No Fuss Spring Salad

Name: No Fuss Spring Salad In 15 Mins
Prep time: 15 min
Ingredients: Pickled onions -; 1 onion (sliced); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1 lime juice; 1 tsp honey; Pinch of salt; Salad -; 1 box (400gm cherry tomatoes); 1 cup fresh herbs (dill, parsley, mint *see note); 1/4 cup feta cheese; 2 tsp nigella seeds; 1 tsp flakey salt; Dressing -; 1 lemon juice & zest; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp dried oregano; 2 tsp crushed black pepper; Garnish -; 1/2 cup toasted almonds (sliced)

Fresh and simple, this salad is perfect for the season of spring. It is assembled and served in the platter which means minimal wash up, it is filled with herbs, tomatoes and cheese. Serve it for lunch, dinner or enjoy it as a side for any course.

The weather has officially changed, the breeze is not freezing cold, there is a hint of warmth in the air. We are in the middle of seasons changing, which means different produce is going to be in season very soon. During this time I am not entirely ready to get rid of the soups, stews and curries – but I am in the same breath ready for freshness and zesty flavors to gradually incorporate into my diet.

I would like to say I eat as per the seasons but living in Dubai gives me access to all kinds of produces all year round, however I do try to eat locally and seasonal as much as possible and this not only helps with the flavors of your recipes but also you get to enjoy the best quality of the ingredients when in season.

The beauty about this recipe is that there is no cooking involved init. You don’t have to mix the dressing separately in a bowl and add it into the vegetables. We assemble and serve the salad in the platter itself. Making for a simple recipe to throw together in little time. Also who doesn’t love less dishes to wash?

What is a Spring salad?

A spring salad is basically a salad you can serve on the tapering end of winter and the onset of summer. You could continue to serve it all through summer as well. It is a fresh salad that is the perfect balance of warm and cooling, it is salty, peppery and sour. It has a zing to it which comes form the zest and juice of lemons.

What ingredients do you need to make this Spring salad?

I have used ingredients which are in season for me. It could be that you don’t have access to some of them in which case you can substitute any vegetable that you prefer or have available to you. Having said this, you can season the salad with spice if you prefer but I have kept it simple. I have used cherry tomatoes, pickled onions, feta cheese toasted almonds, nigella seeds and fresh herbs. For the dressing I used lemon juice and zest, dried heron, olive oil, pepper and salt.

What equipment do you need to make this Spring salad?

There is no cooking in this recipe, there is a bunch of chopping though. You will need a chopping board and knife, a bowl to pickle the onions, a platter to serve the salad. I like serving these types of salads in large platters, which makes the entire process very easy to throw together and serve as well.

How to make this Spring salad?

Start by slicing the onions thinly and place them in a bowl, add the minced garlic, squeeze the juice of a lime, season with salt and a little honey. Using your hands scrunch the onions into the marination and cover it, place in the fridge until needed. Chop the cherry tomatoes in half and if they are larges you can quarter the halves as well. Place in the serving platter. Roughly chop the fresh herbs and scatter all over the tomatoes. Crumble the feta cheese over the herbs and tomatoes. Add the pickled onions and season with flakey salt, nigella seeds. Drizzle the olive oil over the platter, add the lemon juice and zest, sprinkle over the dry ingredients and season with pepper. Garnish with the toasted almonds at the end and serve immediately.

Serving & storing this Spring salad?

If you are not serving this salad immediately then hold on with the almonds as they will get soggy. I would garnish the salad just before serving. You can make this salad 3 hours ahead of time and place in the fridge, when ready to serve add the almonds and its ready to be devoured. The leftovers can be stored in an air tight container for 1 day in the fridge. I would recommend adding fresh almonds on top before serving again. This is relatively a cold salad hence it is delicious with a warm piece of grilled salmon or chicken. Add boiled eggs and rocket leaves to make it a delicious lunch box meal.

Looking for more salad recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this Spring salad, you can have a look at the video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more baking recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.

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