Spring Mix Salad

This easy spring mix salad recipe is made with fresh spring baby greens, crunchy radishes and a tangy pickled shallot vinaigrette. Topped with toasted sunflower seeds and feta this salad recipe is sure to be a favorite side dish or main entree that everyone will love.

If I’m at the grocery store and it’s springtime I almost always reach for a box of spring mix. With such a wide variety of baby greens, it offers the most versatility and always tastes extra fresh in the March and April months.

While I feel comfortable using spring mix in place of just about any salad recipe (or even cooked into recipes like eggs and soups), I realize some of you may be a little lost getting started. That’s why I thought I’d share my spring mix expertise and my go-to spring mix salad! Not only does it come together easily, but it is so delicious. I promise you’ll be ditching boring old lettuce or spinach for this recipe instead.

What is Spring Mix?

Spring mix is usually a combination of different red and green leaf lettuces including butter baby lettuces, baby spinach, arugula, radicchio, frisée, chard and romaine lettuce. Actual lettuces may vary depending on the brand. Sometimes other spring veggies are included including kale and endive.

Most grocery stories carry different brands of spring mix. I personally have found it sold at Whole Foods, Target, Cub Foods and my local co-op.

Ingredients Needed

There are two components to this recipe – the actual spring mix salad and the dressing.

For the Spring Mix Salad:

• Spring Mix lettuces – typically sold in 5 oz boxes. Feel free to substitute with whatever greens you prefer or if you can’t find a spring mix brand.
• Snap Peas – be sure to slice off the sharp ends and then cut into thirds for easy mixing.
• Radishes – thinly sliced. I use traditional red radishes but you can use whatever varietal you like. For larger radishes feel free to cut in halves after slicing.
• Sunflower Seeds – For crunch. You can also you pumpkin seeds or a different type of nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds) or seeds that you prefer.
• Feta Cheese – I love the tanginess of feta with this spring mix salad but any type of cheese would pair well (particularly goat cheese or blue cheese).

For the pickled shallot vinaigrette:

• Shallot – thinly sliced. In a pinch you could also use red onion.
• Red Wine Vinegar – you’ll use this to quick pickle the shallot and then strain to mix into the homemade salad dressing. White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar work as well.
• Extra virgin olive oil – a high quality olive oil really adds delicious flavor
• Dijon mustard – I prefer dijon in this salad dressing but you can use a different mustard if you prefer.
• Maple Syrup – for sweetness. You can also use honey.
• Salt + Black Pepper – Add to taste.

How to Make Pickled Shallot Vinaigrette

This shallot vinaigrette is inspired by a local restaurant here in Minneapolis. I don’t actually know their recipe so I’ve been working on perfecting this salad dressing at home for a while now. I knew it would pair perfectly with this fresh and crunchy spring mix salad!

In a medium bowl combine shallots and red wine vinegar. Let sit for 10-20 minutes to allow flavor to infuse. Using a fork remove shallot from vinegar and set shallots aside. Add remaining dressing ingredients to the bowl and whisk together.

How to Make This Spring Mix Salad

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Top with pickled shallots, if desired (or discard).

Toss salad with shallot vinaigrette and serve immediately (or store according to instructions below).

Frequently Asked Questions:

What to Serve with Spring Mix Salad?

The perfect pairing for these Salmon Burgers is this salad recipe! With a side of homemade french fries, your next dinner is set.

To go along with the spring theme, why not pair this salad with this Primavera Pasta Bake? It comes together in one dish that you can throw in the oven while you’re making your salad!

Planning to grill? Throw this honey mustard chicken recipe onto the BBQ and serve with this spring mix salad once the weather has warmed up!

Storage Instructions

You can store the spring mix salad ingredients and pickled shallot vinaigrette separately in the fridge for up to 5 days (dressing will likely keep for closer to 1 week). Mix right before serving. Do NOT dress the salad and store as it will get soggy!

More Salad Recipes

• Orange Radicchio Salad
• Simple Kale Tahini Salad
• Peach and Halloumi Salad
• Tropical Sriracha Chicken Salad
• Detox Kale Salad
• Grilled Asparagus Salad
• Pacifica Salad

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