Spring Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette

After a winter of cooking warm, slow-simmering dishes, I welcome the spring sunshine and a bounty of fresh ingredients. Spring is when I visit my local farmer’s market, and my garden comes back to life. 

This salad recipe is a combination of what I find at the market and the herbs bursting forth from the soil: slim asparagus stalks mixed with sweet peas and greens make a seasonal blend of flavors. Fresh herbs—tarragon, mint, and chives—add more bright flavor to this seasonal meal. 

Blanch the vegetables and prep the greens in advance, and then dress them with vinaigrette when you’re ready to serve. Tearing the leaves of mint and chives prevents bruising and lends a casual feel to the salad’s presentation. For me, this salad is a great choice for patio meals when the longer hours of sunshine linger. On nights like that, I simply grab the herbs from my garden on the way to the patio table to serve!

Ingredients to Make a Spring Salad

• Peas: I like to use either sugar snap or English shelling peas for this salad or a combination of both if I can find them. A blanch in hot water followed by a shock in ice water retains the peas’ bright green color and sweet flavor. 
• Asparagus: I like the thin spears of spring asparagus for the lightness it gives to the salad. If you can’t find the thin spears of asparagus, I have used thick stalk asparagus trimmed to a pencil-thin shape with a vegetable peeler.
• Salad Greens: The delicate butter leaves mix well with the peppery arugula. Feel free to substitute a mesclun mix or spring mix of lettuces. 
• Fresh goat cheese: Also known as chevre, crumbles of this French-style cheese give the salad a tangy richness that suits the sweet peas and asparagus. Substitute Boursin or feta, if you prefer.
• Hard-boiled eggs: Though I make this spring salad just as often without hard-cooked eggs as a side dish, adding them gives the salad a boost of protein and makes it a bit more substantial. 

For the Tarragon Vinaigrette: 

• Shallot: The mild sweetness of shallots gives just the right note of onion flavor to this vinaigrette.
• Dijon mustard: The texture of Dijon will help the vinaigrette emulsify when whisked with the other ingredients, as well as add a tang. While formalizing this recipe, I tested it with a grainy Dijon, and people liked the texture it added to the vinaigrette.
• Garlic: I love the taste of garlic in a vinaigrette, but never want it to be overpowering.
• Honey: A small addition of honey helps balance the acidity of the vinegar and any sharpness from the Dijon. 
• Extra virgin olive oil: When a recipe has few ingredients, the quality of the ingredients matters even more. An olive oil with notes of pepper, like our Spanish Hojiblanca, suits this vinaigrette, but any high-quality extra virgin olive oil will work. 
• Vinegar: Use red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar; any will work to give the vinaigrette the right light consistency. 
• Herbs: When I was testing this recipe, I tried adding fresh tarragon as one of the herbs scattered on top of the salad along with mint and chives, but people found the licorice-infused taste of the herb to be too pronounced in the balance of the salad. Instead, I use it in the vinaigrette and let the other herbs shine as salad as-ins. 

How to Make a Spring Salad

• Get ready. Boil and cool 4 to 6 hard boiled eggs. Gently separate 1 head butter lettuce into leaves, and wash and dry them thoroughly. Wash and dry 4 cups (5 ounces) baby arugula. Remove the pods from 1 cup of fresh English/shelling peas or measure 1 cup frozen peas. 
• Blanch the vegetables. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Blanch 1/2 pound thin asparagus stalks, cut on a bias into 1-inch pieces for 90 seconds, just until bright green and tender. Transfer asparagus to the ice bath using a skimmer. If using fresh peas, blanch them for 90 seconds and add them to the ice bath, too. Once vegetables are cool, drain them thoroughly and set them aside. 
• Make the vinaigrette. To a large salad bowl, add 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar (red wine, white wine, or white balsamic), 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 large minced shallot, 1 small minced or grated garlic clove, and 1/2 teaspoon honey, and whisk to combine. Stir in 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. 
• Assemble and serve salad. Rotate the salad bowl to coat the lower portion of the bowl in the vinaigrette. Add asparagus and peas, along with 1 cup sugar snap peas, sliced on the bias, if large, and toss. Add the butter lettuce, baby arugula, 3 tablespoons chopped or torn fresh mint leaves, and 3 tablespoons fresh chives, cut in 1/2-inch pieces. Toss gently to coat with dressing. Serve, topped with crumbled goat cheese and hard-boiled eggs. 

Make it Your Own

I like the simplicity and monochromatic vibe of this green salad, but a few other ingredients can certainly add another note of flavor.

• Add crunch: Sprinkle the finished salad with toasted pistachios, almonds, or walnuts for texture and richness, or add toasted cubes of lightly oiled and toasted bread. 
• Make it a vegetarian main: Add cooked and cooled quinoa or farro to increase fiber, protein and give this salad staying power.
• Experiment with more herbs: Add other herbs like chervil, dill, or parsley either in place of or alongside the mint and chives.
• Add salmon: Top the salad with flaked roasted or grilled salmon for a heartier meal rich in protein and omega-3 fats.
• Swap the cheese: Replace the goat cheese with crumbled feta for a brinier, saltier flavor or a creamy, herbed cow’s milk cheese such as Boursin. 
• Try a lemon dressing: Replace the tarragon vinaigrette with lemon vinaigrette. 
• Add new potatoes: Toss in steamed baby potatoes to transform the salad into a more substantial spring lunch or light dinner.
• Add avocado: Fold in sliced avocado just before serving for extra creaminess and healthy fats.
• Use grilled asparagus: Grill the asparagus instead of blanching it for a subtle smoky flavor.
• Celebrate more spring produce: Add thinly sliced radishes for peppery flavor and crisp texture. Add blanched fava beans, tender baby carrots, or thinly sliced spring onions if your farmer’s market has them available.

What to Serve with Spring Salad 

This spring salad has a vibrant, light flavor that makes it a perfect pairing with either grilled chicken or fish. 

• Try grilling some chicken breasts marinated in Greek Chicken Marinade.
• The lemon and herb flavors of Baked Halibut with Lemon and Dill pair well with this salad.
• Serve this Grilled Chicken with a Yogurt Dill Sauce with the spring salad for a light lunch or dinner.  
• This 5 Ingredient Yogurt Flatbread makes a nice side for the salad. I also like to cut into pieces for croutons.  

More Green Salads Recipe to Try Next

• Marousalata (Greek Lettuce Salad)
• Butter Lettuce Salad
• Caesar Salad
• Strawberry Spinach Salad