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Fresh Springtime Layered Salad with Easy Lemon Vinaigrette

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A vibrant, crisp layered salad featuring spring vegetables and creamy feta, topped with a zesty homemade lemon vinaigrette. Perfect for gatherings, potlucks, or a refreshing weeknight meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 5 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped (or mixed spring greens)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup English cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup snap peas, sliced diagonally
  • 1 cup carrots, shredded
  • 1/2 cup red onion, finely sliced
  • 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled (or goat cheese)
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. Wash and prep all veggies: rinse lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, snap peas, carrots, and parsley. Pat dry with a clean towel or use a salad spinner.
  2. Slice and chop ingredients: chop lettuce into bite-sized pieces, halve cherry tomatoes, thinly slice cucumber and radishes, diagonally slice snap peas, shred carrots, and thinly slice red onion.
  3. Layer the salad: in a large glass bowl, start with lettuce as the base. Add each veggie in separate layers—cucumber, radish, snap peas, carrots, tomatoes, red onion. Sprinkle crumbled feta and chopped parsley on top. Press gently to level each layer.
  4. Make the lemon vinaigrette: in a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until fully blended and slightly creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  5. Drizzle and serve: just before serving, pour vinaigrette evenly over the salad. Use tongs or a large spoon to gently lift and toss portions for serving, or scoop down to get all layers.
  6. Troubleshooting: if layers slide, compact gently with a spoon. Pat veggies dry after slicing if watery. For milder onion flavor, soak slices in cold water for 10 minutes and drain. If vinaigrette separates, whisk again or shake in a jar. Adjust salt or lemon juice to taste.
  7. Efficiency tip: prep all veggies and vinaigrette up to a day ahead and store separately. Assemble salad just before serving.

Notes

For vegan, use plant-based feta and swap honey for maple syrup. Chill salad until serving for best texture. Layer sturdy veggies at the bottom and softer ones at the top. Prep veggies and vinaigrette ahead for easy assembly. For a milder onion, soak slices in cold water before layering. Customize with seasonal veggies, proteins, or seeds.

Nutrition

Keywords: spring salad, layered salad, lemon vinaigrette, healthy salad, gluten-free, vegetarian, potluck, Easter, picnic, easy salad

Find it online: https://blingbite.com/fresh-springtime-layered-salad-recipe-easy-lemon-vinaigrette/