A true showstopper Spring Salad for any seasonal party, this vibrant plant-based dish is filled with hearty grains, colorful veggies, chickpeas, and zesty lemon tahini dressing. This feel-good side dish is perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, or any celebration during the spring season.
Consider this salad an homage to spring. It has all of the best ingredients this season is known for: asparagus, green beans, fresh herbs, spicy radishes, sweet and juicy strawberries. All of the fresh things!
It's such a beautiful dish, which makes it ideal for a party. But, with prep and cook time clocking in well under an hour, you can absolutely serve this filling salad for a weekday meal, too. (Just double the portion size to make it a main dish.)
For a spring holiday, like Easter or Mother's Day, try serving this grain salad with Pesto Smashed Potatoes, Pasta Primavera, and 2-Ingredient Strawberry Milkshakes.
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Ingredients
- Asparagus
- Green beans
- Avocado
- Radishes
- Garlic
- Farro
- Vegetable broth (or use water instead)
- Chickpeas
- Tahini
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey or maple syrup
- Salt and pepper
- Frozen peas
Optional Garnishes:
- Strawberries
- Sunflower seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Fresh mint
See the recipe card at the end of this post for ingredient quantities.
Substitutions
A few suggestions for ingredient swaps:
- Farro: Instead of farro, use quinoa.
- Chickpeas: Substitute white beans.
- Sunflower seeds: Swap in pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sliced almonds.
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board: For chopping produce.
- Pot with lid: To cook the farro on the stove. You can also substitute precooked grains.
- Large pot with a steamer basket insert: To steam vegetables. If you don't have a steamer basket, use a colander that fits inside your pot, or steam vegetables in the microwave. Learn more about both methods for steaming vegetables in this article.
Making Ahead and Storage
The grains, vegetables, and dressing can all be prepared in advance, which makes party prep so much easier! Store each component separately in the fridge and then assemble the salad on the day of.
The dressing may thicken in the fridge. If it's too thick, gradually stir in water (about one tablespoon at a time) until it's thinned out to a pourable consistency that is still thick and creamy.
Keep leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The avocado will brown but is still okay to eat.
This recipe is not freezer-friendly.
Top tip
The total amount of water you'll need to thin out the dressing depends on how thick your tahini is. Continue gradually adding the water a couple tablespoons at a time until the consistency is right.
FAQ
Fruits and vegetables in season during the spring season include asparagus, lettuce and greens, green beans, strawberries, radishes, fresh herbs, and avocado.
Related
Looking for more seasonal recipes for spring? Try these:
Pairing
Here are a few dishes to serve with this Spring Salad:
📖 Recipe
Spring Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Pot with lid
- Large pot with a steamer basket or colander that fits inside or microwave and microwave-safe bowl (see note 2)
Ingredients
Farro:
- 1 cup dry farro (see note 1)
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth or water
Steamed vegetables:
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and chopped into thirds
- 2 cups green beans
- 1 cup frozen peas
Dressing:
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 8 tablespoons water
Salad:
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- 4 radishes thinly sliced
Optional garnish:
- Sliced strawberries
- Sunflower seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Cook farro:
- Combine farro and broth or water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook covered 20 minutes, or until farro is tender. Drain excess liquid (if needed), and set aside.
Steam vegetables:
- In the meantime, steam the vegetables. Fill a pot with enough water to just barely touch the bottom of a steamer basket placed inside the pot. Add asparagus and green beans to the steamer basket and cook over medium-high heat for 6 minutes, or until vibrant green and tender. Stir in frozen peas and cook 2 minutes, or until warmed through. Turn off the heat and set aside. (See note 2 for microwave steaming option.)
Prepare the dressing:
- Whisk tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey (or maple syrup), garlic, and salt and pepper. Gradually add water 2 tablespoons at a time and whisk until the dressing is thinned to a consistency that is smooth and pourable. Set aside.
Prepare the salad:
- Combine cooked farro, steamed vegetables, chickpeas, avocado, and radishes on a large serving platter. Drizzle tahini dressing on top and gently toss if desired. Garnish with strawberries, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and mint leaves if desired.
Notes
- Farro: Substitute 3 cups cooked farro (or another prepared grain, such as quinoa) if desired. Skip step 1 if using pre-cooked grains.
