Spring Salad

Name: Spring Salad
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 small shallot, finely diced; Salt and black pepper; 1/4 cup lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon zest; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 3 medium red or gold beets, cooked and cut into wedges (see Tips); Salt and black pepper; 4 handfuls salad greens, preferably a mix of arugula and lettuce, such as Little Gem or red oak; 1 (2-inch) piece daikon radish, or 1 medium watermelon radish, peeled and very thinly sliced; 1 bunch small radishes or baby turnips, trimmed and halved; 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced; 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, briefly blanched in salted water and cooled (see Tips); 4 eggs, boiled for 7 to 8 minutes, then cooled, peeled and halved; 1 cup fresh mixed herbs, such as tarragon, basil, mint or dill; Nasturtium or calendula blossoms, for serving (optional)

By David Tanis

Updated Oct. 12, 2023

Spring Salad — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 4(380)
Comments: Read comments

Some salads are tossed, while others, like this one, are composed. Feel free to improvise here: A few spinach leaves, watercress, a handful of raw sweet garden peas or fava beans, or thinly sliced raw artichoke can be nice additions. For a true celebration of spring, make sure to gather an assortment of complementary leaves, herbs and vegetables, and arrange them artfully.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

For the Vinaigrette

1small shallot, finely diced
Salt and black pepper
¼cup lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon zest
2teaspoons Dijon mustard
6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the Salad

3medium red or gold beets, cooked and cut into wedges (see Tips)
Salt and black pepper
4handfuls salad greens, preferably a mix of arugula and lettuce, such as Little Gem or red oak
1(2-inch) piece daikon radish, or 1 medium watermelon radish, peeled and very thinly sliced
1bunch small radishes or baby turnips, trimmed and halved
1medium fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
1bunch asparagus, trimmed, briefly blanched in salted water and cooled (see Tips)
4eggs, boiled for 7 to 8 minutes, then cooled, peeled and halved
1cup fresh mixed herbs, such as tarragon, basil, mint or dill
Nasturtium or calendula blossoms, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Make the vinaigrette: Put shallot in a small bowl, and add a pinch of salt, the lemon juice and zest, and mustard. Stir until the salt dissolves, then whisk in olive oil. Taste, and add more salt and pepper to taste.
Step 2
Start preparing the salad: Put beet wedges in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette. Set aside.
Step 3
Put salad leaves in a large mixing bowl, salt very lightly and dress with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Divide among individual plates or arrange on a platter. Scatter beets, radishes and fennel over leaves. Arrange asparagus spears over the top and add egg halves. Season eggs with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Top with herbs and blossoms, if using. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over salad and serve.

Tips

To cook beets, place in a roasting pan with 1 inch of water, tightly cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees until tender, about 1 hour. Once cool enough to handle but still warm, slip the skins off the beets. Peeled beets will keep refrigerated for up to a week.
To cook asparagus, snap off the tough ends, then simmer in salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove and spread out on a plate to cool.

Ratings

4 out of 5

380 user ratings

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Comments

Linda2 years ago

I always roast beets, much more flavor than boiling them. Better yet, pickle them and serve with goat cheese and fresh peach slices. Put a piece of beet, goat cheese and peach in your mouth at the same time. Amazing! Very Alice Waters!! Simple and delicious.

Cecile2 years ago

I prepared the beets in water at first (as per "Tips") but they were bland, so I finished roasting them diced and with olive oil, salt and pepper. I missed a source of sweetness (most of the ingredients are bitter/acidic) and next time I'll roast the beets with a little maple syrup.

Cassie2 years ago

Agree with the suggestion to roast the beets with maple. I also wonder if you could add honey to the dressing for a bit of sweetness to balance

Judys1 week ago

This is great, but a project if you don’t plan ahead. Need to cook the beets and asparagus, boil the eggs, and make the vinaigrette ahead of time! Then the rest is pretty easy. Didn’t have daikon radish so left it out.

AG2 months ago

This is an impressive salad, perfect for Easter . It does take time to put together, even after you have everything prepped. I recommend roasting and peeling beets the night before. Try to get gold beets if possible to prevent staining everything pink. I couldn’t find gold beets this year, so I put my red beets at the bottom around the outside border of the salad and didn’t toss them with the rest of the salad. I also put my shaved radishes in ice water to crisp them up. Drain before adding to the salad.

Emily2 months ago

The time estimate of 1 hour 30 minutes is a bit confusing at first when reading the bulk of the recipe since it's just assembling a salad! To clarify for others: the hour is for peeling and cooking the raw beets. If you have pre-cooked beets or skip them this is a 30 minute recipe.

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