Easy Spring Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Published Mar 23, 2026
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This spring salad is fresh, crisp, and built around simple seasonal ingredients that actually taste good together. Y’all, this has tender butter lettuce, sweet peas, crunchy cucumbers and radishes, creamy avocado, feta, and fresh herbs, all finished with a light lemon champagne vinaigrette. It works just as well on your Easter table as it does for a quick lunch or an easy weeknight side. Nothing complicated here, just good ingredients layered in a way that makes sense.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is one of those salads that feels a little more put together than a basic bowl of greens, but I promise it doesn’t take much extra effort. The butter lettuce is soft and delicate, the cucumbers and radishes add that satisfying crunch, the peas bring a little sweetness, and the avocado and feta balance everything out so it doesn’t fall flat. It comes together quickly and doesn’t require any complicated prep.
It’s also easy to prep ahead, which you know I love. You can blanch the peas, wash the lettuce, and make the dressing in advance, then assemble everything right before serving so it stays crisp and fresh. If you’re building out a spring menu, this pairs really well alongside an Easter charcuterie board or something simple like the best ham salad recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Salad
- Butter lettuce: Soft, tender leaves that make the salad feel lighter and more delicate than chopped greens.
- Frozen peas: Blanching brings out their natural sweetness and keeps them bright and tender. Don’t skip this step.
- Persian cucumbers: Crisp, mild, and less watery than regular cucumbers, which makes a real difference here.
- Radishes: Add bite, crunch, and a pretty pop of color.
- Avocado: Gives the salad a creamy element that balances all those crisp vegetables.
- Chives: A mild onion flavor that doesn’t overpower everything else.
- Sunflower seeds: Add crunch without taking over the whole bowl.
- Fresh basil leaves: This is what makes it taste like spring. Don’t leave these out.
- Feta: Salty and tangy, and it works so well with the peas and avocado.
For the Dressing
- Olive oil: Gives the dressing body so it coats the lettuce instead of just pooling at the bottom.
- Dijon mustard: Helps emulsify and adds a little sharpness.
- Lemon zest and lemon juice: Keep everything bright and fresh.
- Shallot: Adds a mild savory depth.
- Champagne vinegar: Softer than most vinegars, which works so much better with delicate greens.
- Honey: Balances the acidity without making it sweet.
- Salt and pepper: Bring everything together.
What Makes This a Spring Salad
A spring salad is all about fresh, crisp, in-season ingredients. Think tender greens, peas, radishes, herbs, and a light vinaigrette. This version keeps things simple and balanced, so every ingredient has a purpose.
Mac’s Pro Tip
Substitutions or Variations
This salad is easy to adjust depending on what you have on hand.
- Swap feta for goat cheese if you want something a little creamier.
- Leave out the cheese completely for a dairy-free version.
- Use pumpkin seeds or sliced almonds instead of sunflower seeds.
- Add grilled chicken if you want more protein.
It’s naturally gluten-free and easy to adapt however you need. Try my high-protein Italian chopped salad recipe, which is a great option for another day.
How to Make Spring Salad
Step 1: Blanch the peas. Add frozen peas to a pot of boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but still vibrant green. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately place in ice water to stop the cooking and lock in that color. Prepare the lettuce. Gently separate the butter lettuce leaves, rinse them, and dry thoroughly. This step matters more than it sounds. Place them in a large serving bowl or on a platter.
Step 2: Assemble the salad. Scatter the blanched peas evenly over the lettuce. Add the cucumbers and radishes. Crumble the feta over the top, then place the avocado slices evenly across the salad. Sprinkle with chopped chives and sunflower seeds, and finish with fresh basil leaves.
Step 3: Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced shallot, champagne vinegar, and honey. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4: Serve. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad right before serving, or serve it on the side. Enjoy immediately, or store the vinaigrette separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Mac’s Pro Tip
Expert Tips
- Make sure the lettuce is completely dry before you assemble. If there’s water sitting on the leaves, the dressing won’t stick, and things can get soggy fast.
- Don’t overcook the peas. You want them tender but still bright and slightly firm. Two to three minutes is really all they need.
- Slice the avocado right before serving so it stays fresh and doesn’t brown.
- If you’re serving this for a gathering, layer everything on a platter instead of tossing it. It looks so much prettier and holds up longer while folks are going back for seconds.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, just keep everything separate. Prep the vegetables and dressing ahead, then assemble right before serving.
Absolutely. Once blanched, frozen peas are sweet, tender, and consistent. I use them all the time.
A light vinaigrette like this one is the way to go. The lemon and champagne vinegar keep it fresh without overpowering the vegetables.
Add grilled chicken, salmon, or even chickpeas for more protein. You can also serve it alongside something heartier like this easy chicken Caesar pasta salad recipe for a complete spread.
Mac’s Pro Tip
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This salad is best eaten right after it’s assembled. Butter lettuce and avocado don’t hold up well once dressed.
That said, you can absolutely prep everything ahead of time. Store the lettuce, vegetables, and dressing separately in the fridge, then put it all together right before serving. The dressing will keep for up to a week.
More Easy Salad Recipes
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Easy Spring Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 large heads Butter Lettuce leaves gently removed, rinsed, and dried
- 1 cup frozen peas blanched
- 2 Persian cucumbers sliced
- 5-6 radishes trimmed and sliced
- 1 ripe avocado sliced
- ¼ cup chopped chives
- 2-3 tbsps sunflower seeds
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
- 4 oz feta crumbled, reg or reduced fat (can sub dairy-free cheese of choice)
Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 11/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp shallot finely minced
- 2 tbsp Champagne vinegar
- 2 tsp honey adjust to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Blanch the peas: Add frozen peas to a pot of boiling water. Cook 2–3 minutes, until tender but still vibrant. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately place in ice water to stop cooking and preserve color.
- Prepare the lettuce: Gently separate Butter Lettuce leaves, rinse, and dry thoroughly. Place in a large serving bowl or platter.
- Assemble the salad: Scatter the blanched peas evenly over the lettuce. Add the cucumbers and radishes. Crumble the feta over the top, then place the avocado slices evenly on the salad. Sprinkle with chopped chives and sunflower seeds, and finish with fresh basil leaves for garnish.
- Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced shallot, Champagne vinegar, and honey. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (have one photo of the dressing)
- Serve: Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad just before serving, or serve on the side. Enjoy immediately, or store the vinaigrette in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Swap feta for goat cheese if you want something a little creamier.
- Leave out the cheese completely for a dairy-free version.
- Use pumpkin seeds or sliced almonds instead of sunflower seeds.
- Add grilled chicken if you want more protein.
- Make sure the lettuce is completely dry before you assemble. If there’s water sitting on the leaves, the dressing won’t stick, and things can get soggy fast.
- Don’t overcook the peas. You want them tender but still bright and slightly firm. Two to three minutes is really all they need.
- Slice the avocado right before serving so it stays fresh and doesn’t brown.
- If you’re serving this for a gathering, layer everything on a platter instead of tossing it. It looks so much prettier and holds up longer while folks are going back for seconds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
