Spring Salad with Asparagus, Zucchini, and Hazelnuts with a Lemon Vinaigrette

Recently, I was making a rich pork dish for dinner and wanted a nice light salad to pair it with so I went in search of inspiration online and found a salad on Proud Italian Cook that looked wonderful. I loosely kept the recipe the same but didn’t have goat cheese so I left it out (but would totally add it next time if I had some) and I also made a simple lemon vinaigrette with lots of garlic and some Dijon. This salad took a little more time and effort to make but was totally worth the effort. I thought this spring salad was beautiful, light, lemony, and delicious and worked really well with the pork I served it with. My husband and daughter also thought it was a nice, light, & tasty salad but my son said it was “just okay, but not my favorite.”

How to Make a Spring Salad with Asparagus, Zucchini, and Hazelnuts with a Lemon Vinaigrette

Make the lemon vinaigrette by combining the vegetable oil, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, and honey, to taste, minced garlic, and sea salt & freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Whisk until well combined; set aside to allow flavors to mingle.

Make the spring salad by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the asparagus on the baking sheet then drizzle a bit of olive oil then season with sea salt & freshly cracked pepper, to taste; toss to coat. Place into the oven to roast for 5-7 minutes, until the raw taste is gone but still rather firm. Remove from the oven and place on a plate to cool. Once cool, shave with a vegetable peeler or slice thinly with a knife.

Combine the butter lettuce with the spinach and arugula in a bowl along with the shaved asparagus, zucchini, radish slices, and peas; drizzle with some well-whisked lemon vinaigrette, to taste. Gently toss the salad to coat then pour into a serving bowl. Top with the toasted hazelnuts, a bit of shaved parmesan, and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Serve immediately with additional vinaigrette and lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy.

Spring Salad with Asparagus, Zucchini, and Hazelnuts with a Lemon Vinaigrette

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Course: Sides

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking / Inspired by Proud Italian Cook

Ingredients

Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp honey, to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Spring Salad

• 5-6 thick stalks of asparagus, woody ends trimmed
• Olive oil, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 cups butter lettuce
• 2 cups baby spinach and arugula
• 1 small zucchini, shaved (with vegetable peeler)
• 2 radishes, (shaved with vegetable peeler)
• ¼ cup fresh (or frozen & thawed) peas
• ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts
• Fresh parmesan, shaved

Instructions

Lemon Vinaigrette:

• Make the lemon vinaigrette by combining the vegetable oil, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, honey, to taste, minced garlic, and sea salt & freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Whisk until well combined; set aside to allow flavors to mingle. 

Spring Salad:

• Make the spring salad by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.
• Place the asparagus on the baking sheet then drizzle a bit of olive oil then season with sea salt & freshly cracked pepper, to taste; toss to coat. 
• Place into the oven to roast for 5-7 minutes, until the raw taste is gone but still rather firm. Remove from the oven and place on a plate to cool. Once cool, shave with a vegetable peeler or slice thinly with a knife. 
• Combine the butter lettuce with the spinach and arugula in a bowl along with the shaved asparagus, zucchini, radish slices, and peas; drizzle with some well-whisked lemon vinaigrette, to taste. 
• Gently toss the salad to coat then pour into a serving bowl. Top with the toasted hazelnuts, a bit of shaved parmesan, and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. 
• Serve immediately with additional vinaigrette and lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy. 

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