Spring Crunch Salad
To me, this Spring Crunch Salad is the epitome of spring. It has the perfect spring colour palette—shades of light green and pink; it’s full of delicious spring produce, and it’s incredibly fresh and crisp. Tossed in a tangy herby vinaigrette, each bite is bright and delicious.
Table of Contents
- Spring Crunch Salad Ingredients
- Equipment
- What to Serve with Spring Crunch Salad
- Step One—Thinly Slice the Vegetables
- Step Two—Assemble the Salad
- Step Three—Prepare the Herby Vinaigrette
- Step Four—Toss the Salad & Serve
- More Salad Recipes
- Spring Crunch Salad Recipe
Spring Crunch Salad Ingredients
To make this salad, you will need the following ingredients:
- 4 large handfuls of arugula
- 1 medium fennel bulb
- 1 large watermelon radish
- 1 persian cucumber
- 1 cup snap peas, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
- Shaved parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
Equipment
- Mandoline
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Immersion blender
- Large salad bowl
- Salad tongs
What to Serve with Spring Crunch Salad
This salad pairs beautifully with so many things. It’s the perfect side to bring to an early-spring BBQ, a potluck or to serve at a dinner party. Here are some of my favourite things to serve alongside this salad.
Bonnemaman's Chicken Cutlets
Turkey Meatballs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Feta
Lemon & Herb Spatchcock Chicken
Step One—Thinly Slice the Vegetables
Thoroughly wash the fennel, watermelon radish, peas, and persian cucumber. Pat the vegetables dry with a clean towel. Using a mandoline or a sharp chef’s knife, thinly slice the fennel, radish, and cucumber into even slices. Use a knife to thinly slice the peas on a diagonal.
Step Two—Assemble the Salad
Add the arugula to a large salad bowl. Top the arugula with the thinly sliced vegetables, chopped pistachios, and shaved parmesan cheese. I didn’t include a measurement for the parmesan in this recipe because I am a firm believer that, where possible, parmesan should be measured with your heart.
Step Three—Prepare the Herby Vinaigrette
My immersion blender is one of my favourite tools in the kitchen. I use it all the time to make salad dressings because it produces the creamiest, most perfectly emulsified dressings without fail.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl or a jar. Make sure whatever vessel you choose to make your dressing in will accommodate the size of your immersion blender. Blend the dressing until smooth and creamy. Taste, then adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Step Four—Toss the Salad & Serve
Pour the salad dressing over the salad ingredients. Using a pair of tongs or salad tossers, toss the salad until all the ingredients are combined and evenly coated in the dressing. Top the salad with extra shaved parmesan and serve right away.
More Salad Recipes
If you loved this springy salad, be sure to try these other salad recipes:
Spring Lentil Salad with Arugula, Peas, & Radish
Chickpea Salad with Charred Lemon & Asparagus
If you make this salad, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! I love to see what you all are making.
Feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews below. I love to hear from you!
Spring Crunch Salad
Equipment
- Mandoline
- Sharp chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Large salad bowl
- Salad tongs
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 4 large handfuls arugula
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 1 large watermelon radish
- 1 Persian cucumber
- 1 cup sliced snap peas
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
- Shaved parmesan cheese
Herby Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the fennel, watermelon radish, peas, and persian cucumber. Pat the vegetables dry with a clean towel. Using a mandoline or a sharp chef's knife, thinly slice the fennel, radish, and cucumber. Use a knife to thinly slice the peas on a diagonal.
- Add the arugula to a large salad bowl. Top the arugula with the thinly sliced vegetables, chopped pistachios, and shaved parmesan cheese. I didn't include a measurement for the parmesan in this recipe because I am a firm believer that parmesan should be measured with your heart.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl or a jar. Make sure whatever vessel you choose to make your dressing in will accommodate the size of your immersion blender. Blend the dressing until smooth and creamy. Taste, then adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Pour the salad dressing over the salad ingredients. Using a pair of tongs or salad tossers, toss the salad until all the ingredients are combined and evenly coated in the dressing. Top the salad with extra shaved parmesan and serve right away.