- Steaming: Use a colander if you don't have a steamer basket. You can also steam vegetables in the microwave. Rinse asparagus and green beans with water and add them to a microwave-safe bowl (without drying). Cover with plastic wrap or a silicone cover, leaving a small opening to vent. Microwave 6 minutes, or until vibrant and tender. Add frozen peas and stir until warmed through.
- Making ahead: Prepare farro, steamed vegetables, and tahini dressing up to 3 days in advance. Store in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Dressing may thicken in the fridge. To thin, gradually stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Assemble the salad immediately before serving.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. Note avocado will brown but is still okay to eat.
- Vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Gluten-free: Substitute quinoa for farro.
- Nutrition facts are estimates only and do not include optional ingredients for garnish.
Tara | Tara Rochford Nutrition says
Pinning this salad for later because it looks LOVELY!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks so much, Tara! Let me know if you try it. 🙂
Brynn at The Domestic Dietitian says
This looks just amazing! and that dressing...yum!
Amy Lyons says
This is my kind of salad! So many goodies in there, and so hearty and colorful! I love it!
Sheila says
This is one of the best salads I have ever tried. It's so delicious and my family super loved it. It is a must-try for everyone. It was easy and healthy.
Jodi Robinson says
Love anything with tahini!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Me too! It's one of those things I always need to have in my pantry.
Jessy says
I just received the newsletter with this recipe and at first I just wanted to delete it unread. I'm just not a salad person at all. The occasional simple side salad of tomatoes and cucumbers, some lettuce or pesto pasta salad are actually the only kinds of salad I ever liked. For some reason I clicked on the mail anyway... then I saw the picture... and now I don't know how this happened but damn I'm craving a salad, this salad to be exact. You certainly worked a little miracle here 😀
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Jessy, this makes me so happy, you don't even know! 😀 There are so many times I feel like a salad isn't going to satisfy, but I also love them for spring! Especially hearty salads with whole grains and creamy dressing. Sometimes it's nice to have some warm veggies, too. Hope you enjoy this recipe if you try it!
Bridget @EatRightMama says
This is one of the most beautiful salads I've ever seen. And the dressing sounds so tangy and delish. I will definitely share!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks so much, Bridget! You can't go wrong with all these ingredients in season right now.
Catherine Brown says
I am seriously drooling... you've got ALL the good stuff in there! I'm so happy to see farro being used as well, it's such a fabulous grain! Beautiful shots too! 🙂
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Farro is one of my favorite grains. So delicious with spring fruits and veggies. Thank you!
Erin says
Yum! I love this idea!!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks, Erin!
Christine - Jar Of Lemons says
Gorgeous photos! I love all of the bright colors in this beautiful salad. Also love Farro! Can't wait to try 🙂
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks, Christine! Farro is just the greatest. So nutty and chewy. Yum!
Deryn says
This is so gorgeous! I've been loving farro lately and I love the flavours you added to this. Also...a month's worth of recipes in one day is inspiring! I'm lucky if I can get two done. I need to get more organized. I know what you mean about balancing cooking on the fly and always meal planning and batch cooking, both have their benefits but sometimes it is nice to make random recipes!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Ha, thanks Deryn! I like set high expectations—but so many times, I'm also lucky to just get one or two recipes done in a day. You never know what the kitchen gods have in store for you until you start cooking and shooting. 🙂
EA The Spicy RD says
I often say simple is best, but I 100% agree with you here~sometimes more is more. This salad is absolutely gorgeous, and I imagine it tastes incredible too. I'm already dreaming up a gluten-free version (with sorghum) in my head. Yum!!!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Ohh it would be amazing with sorghum! I'd love to try that next. More is definitely more with this one! 🙂
Lorie says
This is seriously GORGEOUS. And full of all my faves. Can’t wait to make it!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks, Lorie! Hope you enjoy it.
Nicole @ Pumps & Iron says
Looks so colorful and delicious! Any dressing with tahini has my name written all over it. 😉
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
I agree. Not sure if I could go on without tahini in my life. 🙂
Amy Gorin says
This looks really delish!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks, Amy!
Alisa Fleming says
It's been a while since I've seen a salad quite this beautiful! It looks so enticing with that creamy sauce and such a wonderful array of vegetables.
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks so much, Alisa! You gotta love spring produce!