29 Spring Salads That Are Easy, Fresh and Full of Seasonal Produce

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <15 minutes, no cook, dairy free, vegetarian

If you have a mandoline, use it to shave the raw vegetables super thin. It’ll make for a gorgeous salad with lots of texture. (And if you don’t have one, don’t worry. Just use a chef’s knife.)

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <15 minutes, low sugar, high protein

If you claim to not like tinned fish, we urge you to give it a second chance. Not only is it delicious, it’s an easy and fast way to add protein to any spring salad. Mackerel is slightly milder than tuna, so it’s great for first timers.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

Leave the lettuce, take the garlicky Caesar dressing. As it turns out, it’s an ideal companion to almost any green vegetable, including asparagus.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <15 minutes, low carb

Here, goat cheese gets whipped into a creamy, tangy dressing and crumbled on top. It’s nothing like that pallid log sitting on your cheese board (and that’s a very good thing).

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, vegetarian

Panzanella is an Italian salad made with bread (aka our dream). We’ve traded the usual tomato medley for spring vegetables like asparagus, peas and watercress for a fresh, seasonal touch.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, vegetarian

OK, fine. Crudités aren’t technically salad…unless you rebrand them as a “deconstructed” salad. Besides, who could resist the creamy roasted red pepper dip that comes on the side?

• Time Commitment: 21 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian

Strawberries and soba sound like an odd couple, but they’re tied together by a sweet and salty miso dressing that makes them a beautiful pair.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: high protein, dairy free

If a salad leaves us hungry 20 minutes after eating it, it’s never going in our permanent rotation. Thankfully, this salmon and strawberry number is surprisingly filling (without feeling heavy), so we’ll be making it again and again.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser

It’s like the classic French combo of radishes and butter, but roasted for depth of flavor. We should also mention it comes together with six ingredients. Ooh la la.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, <500 calories

Even though this springy salad is nothing like the pasta dish from which it takes its name, it is proof that the flavor pairing of Parmesan and black pepper makes everything it touches a little tastier.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: dairy free, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

If the mantra “dress to impress” was about a salad, this would be the dish. All the classic fixings came to the party (like bacon, egg and avocado), with strawberries for a seasonal touch.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients, no cook

Think of it like a modern twist on the beloved (but dated) combination of spinach and strawbs. Even better, the dressing basically makes itself as you macerate the berries in honey and vinegar.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: Mediterranean, beginner-friendly, vegetarian

We love a grain-based salad for many reasons, but chief among them is that you can make it in advance for meal-prep lunches or lazy dinners. This one is packed with spring produce and feta, topped off with a champagne vinaigrette.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, special occasion–worthy

A Niçoise salad requires a little more effort since you have to prep all the components before assembling it, but the result (a gorgeously composed salad that will actually satisfy) is so worth it.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, <30 minutes, no cook

This is like a celebration of spring’s best fresh produce in one bowl. The gang’s all here: asparagus, snap peas, spinach and radishes, all coated in a lemony dressing and topped with pistachios and Parm.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, <500 calories

If you thought lentils were only good for soups and stews, try adding them to a salad for a boost of plant-based protein.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: no cook, vegetarian, gluten free

Citrus season isn’t over until the juiciest grapefruit sings. Plop it in a bowl alongside ripe avocado and crisp fennel, and suddenly you have a salad that’s ideal for the transition from winter to spring.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: dairy free, <30 minutes, make ahead

Four words: 30-minute meal prep. Not only is this bowl totally wholesome and filling, it’s also an easy way to showcase spring’s finest produce. (We see you, watermelon radishes.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: high protein, special occasion–worthy

You can customize this salad with any veggies you like, because the real star of the show is the sesame ginger dressing. Need some ideas? We like bell peppers, carrots and crunchy cabbage.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegan, <500 calories, make ahead

This plant-based power salad will give you life after the last few months of rich braises and cozy stews. (Not that there’s anything wrong with those.)

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <15 minutes, gluten free

Behold, strawberries squared. The dressing sounds fancy, but it comes together easily in a food processor or blender.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian

This fresh, picnic-friendly recipe is proof that you don’t need mayonnaise to make a mean pasta salad. (But you do need cheese.)

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients, <500 calories

The name says it all. This is a bounty of fresh greens and crisp vegetables, and it’s a delicious way to say goodbye to dreary winter. Pair it with a piece of seared fish or a big bowl of pasta.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, special occasion–worthy

The second we see strawberries at the grocery store, we’re buying the whole lot and making this dish. Something about the combination of candied nuts, creamy goat cheese and fresh fruit is irresistible.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, vegan, <15 minutes

This bright and tangy bowl is a great way to showcase snap peas without just plopping them alongside a store-bought veggie dip. They’re crunchy, sweet and can hold up to a flavorful dressing, like this mustardy concoction.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, dairy free

The roasted veg and protein-rich chickpeas make this salad hearty without any meat, while the tahini dressing adds a creamy element that feels oh-so-indulgent.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients, gluten free

Consider this a lesson in building a salad with plenty of contrasting textures but not a ton of ingredients. Soaking the raw carrots in ice water will ensure they’re extra crisp before they hit the plate.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, special occasion–worthy

Carrots for spring? Groundbreaking. No really, they are, when you roast them to coax out their natural sweetness and pair them with an herbaceous and creamy dressing.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, gluten free

This salad might sound simple, but it’s peppered with cucumbers, radishes, pickled onions and avocado for a cool, crunchy and creamy experience in every bite.