
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