Description
This Everything Spring Green Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette is a vibrant and fresh dish showcasing seasonal produce like organic spinach, microgreens, peas, and crisp vegetables tossed with creamy avocado, salty feta, and crunchy seeds. The salad is perfectly balanced by a bright, tangy vinaigrette infused with fresh lemon juice and aromatic basil. Ideal for a healthy lunch, light dinner, or a colorful potluck contribution.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 6 cups organic spinach
- ½ head red or green cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup microgreens (or alfalfa sprouts)
- ¾ cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced or roughly chopped
- 3 radishes, trimmed and chopped or sliced
- ¼ cup pickled red onions OR very thinly sliced raw red onion
- ½ cup pitted Castelvetrano green olives, halved
- 1 medium ripe avocado, sliced or chopped
- 4 ounces crumbled feta or crumbled goat cheese
- ¼ cup roasted and salted pistachios
- ¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- 4 basil leaves, finely chopped
- Freshly ground salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the Lemon Basil Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together fresh lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey (or sugar), and finely chopped basil leaves until the mixture is well combined and emulsified. Alternatively, you can blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender for a smoother texture. Taste the dressing and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
- Toss the Spinach: Place the organic spinach in a large mixing bowl and drizzle half of the prepared lemon basil vinaigrette over it. Gently toss the spinach to evenly coat it with the dressing without bruising the leaves.
- Assemble the Salad: Transfer the dressed spinach to a serving platter or leave it in the bowl if preferred. Arrange and layer the remaining salad ingredients—shredded cabbage, microgreens, thawed peas, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, pickled or raw red onions, Castelvetrano olives, avocado slices, crumbled feta or goat cheese, roasted pistachios, and sunflower seeds—on top of the spinach base.
- Season and Serve: Garnish the assembled salad with freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste. Serve the remaining lemon basil vinaigrette on the side, allowing guests to add extra dressing if desired.
Notes
- Store the salad components separately without dressing for up to 4-5 days to maintain freshness.
- Dress the salad only just before serving to prevent the spinach and greens from becoming soggy.
- Customize your salad by swapping in seasonal greens, adding protein like grilled chicken, or incorporating different nuts and seeds.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
