Bright Lemon Vinaigrette Salad (Printable)

Vibrant spring salad with radishes, peas, mixed greens, and zesty lemon vinaigrette.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 cups mixed spring greens (arugula, baby spinach, and watercress)
02 - 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and sliced diagonally
03 - 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen green peas
04 - 6 radishes, thinly sliced
05 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Lemon Vinaigrette

06 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 teaspoon honey
11 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
14 - 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine mixed greens, sugar snap peas, green peas, radishes, and red onion.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls.
05 - Top with fresh chives and crumbled feta cheese if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes flat, which means you can actually make it on a weeknight instead of just thinking about it.
  • The lemon vinaigrette is bold enough to taste like you spent all day on it, but honest enough to let the vegetables shine.
  • There's a satisfying crunch-and-tender dynamic happening in every bite that keeps things interesting.
02 -
  • If you dress this salad more than 15 minutes before eating, the greens will begin to wilt and the whole thing loses its charm, so treat it like something that needs to happen right before you sit down.
  • The lemon zest does something the juice alone can't do—it carries the bright flavor without adding liquid that would make the salad soggy, so don't skip it even if your hands smell like citrus for the rest of the day.
03 -
  • The key to an emulsified vinaigrette is whisking the oil and lemon juice together without stopping—keep your wrist moving and you'll see it transform from separated and slick to creamy and cohesive.
  • Slice your radishes on a mandoline if you have one, because uniform thinness means they soften at the same rate and taste consistent throughout the salad instead of some pieces being tender and others still woody.
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