Spring salad with citrus vinaigrette combines olive oil, lemons, limes, and oranges to create a sweet but tart dressing perfect for crisp mixed greens.
Ladies and gentlemen, Springs is on its way. Temperatures are slowly climbing, and that means barbecues and picnics are definitely in the future. With that being said, a lot of people still have to dine indoors. But that doesn’t mean they have to miss out on Spring’s delicious flavors. For this recipe, we decided to prepare a crisp dish that can be enjoyed indoors or outside. Our Spring salad with citrus vinaigrette will leave you feeling like you just enjoyed a fresh meal under bright blue skies and warm sunshine.
Nothing starts a meal quite like a fresh salad with brisk dressing. It cleanses the palate and entices the taste buds in preparation for the satisfying main course. Since the Spring months are approaching fast, your produce section will begin stocking itself with a variety of salad mixes. We chose the Spring mix for obvious reasons. It’s the perfect blend of crunchy texture and earthy flavors to play host to this sharp yet delightful vinaigrette. The balance of acid to sugar in this dressing mingles well and provides an alternative to heavy cream dressings. We hope you decide to incorporate it into your next meal plan. Wishing you great food, lots of love, and longevity!
Unfortunately, there is no real backstory or cute narrative to accompany this recipe. I wish I had some memoir to add, but I simply do not. If you are looking for fiction, feel free to look me up on Amazon. Instead, I have decided to go with a different tone for this post and sincerely hope you still find it satisfactory. If not, hang in there, we will surely make a dish that has an engaging narrative very soon. For now, sit back, relax and enjoy the food!
Instructions:
Salad Preparation:
I know I say this a lot, but this recipe is simple to prepare. The real star is the dressing, and it only takes a few minutes to put together. Now, on the recipe card, I put the traditional method to making a vinaigrette; however, if you look in the “Notes” section you will see how I make a vinaigrette. I will go into a little more detail below. But first, let’s get started on the preparation work.
To begin, wash the Spring mix and either use a salad spinner or paper towels to dry the greens. Then put them in a large mixing bowl and set it aside. Next, shred the carrots and add them to the salad mix. Afterward, shred the parmesan cheese into a separate bowl and put it aside for later. Go ahead and chop the garlic and shallot and put them into another mixing bowl. Now that everything is prepped you can make the vinaigrette.
Citrus Vinaigrette:
In the same bowl as the garlic and shallot, add the lemon, lime, and orange juices. Give the ingredients a quick whisk to make sure they are blended. For the traditional method, slowly add the olive oil to the mixture while whisking at the same time. This action causes them to combine into the vinaigrette. With that being said, when I make a dressing, I chose the easy route. I add the garlic, juices, olive oil, shallot, and any seasonings to a mason jar, seal it, and then shake vigorously. That has always worked for me, and I invite you to give a shot as well. You may find it to be the easiest way to make your favorite dressings. Make sure you taste the dressing and add any salt or pepper if needed. All that is left to do now is to add the vinaigrette to the salad, mix and then garnish with the Parmesan cheese. Alternately, you can plate each salad individually, dress, then add the Parmesan cheese. The choice is up to you, enjoy it any way you like.
Looking for more salad dressing recipes? Try our Parmesan Caesar Dressing or Spicy Ranch Dressing.
Used in this Recipe:
- 1 5 Ounce Bag of Spring Salad Mix- Washed
- 4 Ounces of Shredded Carrots
- 1 Ounce of Shredded Parmesan Cheese (optional)
- 8 Ounces of Mandarin Orange Juice
- 4 Ounces of Lemon Juice
- 4 Ounces of Lime Juice
- 6 to 8 Ounces of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon of Chopped Shallot
- 1 Tablespoon of Chopped Garlic
- Salt and Pepper to taste
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Wash salad mix and pat or spin dry and put into large mixing bowl.
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Shred Parmesan Cheese and set aside.
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Shred carrots and combine with salad mix.
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Chop garlic and shallots and set aside.
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In a different mixing bowl or container with lid combine garlic, shallot, orange, lemon, and lime juices.
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While mixing, slowly add olive oil to juices, continue process until all oil is blended into vinaigrette.
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Try dressing and add salt and pepper to taste.
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Pour finished vinaigrette over spring mix in large bowl and toss greens or plate greens, then add dressing.
