Spectacular Spring Salads
Easy recipes with a real WOW factor
Hi! I hope you are well and enjoying spring so far. If, like me, you are craving foods that are crisp, cool, bright and herbaceous, I have you covered here with three spectacular seasonal salads. Each has its own WOW factor to surprise and delight you, but in a way that is super easy to achieve. Enjoy!
Gem Lettuce Boats with Feta, Radish and Scallions
Photo by Tom McCorkle and food styling by Gina Nistico for The Washington Post
These charming lettuce boats are piled neatly with a creamy, yogurt-based, lemon and feta dressing, and topped with chopped spring vegetables. They are like a modern reboot of an iceberg wedge salad—uncomplicated, crisp, and creamy– but piled so neatly you are tempted to eat them out of hand. You can use either baby gem lettuce or large heads of endive here, as both have the firm, tightly packed leaves that make the presentation work.
Celery Salad With Blue Cheese Dressing
Photo by Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post
This recipe makes you realize how underrated celery really is. It plays the mild, juicy crunch of the vegetable against a creamy, pungent blue cheese dressing. Sliced radishes and flecks of fresh chives add color and flavor for a simple salad with an elegance that belies its humble ingredients.
Pasta Salad with Salmon, Peas, and Herbs
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski
Imagine a decadently rich creamy pasta salad that’s actually good for you. Well here you have it. The secret is in the dressing, which has a base of tangy yogurt enriched with a little mayo, that’s the ideal foil for the rich salmon. Sweet peas stud the dish with beautiful color and dill and scallion make it delightfully fragrant and flavorful.