Spring Green Salad Almonds (Printer-friendly)

Crisp spring greens and crunchy almonds combined with tangy honey mustard dressing for a fresh, light dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 4 cups mixed spring greens (arugula, baby spinach, watercress, baby lettuce)
02 - 1 cup snap peas, trimmed and sliced
03 - 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
04 - 4 radishes, thinly sliced
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
07 - 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

→ Honey Mustard Dressing

08 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
10 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 - 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
12 - 1½ teaspoons honey
13 - 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine the spring greens, snap peas, cucumber, radishes, chives, and parsley.
04 - Drizzle the honey mustard dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Sprinkle the toasted almonds on top just before serving for extra crunch.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dressing hits that perfect balance of tangy and sweet without ever feeling heavy or overpowering the delicate greens.
  • It comes together in twenty minutes flat, making it ideal for those days when you want something nourishing but aren't in the mood for fussing.
  • Toasted almonds add a satisfying crunch that actually stays crispy if you top them on at the last possible moment.
02 -
  • Timing matters with the almonds more than almost anything else in this recipe, so toast them fresh and add them at the absolute last moment or they'll turn soft and disappointing.
  • Don't make this dressing more than an hour ahead because the garlic and mustard intensify over time, and you want it bright and balanced, not aggressive.
03 -
  • If you're serving more than four people, make the dressing in a larger quantity and keep extra on hand because people always want more once they taste how good it is.
  • Use a microplane to mince the garlic almost to a paste rather than traditional mincing, which distributes it more evenly through the dressing so you don't get jarring garlic pockets.
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