Fresh Spring Salad (Italian-Style with Goat Cheese & Pistachios)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Spring Salad Recipe is my favorite way to celebrate the season. It’s bursting with tender asparagus, sweet peas, creamy avocado, and tangy goat cheese, all tossed in a bright basil-lemon vinaigrette. It’s fresh, vibrant, and layered with flavor, making it perfect for a light lunch or an elegant side dish that truly tastes like spring.
For more fresh-flavored salads, enjoy this orange fennel salad too!
Quick Look at This Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 8 people
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian and gluten-free; easily adaptable to dairy-free by omitting or swapping the goat cheese.
- Method: Quick blanching, simple chopping, and tossing with a homemade basil-lemon vinaigrette.
- Technique: Briefly blanch the asparagus and peas to keep them crisp-tender and vibrant, then emulsify the dressing for a smooth, well-balanced finish.
- Flavor & Texture: Bright and lemony with creamy avocado and goat cheese, sweet peas, peppery radishes, and crunchy pistachios for the perfect contrast in every bite.
Why you’ll love this spring salad recipe!
Spring is one of my favorite seasons to cook!. I feel like everything feels lighter, brighter, and full of possibility. This spring salad is exactly how I love to celebrate it: crisp asparagus, sweet peas, peppery radishes, and creamy avocado all tossed together with tangy goat cheese and toasted pistachios for that perfect balance of creamy and crunchy.
It’s simple to prepare, yet elegant enough for Mother’s Day brunch, Easter dinner, or a beautiful lunch with friends.
If you enjoy fresh, vibrant salads like this, you’ll also love my pear and gorgonzola salad, another favorite that balances sweet and savory so beautifully. For a heartier meal, serve this alongside my popular baked chicken thighs, or try my classic Niçoise salad for another seasonal option that feels special but approachable.
Made With Amore,
“I made this salad to go with our Easter dinner, and it was a hit! The pop of the peas and asparagus, as well as the unique savory flavor of the dressing made this such a tasty, unique salad!”
– Suzette
Simple Ingredients
This spring salad recipe is sunshine on a platter. You will love how the fresh herbs and seasonal ingredients shine! Here’s a look at the ingredients for the salad and homemade lemon basil vinaigrette.
- Asparagus: Tender, crisp, and slightly grassy in flavor, a perfect spring vegetable.
- Peas: Frozen or fresh peas are sweet and vibrant, adding a pop of color and freshness.
- Greens: I use a combination of spring greens mix, a blend of tender, delicate greens, and baby buttery lettuce with soft, buttery leaves. Both complement the crunchier ingredients in this Easter salad.
- Radishes: Peppery and crisp, they bring a subtle spice and beautiful color contrast. Use a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife to get ultra-thin, crisp slices for the best texture.
- Goat Cheese: Creamy, tangy, and slightly crumbly, balancing the salad with a rich texture.
- Avocado: Buttery and smooth, bringing a creamy contrast to the crisp vegetables. Choose a firm yet slightly soft avocado to avoid mushiness while keeping a creamy texture.
- Roasted Pistachios: Nutty and crunchy, enhancing the salad with depth and texture, just like in this grilled peach salad.
- Fresh Herbs: Basil is sweet and aromatic, adding a bright herbal touch while fresh mint is cool and refreshing, elevating the fresh flavors of the salad.
- Fresh Lemon: Fresh lemon is tangy, providing the perfect acidity, while the addition of lemon zest intensifies the citrusy freshness in the dressing.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Rich and smooth, binding the dressing together beautifully.
- Dijon Mustard: Creamy and slightly spicy, adding depth and emulsifying the vinaigrette, making it cling to the greens.
See recipe card for the full list with quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Cheese Swap: Use feta cheese, blue cheese, Parmesan shavings, or fresh mozzarella instead of goat cheese.
- Nut Alternatives: For a different crunch, try toasted almonds, pine nuts, candied pecans, walnuts, or sunflower seeds.
- Leafy Greens: For a different texture and flavor, swap the spring mix and butter lettuce for peppery arugula, tender baby spinach with its mild earthiness, or crisp romaine for added crunch and structure.
- Veggie Boost: Add thinly sliced red onion, tomatoes, green beans, or crisp cucumber for crunch.
- Dressing Twist: For a unique tang, replace lemon juice with white balsamic or champagne vinegar. You can also use my balsamic vinaigrette or orange vinaigrette dressing.
For other times of the year, consider serving my fall harvest salad and Christmas salad as seasonal pairings.
How To Make This Spring Salad Recipe
This easy spring salad is packed with fresh vegetables and comes together in just a few steps. Follow these step-by-step photos, and see the printable recipe card for more instructions.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and peas, blanch for 1–2 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking.
- When fully cooled, drain the peas and asparagus, and pat them dry.
- Combine the basil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, mustard, and sea salt in a small bowl.
- Whisk together and adjust the olive oil to taste until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Layer the spring greens and butter lettuce on a platter or in a bowl.
- Arrange the asparagus, peas, radishes, avocado, and crumbled goat cheese on top of the greens. Sprinkle with roasted pistachios.
