If you’ve been following for awhile, you must know by now that I am a sucker for a patterned plate. Colors and shapes always spark recipe ideas, so I was super excited when the folks from Q Squared approached me to make beautiful food on their beautiful dinnerware.
When I first laid eyes on these bright blue Heritage pieces, I knew I’d make a big chopped spring salad with a bounty of fresh spring greens. I blanched some asparagus and tossed it with sweet basil oil, peas, radishes and pistachios.
I balanced the crisp veggies with creamy mozzarella, although sliced avocado would be equally delicious in this spring salad if you’re vegan.
This is a great make-ahead salad – perfect for your spring picnics & brunches. The veggies will stay crisp overnight in the fridge, just add the salad greens as you’re ready to serve.
And speaking of spring soireés, these plates & platters couldn’t be more party-perfect. They’re made from high quality BPA-free melamine and they won’t break or chip. I’m always looking for classy-looking indoor/outdoor serving pieces so these will surely make an appearance at my my next spring gathering!
Check out Q Squared and the rest of their beautiful things. As a special treat, Love and Lemons readers will receive 20% off! (enter code: LOVEANDLEMONS)
For more spring salad ideas, check out this grilled asparagus salad or this herb-flecked tabbouleh!
- A big handful of basil and mint
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus some zest
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 2 (or more) tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and fresh black pepper
- 1 bunch of asparagus, tender tops only
- ½ cup peas
- A few handfuls of salad greens
- ½ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- A few sliced radishes
- ½ cup sliced mozzarella balls (vegan sub: avocado)
- Handful of chopped, toasted pistachios
- Handful of herbs: chives and mint
- Make the basil & mint oil: In a food processor, pulse together the herbs, garlic, lemon juice and zest, balsamic, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.
- Prepare the salad: Chop your asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Blanch them for about 45 seconds in a pot of boiling, salted water. Remove immediately and transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water. Let cool, then drain. (If you’re using fresh peas, blanch the peas as well, if you’re using frozen ones, just let them thaw and add them to your salad raw).
- In a large bowl toss together the blanched asparagus, peas, salad greens, chickpeas, radishes, and mozzarella. Add as much of the dressing as you like and toss again. Add the pistachios, chives, and mint. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer the salad to a platter and serve.
- This salad can be made up to a day in advance, just leave out the salad greens until you’re ready to serve.
This post is sponsored by Q Squared. All opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep us cooking!
That is so funny, before I even started reading the post I was thinking how beautiful that bowl was, and I was wondering where you had gotten it from! Mystery solved! This salad looks so springy and fresh and I love your basil mint oil 🙂
ha 🙂
Blue and white is just such a beautiful color combination for anything kitchen related!
This looks positively dreamy. I wonder if it’d be good with a dollop of hummus in place of the chickpeas. Nothing gets on my nerves like trying to eat a chickpea with a fork.
you can leave the chickpeas out :). Sub in another protein or whatever you like!
Ugh I’m already addicted to kitchenware so being introduced to a new place is such bad news…the basil and mint oil dressing sounds intriguing!
The perfect summer salad, yes indeed! You had me at asparagus, though I love the addition of pistachios also, yum!
This looks great! I love green peas in my salad – they’re my favorite addition! Yum!
This salad make me miss summer in Aussie. Those bright green and blues of that beautiful plate makes this the perfect salad.
What fun patterned plates. And I’m loving your basil and mint oil and pistachio addition. I never think of making salads ahead but this really is the perfect one for it.
thanks Katie! I don’t normally either but the leftovers on day 2 were so delicious 🙂
I love how green this salad is. Just today, I picked up a whole load of asparagus in literally every color so this will be fun. I also love the addition of prep wine, my kinda lady 😉
ha, I was waiting for someone to notice the prep wine 🙂
Love this salad and am going to make it next week!! Thank you!
So many good salads from you lately! All gorgeous, and this one makes my mouth water!
I’m obsessed with salads (good hearty ones)!
The look and color of this salad go perfectly well with the plate. A very nice choice of recipe. I am a big fan of crunchy asparagus and aromatic herbs. This dish sounds amazing to me. 🙂
Such Spring perfection, my heart sings! Very excited about that dressing too, what a wonderful idea!
So much green!! This is such a fun salad 🙂
I love all of these colors. I am pretty sure I would feel super healthy after eating a bowl of this salad.
Love peas in salad. This look so good.
This is simply salad perfection. Love the pictures and the salad looks really beautiful on that dish. So great, thanks!
This is my kind of salad! The vibrant colors look stunning against the dinnerware.
Ha, prep wine is an important part of every balanced diet! This kind of salad is exactly what I want to be eating right now.
Beautiful. Proving to everyone that healthy food can be attractive and delicious 🙂
Georgina x
http://bakeitblonde.blogspot.co.uk/
Really beautiful – just the colors of a perfect spring day. I’m so hungry for green things!
I find myself getting excited each time i visit your website! And with each recipe i say i can’t wait to try this… thx for being passionate about your food and sharing. This recipe like them all seems like a winner.
Oh, love those blue plates! So pretty. The salad is gorgeous, too! I’ve been putting radishes in everything lately.
Made this tonight for dinner with farmers market veggies and it was so, so good! Definitely going into our dinner rotation while the veggies are in season!
so glad you liked it!
One of the best salads ever. I used both Mozz and avocado and skipped the chick peas. Forgot to buy basil so used pesto. Perfect salad for our community Mother’s Day dinner!
so glad you liked it!
Hello I have a ASAP question cause I’m making this tonight for tomorrow …I wanted to know when you said to omit the salad greens overnight , did that include the dressing also? Wouldn’t it make the vegetables mush
You can toss it with the dressing, the asparagus, etc, will stay plenty crispy, but the greens would become soggy. (Or you can wait to add the dressing at the end, that’ll work too).
Hi Jeanine & Jack,
I can’t tell you how much I love your site. As a foodie… as a photographer, as a graphic designer AND as a wordpress fanatic… you are hitting all my buttons!
Love your recipes (after living in Istanbul for 2 years and Spain for 15 I put lemon juice on everything too) such variety! And, as a “pescatarian”, (I don’t eat land animals – I eat fish though…) your site delivers time after time.
Absolutely fantastic. Immense enjoyment.
Thank you.
Matt
Hi Matt – thank you! You’re so kind. This comment just made my day…
How many servings does this recipe make?
This is a beautiful and tasty salad. However, the photo was taken with no dressing on the salad. Just FYI.
I made this for Easter lunch yesterday, and it was wonderful! I had the leftovers for lunch today, and it was even better. This is the PERFECT Spring/Summer salad!
Hi Emily! Glad you loved this one, it’s one of my favorites for spring too 🙂
Hi. Beautiful salad. Will be making as party of my Easter dinner. Curious how many as written this serves?
Thanks.
Hi Jodi – it should serve 4 as a side. Happy Easter!
Great – thanks, Jeanine. Happy Easter to you as well!