Bright Lemon Vinaigrette Salad (Printable)

A fresh spring salad combining radishes, peas, and a lemon vinaigrette for vibrant seasonal taste.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 cups mixed spring greens (arugula, baby spinach, and watercress)
02 - 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and sliced diagonally
03 - 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen green peas
04 - 6 radishes, thinly sliced
05 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Lemon Vinaigrette

06 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 teaspoon honey
11 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
14 - 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (optional)

# Directions:

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine mixed greens, sugar snap peas, green peas, radishes, and red onion.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until fully emulsified.
03 - Drizzle lemon vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls.
05 - Top with fresh chives and crumbled feta cheese if using. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes, which means you can make it on a Tuesday night without fussing.
  • The lemon vinaigrette is tangy enough to make you feel alive, without any of that heavy, creamy restaurant guilt.
  • Radishes and peas are a flavor combo that sounds simple but tastes unexpectedly sophisticated.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad too far ahead of serving, or the greens will wilt and the peas will lose their snap—15 minutes before eating is the sweet spot.
  • If you're scaling this up for a crowd, make the vinaigrette separately and let people dress their own portions so the greens stay crisp.
03 -
  • Zest your lemon before you juice it—once you cut into it, the zest becomes harder to grab without getting pith mixed in.
  • Taste the vinaigrette before it hits the salad and adjust the salt or lemon juice to your preference; that extra 30 seconds of attention makes all the difference.
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