Grow Your Own Spring Green Salad Recipe

I don’t know about you, but I crave green salads in spring. After a winter of eating mostly carbs and root vegetables, my body needs the vitamins and nutrients that greens bring to the table. 

There's something special about a fresh salad straight from the garden, and the beauty of salads is that they are so customizable to your personal tastes and what’s seasonally available. Salad ingredients will fluctuate throughout the season, so your body is receiving varied nutrients in a way that won’t exhaust your taste buds. 

Eating raw vegetables holds different (and potentially more) nutritional benefits than the same vegetables cooked, so try to eat several salads throughout the week to get the most nutrition out of your garden.

As for ingredients, you can use whatever greens and vegetables you have on hand, but I love Baby Leaf Mix for its colorful blend of tender leaves and Zesty Mesclun Mix to add a touch of spice. Red Salad Bowl is another great lettuce blend, or go for a classic head lettuce like Buttercrunch. For a little extra bite, add Mizuna (Japanese Mustard) or Arugula. 

Any variety of radish will work here, but I prefer the All-America Selections Winner Cherry Belle or the early heirloom French Breakfast.

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 cup leafy greens
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon diced chives
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ lemon, juiced

Directions

1. Gently wash the greens and radishes with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. 
2. Thinly slice the radishes and dice the chives. 
3. Make a bed of greens in a bowl and layer radishes, chives, and any other vegetables on top.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
5. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste.
6. Toss and enjoy!

You could easily substitute scallions or red onion for the chives–or eliminate them entirely. If you have any thinning to do in the garden, save the extra radish and carrot seedlings to top your salad. Pea shoots are another great addition to a spring salad, and as summer crops like cucumbers and cherry tomatoes become available be sure to add them to the salad! 

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