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Garnish with Parmesan Cheese and enjoy.
Alternately, you may combine the garlic, shallots, citrus juices and olive oil into a mason jar and shake vigorously. It's not the traditional way, but it's how we made this vinaigrette. Leave off the cheese to make the salad vegan!
You don’t always need a narrative when you have great food 😛
This looks fantastic, a perfect way to start a meal!
Thank you, Krysten! LOL! I just wasn’t feeling it yesterday. Thank you for reading it though 🙂
Great vinaigrette recipe! I’m not creative at all when it comes to salads, so any yummy idea like this one is always welcome!
Thank you, Alina! Vinaigrettes are so fun to make. You can experiment with them from time to time and create your own dressing. Using infused oils also changes the flavors too. 🙂
Your citrus vinaigrette sounds amazing. I try to eat salad every day and I am need of a new dressing. Pinning this one:)
Thank you, Andrea! Nothing beats a fresh salad, glad I was able to add a little variety for you 🙂
This looks DEVINE! I will definitely be trying next week 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Thank you, Lindsay! I hope you love it 🙂
This looks delicious! The viniagrette sounds just like something I’d enjoy, so I definitely need to try this out. 🙂
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Yum! This salad looks so inviting & bright. The dressing sounds particularly delicious. :]
// itsCarmen.com
Thank you, Carmen! I hope you get a chance to make it 🙂
This salad sounds so tasty! I am so ready for spring and summer fresh veggies!
Thank you, Jay! I know what you mean. Time for farmer’s markets and shopping outdoors, thank goodness 🙂
This looks like a fantastic spring salad with a nice bright vinaigrette!
Thank you, Marlynn! I am glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
Reading through this brought a smile to my face 🙂 . This is such a kid friendly recipe, I am sure my little helpers are going to have fun with it. Thank you for sharing !!
Thank you, Syama! I am glad you enjoyed and I hope your little ones have fun making the dish. If nothing else, toss all the ingredients into one plastic shaker cup and let them go crazy mixing the vinaigrette lol! 🙂
This looks amazing! I’ll be honest – I’ve never made my own dressings before. I’ve always been a little intimidated because it seems so complicated, I guess? I don’t know why. But I’ll have to give this one a shot and get over my intimidation 😉
Thank you, Leah! Give it try, it’s easy and fun to make up new flavors. Lemon poppyseed, balsamic and orange, making all kinds of variations is a blast 🙂
Yay! This looks so refreshing! Bring on Spring! (It’s snowing here currently…boo)
Thank you, Kari! Ew! Still snowing, huh? I try not to complain too much about the weather, I live in South Florida so we never really have a Winter.
Love a good salad and your right the dressing can really make or break a good salad.
Thank you, Candy! To be honest, for me at least, the dressing makes the salad lol!
I love citrus-y salads. Especially if you’re using a bitter and earthy green. I am going to have to try this salad out!
Thank you, Krysten! I have always been more of a ranch dressing person myself, but I found citrus flavors to be much more appealing as I got into adulthood. Thanks again for commenting 🙂
Yummy! I have really gotten into making my own dressings and this will be a perfect addition to my recipe list. I love that there is no added sugar as well. Definitely a perfect dressing for these warm days.
Thank you, Ayanna! I know what you mean. It’s crazy how much sugar gets added to bottled dressings. It’s nice when you can make your own alternatives 🙂
This sounds delish. I love the simplicity of the ingredients in the dressing. Will have to try it. Aloha!
Julie
http://alohalovely.com
Thank you, Julie! I hope you love it 🙂
Just looking at those photos feels like Spring! I LOVE citrus vinaigrettes. I definitely need to try this one!
Thank you, Corey! It’s our favorite time of the year and I am glad that came through in the photos 🙂
That dressing looks fantastic. I love tangy vinaigrette!
Thank you, Jocelyn! Me too lol!
This looks and sounds SO flavorful – especially lime mixed with lemon, and garlic mixed with shallot! Going to have to try this dressing!
Thank you, Robin! I love the way citrus and garlic flavors mix in a dressing. On a side note, they also work well in a roasted whole chicken. I usually stuff the body cavity with oranges, lemons, limes, and garlic cloves. So fragrant and delicious 🙂