This is a delicious salad you will crave all spring season! It makes the perfect side dish for Easter dinner, along with my fresh ham roast and Italian Easter bread, and for a Mother’s Day brunch with this vegetarian quiche recipe.
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- Blanch Properly: Quickly blanch asparagus and peas for just 1-2 minutes, then plunge them into ice water to lock in their bright color and crisp-tender texture.
- Dry Your Greens and Vegetables Well: Excess moisture can dilute the dressing. Use a salad spinner or gently pat greens dry with a paper towel after rinsing them. Be sure to pat dry the vegetables after they’re fully cooled.
- Emulsify the Dressing: Whisk the Dijon mustard with lemon juice before slowly adding olive oil to create a creamy, well-blended vinaigrette.
- Dress Right Before Serving: To keep everything fresh and crisp, drizzle the dressing just before serving. If prepping ahead, store the dressing separately.
- Storing Leftovers: If already dressed, store the leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 24 hours for the best texture. Undressed leftovers last 2-3 days in the fridge.
Spring Salad Recipe FAQs
You can blanch the asparagus and peas, slice the radishes, and chop the greens up to 1 day in advance, storing each ingredient separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The vinaigrette can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in a sealed jar — just shake well before using. Wait to slice and add the avocado until just before serving (or toss it with a little lemon juice if prepping slightly ahead) to prevent browning.
Yes! Grilling or roasting asparagus adds a deeper, slightly smoky flavor and more caramelization, while blanching keeps the asparagus bright green and crisp-tender. Both work, so choose your favorite based on the flavor profile you prefer.
Slice the avocado just before serving whenever possible, or toss it gently with a little lemon juice and press plastic wrap directly against the surface to slow oxidation.
Serving Suggestions
For a weekend dinner, serve this salad with grilled chicken, salmon steaks, chickpeas, or grilled shrimp for a heartier meal.
Enjoy this spring salad as a side for lunch, paired with a grilled chicken sandwich or leftover prime rib sandwich.
It makes the perfect addition to your Easter dinner menu or any spring entertaining needs or holidays.
More Easy Salad Recipes
💙 MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💙 Please leave a ⭐️STAR rating and COMMENT below- I love connecting with you! Tag me with your creations on Instagram and find me on Pinterest.
Spring Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 bunch asparagus, tender parts, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup peas, frozen or fresh
- 2 cups spring greens salad mix
- 2 cups baby butter lettuce
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1 avocado, pitted and diced
- ½ cup chopped roasted pistachios
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, (optional) halved, for garnish
- Fresh basil and mint leaves, for garnish
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Blanch the vegetables: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and peas, blanch for 1–2 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together basil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, mustard, and sea salt. Adjust olive oil to taste for desired consistency.
- Assemble the salad: On a large platter or salad bowl, layer the spring greens and butter lettuce. Arrange the asparagus, peas, radishes, avocado, and crumbled goat cheese on top. Sprinkle with roasted pistachios.
- Dress and serve: Drizzle the basil-lemon dressing over the salad. Garnish with fresh basil and mint leaves. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Optional: Add halved hard-boiled eggs for extra protein and visual appeal.
Notes
- Blanch Briefly: Cook the asparagus and peas for just 1–2 minutes, then transfer immediately to ice water to preserve their bright color and crisp-tender texture.
- Dry Thoroughly: After rinsing and cooling, make sure the greens and vegetables are completely dry. Excess moisture can water down the dressing and dull the flavor.
- Emulsify the Vinaigrette: Whisk the Dijon and lemon juice first, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to create a smooth, creamy dressing that coats every bite.
- Dress Just Before Serving: Toss with the vinaigrette right before serving to keep the salad fresh and vibrant. If prepping ahead, store the dressing separately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow! What a delicious salad! I’ve never used green peas and asparagus in my salads before, but it turns out they were one of the best things about the salad. I will be making this on repeat. Thank you for the recipe and for all the delicious recipes!
How do you roast the pistachios?
I made this salad to go with our Easter dinner, and it was a hit! The pop of the peas and asparagus, as well as the unique savory flavor of the dressing made this such a tasty, unique salad!
Made this for Easter. I think it was my favorite thing on the table. So healthy and fresh and all of the flavors and textures were perfect.
Love that is was your favorite! It is so pretty and fills you up in the best way! Try it with my grilled shrimp- yummm!
So so good!! I never had asparagus that wasn’t roasted before and just a quick boil and blanching them made such a difference. The salad was fresh and the flavors were so good together. Thank you
Yay! I am happy you found a new way to enjoy asparagus. This recipes makes it so fresh and light. I am happy you loved!
Made this salad for an Easter side dish and loved it. First of all it was so beautiful. The fresh springy flavors were so perfect. I usually pick out salads that lean a little sweet with fruit in them, so this salad was a welcomed new flavor for spring. Fresh, clean, and healthy. I really loved the hardboiled egg and goat cheese flavor with blanched veggies. Yum! Thanks for another great recipe Elena.
Yes, you described this salad perfectly. I am thrilled you loved it!
Stunning, elegant, fresh, and flavorful, this is the only salad you will crave all spring! Add extra protein and make it a complete meal.