Whether you’re looking for ways to breathe new life into your healthy New Year’s resolution or ready to take the plunge beyond those old standbys Cobb and Niçoise, there’s at least one salad in this bunch for you. Not yet sold on salad? We’ve got you covered, too. After all, nothing says “baby steps” like blue cheese dressing.
Sturdy enough for potlucks, yet classy enough for the fanciest of dinner parties, we'll be pulling out these six stunners all season long.
Recipe: Crunchy Celery, Radishes and Turnips Salad-Slaw in Blue Cheese Sauce opens in a new tab
This salad combines a tangy, creamy blue cheese dressing with a who's who list of crispy, raw vegetables: radishes, young turnips, celery, and scallions.
Photo by James Ransom
Recipe: Dandelion Greens Salad opens in a new tab
Alone, a pile of dandelion greens can be brutally bitter, but this recipe employs the perfect tactics for taming them into submission: bacon (obviously), maple and leek-sweetened vinaigrette, and a luscious poached egg. The rich yolk that clings to the leaves softens any lingering rough edges and wins over the skeptics. We’re going to have a hard time eating dandelion greens any other way.
Photo by Sarah Shatz
Fennel, with its crisp texture and bright, clean flavor, provides the perfect foundation for the shift in taste between every winter and spring; while it could be braised in cream and served on a snowy afternoon, it can also be coaxed into submission with a brief marinade of lemon and olive oil. Supple burrata is perfect to spread on toast with a brisk bite of fennel.
Photo by Caroline Wright
At first glance, this is a shockingly brash dressing. April Bloomfield uses not just lemon juice, but whole lemon segments, and more mustard than could possibly seem like a good idea. But she adds just enough addictive nips of caper and shallot to keep you going, along with just a teensy bit of sugar. Drizzle over butter lettuce and a wedge of ripe avocado and watch your dinner guests be amazed.
Photo by James Ransom
Recipe: Asparagus with Young Garlic and Horseradish opens in a new tab
You needn’t always cook garlic to ease its punchy aroma – you can also mellow it by rubbing it with salt and letting it sit. This technique works for young garlic, too. Just pull away the tough outer layers, thinly slice the entire bulb, rub the slices with kosher salt, and let sit for a few minutes while you cook the asparagus. And then it's just a matter of slicing and sprinkling and grating your way to seasonal self-satisfaction.
Photo by James Ransom
Recipe: Make Your Own Avocado Caesar opens in a new tab
At first glance, this recipe has entirely the same character as your standard Caesar salad -- the sturdy crunch to the greens, the tangy bite of the dressing, everything that makes Caesars hail-worthy. But then there's the avocado, which makes the dressing as silky as all get out. The make-your-own approach adds to the novelty: diners get to adorn their salads according to taste, adding a bit of dressing, draping an anchovy over the top, and seizing the opportunity to snag an extra crouton (or two).
Photo by James Ransom
What are some of the ways you’re freshening up spring salads at lunch and dinner? Share your comments below!
