The weather is slowly getting warmer, the days a little longer, and there’s a hint of spring in the air. Finally! This time of year, cravings shift from stews and warm pasta dishes to fresh fruits and veggies, grilled proteins, and lighter, simpler meal options. Spring salads are my favorite way to get fresh foods into the rotation and can be quickly whipped up for lunch or dinner with minimal prep.
Here are five of my tried and true favorite spring salads from some of the best food bloggers in the game.
1. Spring Panzanella Salad from Smitten Kitchen
Panzanella salads are not nearly as popular as they should be. What’s better than a fresh salad with delicious crusty bread in it? Seriously, these salads are as versatile as they are delicious. Smitten Kitchen’s version has asparagus, leeks, and white beans in the most amazing lemon vinaigrette. Swap out any of the veggies for ones you have lying around, and you’ve got a perfect simple supper or lunch. Panzanella salads can also feed a crowd and feel much heartier than most salads.
2. Parmesan Tahini Kale Salad from Half-Baked Harvest
Colorado-based food blogger and Instagrammer extraordinaire Tieghan Gerard calls this “not your average salad.” She’s right about that. It’s super easy to throw together, features a lot of pantry ingredients (except the tahini, in my case, but I usually grab a jar at Trader Joe’s), and tastes like an elevated Caesar salad. If you have a can of chickpeas sitting in your pantry, give this one a try. I usually make double the chickpeas and snack on them throughout the week.
3. Avocado Orange Salad from Joy the Baker
Joy is known for her decadent baked goods, but she throws together a mean salad, often with ingredients you would never have put together yourself. Take avocados and oranges, for example. Not the most likely combination but this salad is delicious. It’s also infinitely adaptable, so get creative and use what you have. I omit the egg in the dressing and use Greek yogurt instead, as she suggests, and it makes the most creamy, yummy topping to this unique salad.
4. Tomato Feta Salad from the Barefoot Contessa
Ina Garten is my homegirl. She seriously can do no wrong, and her love story with Jeffrey is one for the books. She shows you how to make the most amazing, delicious meals with nothing but simple, fresh ingredients. This tomato feta salad is so easy to throw together and makes a tasty side dish or a full meal if you toss it over salad greens and mix in the protein of your choice. You’ll go back to this one time and time again. I know I do.
5. Watermelon Salad with Cucumber, Feta, and Honey Lime Dressing from Kat Ashmore
Drumroll, please. This salad is SO good! Kat’s a local mom, cookbook author, food blogger, and former Martha Stewart colleague known for her “hungry lady salads.” I know, I know… another salad with feta, but trust me – the salty-sweet combo of feta and watermelon combined with the honey lime dressing will steal the show at any cookout, family party, you name it. Even my kids love it, and that says a lot! Give this refreshing salad a try. It’s so easy and so delicious.
