Spring Salad Recipe with Grains
Published October 12, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Spring Salad Recipe with Farro and Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette is packed with seasonal greens and vegetables for an unbelievable flavor. You will love the incredible combinations of fresh ingredients in this salad.
As I’ve gotten older, I seem to be eating more and more salads. One of my favorite parts of any salad is the dressings. If you are looking to try some amazing homemade dressing, then you must make my Buttermilk Ranch or Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Spring Salad
A spring salad can be whatever you want it to be if the ingredients are fresh and in season. I believe many components can take your salad over the top, like adding fresh vegetables to the greens, protein, nuts, and a tasty dressing. My recommendation is always to use what you have, what is in season, and what is on sale, or else you’re going to have an overpriced salad that just misses the mark.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Grains – I like to use cooked farro in this recipe, but you can also use bulghur or quinoa.
- Greens – My favorite combination is spring mix lettuce.
- Vegetables – I like to add asparagus, green beans, and parboiled peas and then chilled for this salad.
- Nuts – Candied pecans will bring amazing flavors and texture to this.
- Dressing – I make a very simple lemon vinaigrette for this salad recipe.
- Eggs – Some hard-boiled eggs will add some much-needed protein to this.
- Garnishes – I used a combination of cherry tomatoes, radishes, avocados, and micro greens.
How to Make a Spring Salad
Start by preparing the lemon vinaigrette dressing and set it aside.
Make the candied pecans and then set them to the side.
Cook the farro, rinse it and chill it.
Par boil the green beans, asparagus, and peas in a large pot of boiling salted water. First, add in the beans and asparagus for 90 seconds, then add in the peas and cook for 90 seconds.
Rinse and chill the vegetables immediately.
Place the greens in a large bowl and accessorize with the cooked farro, par-boiled green beans, asparagus and peas, hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, radishes, candied pecans, avocados, and micro green and serve alongside the vinaigrette.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this spring salad up to 1 day before. Just be sure it is not yet mixed with the dressing. In addition, it would be best to leave the hard-boiled eggs and avocado un-cut.
How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will not freeze.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Feel free to use whatever salad dressing you’d like.
- You can swap out, remove, or substitute any vegetables in this recipe.
More Salad Recipes
Video
Spring Salad Recipe with Farro and Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 lemon vinaigrette recipe
- 1/2 candied pecans recipe
- 4 cups of cooked Farro
- 1 cup of trimmed green beans
- ½ bunch of asparagus, cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 cup of spring peas
- 12 ounces of spring mix lettuce
- 6 hard boiled eggs, shelled and cut in half
- 1 bunch of cherry tomatoes
- 2 thinly sliced radishes
- 2 peeled, seeded and sliced avocados
- micro greens for garnish
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by preparing the lemon vinaigrette dressing and set it aside.
- Make the candied pecans and then set them to the side.
- Cook the farro according to the package, rinse it, and chill it.
- Stir in the pecans and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the caramel sauce completely coats the pecans.
- Par boil the green beans, asparagus, and peas in a large pot of boiling salted water. First, add in the beans and asparagus for 90 seconds and then add in the peas and cook for a further 90 seconds.
- Rinse and chill the vegetables immediately.
- To Plate: Place the greens in a large bowl and accessorize with the cooked farro, par-boiled green beans, asparagus and peas, hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, radishes, candied pecans, avocados, and micro green and serve alongside the vinaigrette.
Yummy recipe thank you ChefBilly 😁😋
Thank you ChefBilly tasty recipe 😁😋
Thank you ChefBilly did tie recipe lived thus 😁😋
Awesome
many thanks!
Super delicious and packed with great flavors. I couldn’t find farro so I did substitute it with quinoa. My Mother In Law requested I make it again while she was visiting.
thanks for giving it a shot!!
My very picky husband loved it! Now I can try all the salad recipes he says! Such simple ingredients came together to make the best salad we ever had. Chef is a genius! Thanks for the great recipe. Would make again definitely!
Thanks for giving it a shot!!
This was amazing. I made it tonight. My husband said you’ve made a lot of great and delicious salads but this one by far is the best yet. I said perfect I’ll let my “friend” Billy know. I made it pretty much adhering to recipe but did also parboil some julienned carrots for more added color. The lemon vinaigrette was also super easy and delicious
So good!!
Excellent salad. Just finished it for dinner. The farro was the perfect texture for the greens and the dressing was nice and light. Easy prep means this will be reappearing down the road. Thanks, chef.
Thank you so much for the kind words sir, so glad it worked out for you!!