This Spring Mix Salad is bright and refreshing with a tangy and homemade citrusy salad dressing! It consists of fresh spring greens, colorful veggies, creamy avocado, and soft paneer cubes.
Bright Spring Mix Salad is excellent as a side dish, healthy lunch, or dinner. This recipe can easily be customized by adding your favorite vegetables and toppings!
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Healthy and Bright Spring Mix Salad
This Spring Mix Salad is delicious, earthy, tangy, creamy, and satisfying. It is very filling and can be enjoyed as a healthy lunch or dinner.
The salad gives off pure spring and summer vibes and is easy to make. It’s quick and can be prepared in 10 minutes with homemade salad dressing. It must be on your salad list if you often eat salad for a light lunch or dinner.
Making the Spring Mix Salad is straightforward, and the recipe is easily customizable. Tender and crisp mixed spring mix is the base, making the salad highly nutrient-dense.
I added diced cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, green grapes, and avocado chunks. Also, topped the salad with paneer cubes and roasted pumpkin seeds. However, the recipe is highly customizable, and you can add your favorite elements.
Grapes provide a delicious fruity flavor to the salad. You can skip them or add dried cranberries or raisins. I like to add paneer cubes for more protein and creaminess. You can also add feta cheese, goat cheese, cottage cheese, or any other soft cheese of your choice.
Making the salad dressing requires only a few ingredients. I used fresh lemon juice to provide tanginess and add fresh flavors to the salad. You can add more spices or herbs to this dressing to suit your taste preferences.
Why You Will Love This Salad
- Spring Mix Salad is healthy, filling, and satisfying.
- The recipe is highly customizable, and more elements can be added.
- This salad is flavorful, colorful, vibrant, fresh, and bright.
- Adding avocado and paneer makes the salad creamy and nutritious.
- The salad is tossed with fresh and tangy homemade salad dressing.
Ingredients and Notes
Making the salad and dressing requires only a few ingredients. You can easily add or remove certain ingredients to suit your taste preferences.
For the Spring Mix Salad
- Spring Greens: Use fresh, tender spring mix greens for the best taste. You can choose your favorite pack of green spring mix.
- Tomatoes and Cucumbers: I added grape tomatoes and English cucumbers to this salad. You can add cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes.
- Grapes: I love adding green or red grapes to my spring mix salad for fruity and juicy flavors. However, adding the grapes is optional, and you can skip them.
- Avocado: Avocado makes the salad creamy and filling. Do not add the avocado with brown spots or mushy avocado.
- Cheese: I added Indian cheese paneer to this salad. The paneer cubes make the salad protein-dense and delicious. You can add goat, feta, ricotta, or cottage cheese, whichever you prefer. However, to keep the salad vegan, skip adding dairy cheese or add tofu.
- Pumpkin Seeds: I added roasted pumpkin seeds to add a delicious crunch to the salad.
For the Dressing
- Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for the dressing.
- Lemon Juice: I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the fresh and bright flavors. Depending on how tangy you prefer your dressing, add less or more lemon juice.
- Salt and Pepper: Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Dijon Mustard: I added Dijon mustard for an earthy and spicy flavor.
- Chili Flakes: I used chili flakes to add a slight spiciness to the salad. However, they are optional, and you can skip them.
- Maple Syrup: You can use honey instead of maple syrup.
How To Make Spring Mix Salad
- In a small bowl or cup, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings as required.
- Place spring greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle with half or ¾th of the prepared dressing.
- Gently toss to coat all the ingredients.
- Top the salad with grapes, avocados, paneer (or cheese of choice), and pumpkin seeds.
- Drizzle the remaining dressing on the top and serve.
Variations
Vegetables: Add diced green peppers, bell peppers, celery, or radishes.
Fresh Fruits: Add blueberries, sliced strawberries, or orange pieces for fruity and juicy flavors.
Beans: Add chickpeas or white beans to the salad for a complete meal.
Cheese: Top the salad with feta or goat cheese. For a vegan salad, you can also add tofu.
Salad Dressing: You can use your favorite dressing or a store-bought vinaigrette for this salad.
Herbs: Top the salad with finely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, mint, parsley, or cilantro.
Nuts and Seeds: Top the salad with sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds.
Dried Fruits: Add dried cranberries or raisins.
Storing Suggestions
Transfer the salad to an airtight container and refrigerate for a day or two. If preferred, drizzle some more dressing before serving.
Helpful Tips For Spring Mix Salad
Dressing: You can make the dressing in advance, but dress the salad as shortly as possible before serving. Also, do not pour all the vinaigrette at once. Initially, add half or ¾th of dressing, toss the salad, and add more as required.
Serving: If you are not serving all the salad at once, dress only the one you plan to eat immediately. Store the leftover salad without dressing in the refrigerator.
Make-Ahead: You can make salad dressing in advance. Store it in the refrigerator for 3 days and shake it well before use. You can mix the spring mix and vegetables for the salad and refrigerate it for 3 days. Add the toppings and vinaigrette before serving.
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Recipe Card
Spring Mix Salad
Ingredients
- 150 g mixed spring greens
- 1 cup diced cucumbers
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup green or red grapes, halved (optional)
- 1 medium avocado (pitted and diced)
- 100 g paneer cubes (or choice of cheese)
- 2 tablespoon roasted pumpkin Seeds
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl or cup, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings as required.
- Place spring greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with half or ¾th of the prepared dressing. Gently toss to coat all the ingredients.
- Top the salad with grapes, avocados, paneer (or your choice of cheese), and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle the additional dressing over the top, then serve.
Storing Suggestions
- Transfer the salad to an airtight container and refrigerate for a day or two. Drizzle some more dressing before serving if preferred.
Notes
- Dressing: You can make the dressing in advance, but dress the salad as shortly as possible before serving. Also, do not pour all the vinaigrette at once. Initially, add half or ¾th of dressing, toss the salad, and add more as required.
- Serving: If you are not serving all the salad at once, dress only the one you plan to eat immediately. Store the leftover salad without dressing in the refrigerator.
- Make-Ahead: You can make salad dressing in advance. Store it in the refrigerator for three days and shake it well before use. Mix the spring mix and vegetables for the salad and refrigerate them for three days. Add the toppings and vinaigrette before serving.
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