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

I made this easy spring salad with asparagus, zucchini, and hazelnuts with a Lemon vinaigrette salad recipe I adapted from one I found on Proud Italian Cook. This spring salad was beautiful, light, lemony, and delicious and paired well with the pork and garlic rice. 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.”

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

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

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, drizzle a bit of olive oil on the spears, 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 it, then pour into a serving bowl.

Top with the toasted hazelnuts and some 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.