12 bright salads for spring

We believe in eating spring with abandon. The minute winter slips away, we're dreaming of asparagus on our plates and pea shoots for days — atop sandwiches, in stir fries, and woven around forks. But most of all, we celebrate the season simply, with a dozen bright salads.

On these sunny days, your vegetables doesn't ask for much. You can blanch them if you like, but they are just as happy sliced or shaved raw. They'll be the tender side salad, the midday bright spot, the hearty dinner. Throw in a zippy dressing or a handful of soba — and if you come home with too many fava beans, they'll take those, too. No matter how you toss it, your salad can't help but sing of springtime. So take out your biggest salad bowl — we'll meet you at the farmers' market.

Asparagus with young garlic and horseradish by Amanda Hesser

Pea shoot and baby arugula salad with Meyer lemon vinaigrette by Merrill Stubbs

Roasted chickpea salad with za'atar by Shruti Jain

Shaved asparagus and mint salad by Meatballs&Milkshakes

Radish salad with anchovy sauce by Amanda Hesser

Spring soba noodle salad with fava beans by Gena Hamshaw

Spring salad with asparagus and soft-boiled eggs by Girl Farm Kitchen

Potato salad with arugula and dijon vinaigrette by Merrill Stubbs

April Bloomfield's lemon caper dressing by Genius Recipes

Smoked lentil salad with Sriracha miso mayonnaise by NBrush

Make your own avocado caesar by inpatskitchen

Citrus ginger tofu salad with soba noodles by Poppies and Papayas

This article originally appeared on Food52.com: 12 bright salads for spring.

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