This crisp, bright salad just screams spring has arrived!
Crunchy sugar snap peas, fresh asparagus, paper thin radish slices, creamy pearls of bocconcini and some toasted walnuts add to the heightened flavors of this salad.
Lightly blanching the snap peas and the asparagus beforehand and then tossing them into an ice bath, helps to set the vivid color, plus it’s a better mouth feel.
I layered all the components onto a pretty platter of fresh greens which was a mix of spinach and baby kale, but you can use any greens of your choice. You’ll want something that will be a sturdy bed for all the different weights of the vegetables.
You might also want to choose a favorite nut of your choice maybe pistachio’s or pine nuts or toasted almonds, whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong, I loved it with the toasted walnuts.
Same thing with the dressing, you can use straight up fresh lemon and olive oil dressing, or a vinaigrette that I used, which I’ll post below.
This spring salad is elegant enough to serve for Mother’s Day, Easter or a spring dinner party. It’s the perfect side along any thing that you grill.
Enjoy and Happy Spring!
- 1 package, (12 oz.) of fresh sugar snap peas, STRING REMOVED and cut diagonally, leaving some whole
- 1 lb. fresh asparagus cut diagonally but leaving the tips longer
- a handful of radishes, sliced thin
- boccocini, ( mozzarella balls) sliced in half ( I used half of a container)
- Spinach mix, arugula, sturdy mixed greens of your choice Enough to spread and cover a pretty platter
- Toasted walnuts, pistachio or any nuts of your choice, enough to scatter around
- DRESSING;
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 3Tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ to ¾ cup of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- All the measurements for the dressing is to taste, feel free to add more or less. Same goes with the ingredients above for the salad you can add more cheese, radishes, asparagus, snap peas, this is just a guide line.
- Bring water to boiling, add salt and blanch your asparagus and snap peas 2-3 minutes only. Then quickly plunge them into ice water. After they have drained spread them out flat onto a kitchen towel and pat dry, they should not be wet when composing your salad.
- The dressing should be shaken well in a glass jar until well combined, tasting and adjusting to your liking.
- Then compose your salad.
- Greens, asparagus, snap peas, radishes, bocconcini, spread out nicely all over, then spoon on the dressing and of course salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
