5 Refreshing Spring Salads

Fit & Training door thijs

Spring is in the air and that means that our love for food is too! Since we're all a little salad crazy, I figured I'd push this healthy habit a bit more with some Ryan-Gosling status good-lookin' spring salads. Not only are these Instagram material -  but they are 100% guaranteed to please your taste buds with the flagrant mix of fruits with salad greens and some original dressings.

Here's our pick for 5 refreshing spring salads:

1. Pear, Pomegranate and Spinach Salad

What you'll need:
For the salad -
  • 2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans; toasted
  • 3/4 cup pomegranate arils
  • 85g feta cheese; crumbled
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 2 pears (firm but ripe); cored and sliced
  • 255g baby spinach
For the dressing -
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

 

The preparation is as easy as it can get! Just whisk all dressing ingredients in a bowl to blend well. Place the salad ingredient in a larger salad bowl and drizzle with desired amount of dressing and toss the ingredients together.

2. Spicy Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Miso Dressing

What you'll need:
For the salad -
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 225g raw shrimp; tails removed
  • ½ tbsp butter
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp cayenne
  • 1½ cups sliced avocados (2 small)
  • 1 cucumber
  • 4 cups chopped spinach or baby kale
  • fresh chopped cilantro for topping
  • peanuts for topping
For the dressing-
  • 1 small piece of fresh peeled ginger
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 3 tbsp lime juice (more to taste)
  • 2 tbsp agave syrup
  • 1½ tbsp white miso (it's like a paste - you can buy it at many regular grocery stores)
  • ½ tsp minced garlic
  • ¼ tsp salt

For full cooking instructions of this funky fresh salad, click here.

3. Potato & Peas Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

What you'll need:

For the salad -

  • 1 small shallot; cut into thin half moons
  • 1/4-1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 8 small new potatoes
  • 4-5 big handfuls of pea shoots
  • 1 cup shelled fresh peas
  • 1-2 cups snap peas; cut in half down the center
  • handful of snow peas; chopped
  • additional sprouts if you feel it
  • extra dill to garnish
  • more salt + pepper

For the creamy dill dressing -

  • 1/3 cup mixed raw cashews + sunflower seeds (about 3/4 of that should be cashews); soaked in water for at least 2 hours
  • 1/2 a lemon; juiced
  • splash of vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp – 1tbsp agave syrup
  • splash of water (enough to get the motor of your blender moving–around 3 tbsp)
  • fat pinch of salt
  • lots of black pepper
  • 3-4 sprigs of dill; leaves removed and chopped

For full cooking instructions of this original salad, click here.

 4.White Bean Salad with Peas and Mint

What you'll need:

  • 1 can or 1½ cups white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
  • ½ cup chopped fresh mint
  • 1 scallion; thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • zest and juice from half a lemon
  • ½ cup crumbled feta
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

For full cooking instructions of this spring colored salad, click here.

5. Mandarin Pasta Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Dressing

What you'll need:

For the salad - 

  • 225g bowtie pasta noodles
  • 4 cups spinach leaves
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ⅓ cup cashews or pine nuts (such as Diamond of California)
  • canned mandarin oranges; drained
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves; roughly chopped
For the dressing -
  • ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce (the thicker, the better!)
  • ⅓ cup rice wine vinegar (may sub apple cider vinegar)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder (if you have it)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ½ cup oil (such as vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil)

For full cooking instructions of this tangy salad, click here.