Light, bright, and packed with spring’s best produce, this spring green goddess salad is full of nutrition – microbiome supporting fiber, and lots of hydration. This spring salad recipe is tossed with an oil-free, herby mint and basil avocado dressing to help your body better absorb all the nutrients in the salad. I call this my spring green goddess salad because after a few days of eating it, you’ll be glowing like a goddess!
Green Spring Salad Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this spring salad recipe:
- Asparagus – I steam them for no more than 5 minutes until it’s just slightly tender but still bright green. Once you are done steaming, plunge them in ice cold water to stop the cooking.
- Peas – Fresh peas are in-season and super sweet. Truthfully, I almost always use thawed frozen peas, but blanched fresh peas would be equally tasty.
- Zucchini – While technically these come into season in the summer, they are readily available. Here the zucchini are ribboned and tossed with a pinch of salt and lemon juice.
- Radishes – For crunch and a pop of pink! I think pickled radishes would taste great too.
- Salad Greens – Any tender spring greens would be good. For this I used butterhead.
- Broccoli Microgreens – You may be tempted to skip these but don’t! You can read more below about why these are extremely powerful little plants.
- Avocado – Provides the basis for the oil-free dressing. The fat in the avocado helps you digest and absorb all the nutrients in the salad.
- Fresh herbs – Mint and basil are in the dressing and I reserve extra mint for the salad.
- Lemons – Lemons provide the necessary acid for the dressing. Lemon juice is also tossed with the zucchini.
A Note About Broccoli Microgreens
Lately I’ve been throwing these broccoli microgreens into everything including this spring green goddess salad. Why? These cute little “baby broccoli” greens are seriously powerful!
Broccoli microgreens are baby broccoli plants that are harvested about 10 days after germination. Studies have shown that broccoli microgreens can have up to 40 times the amount of vitamins and minerals than their mature counterparts.
But why you really should be eating broccoli microgreens is because they contain the highest amount of sulforaphane available compared to almost any other food available. Sulforaphane is a sulphur compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, bok choy and cabbage and is known for:
- Anti-aging
- Fighting inflammation
- Cancer prevention
- Improved digestion
- Improved heart health
Throw them into salads, smoothies and stir frys to get your daily dose!
Spring Green Goddess Salad Variations
This salad recipe had so many possibilities. Here are some of my favorite variations:
- Add nuts or seeds. Toasted almonds, walnuts, hemp or pepitas would both taste delicious and add extra plant power!
- Make a spinach salad. If you can get your hands on tender baby spinach, this asparagus, pea, and radish salad is a perfect way to use it.
- Add an extra pop of pink. Top the salad with pickled red onions or pickled radishes.
- Add garbanzo beans. Cooked or crunchy would taste fantastic.
- Add additional protein. This salad would taste great with a lemon-marinated grilled chicken or shrimp.
More Favorite Salads
Here are some additional salads to add to your rotation this spring which are full of nutrition to help you eat more beautifully!
PrintSpring Green Goddess Salad
Light and packed with spring produce, this spring green goddess salad is packed with nutrition – microbiome-supporting fiber, skin-hydrating vegetables and anti-aging greens.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 large zucchini, ribboned
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and steamed
- 1/2 cup peas (thawed if frozen or blanched if fresh)
- 1 12 oz clamshell of butterhead lettuce, cleaned and rinsed
- 3 radishes, sliced
- 1 cup broccoli microgreens
For the dressing:
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup mint leaves, packed
- 1/4 cup basil leaves, packed
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (juice from 1/2 large lemon)
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
Instructions
- Using a peeler, peel zucchini into ribbons. Toss with 1 teaspoon of the fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Let marinate while preparing the rest of the salad.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. Steam asparagus for 5 minutes until the asparagus is still bright green but tender. Transfer to ice bath. Drain and pat until dry.
- If using fresh peas, bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare the ice bath. Boil the peas for 2 minutes and then transfer to ice bath. After a minute, drain and pat until dry.
- While the asparagus (and or peas) are being cooked, prepare the dressing. Add the garlic cloves and herbs to a food processor and pulse until herbs and garlic are minced. Add the avocado, salt and lemon juice and continue to pulse until well combined. Add the cold ice water and combine until everything is well combined and you’ve reached the consistency of a pourable dressing.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl add the lettuce and radishes and 2 tablespoons of dressing. Mix well.
- Add the asparagus, peas, zucchini ribbons and microgreens. Add additional dressing and toppings as desired. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 recipe