Spring Pea and Asparagus Salad with Ricotta is the perfect spring recipe. It's both light and fresh. It features crisp spring veggies, creamy ricotta, and a simple lemon vinaigrette.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
You will love how quickly this spring salad comes together. The asparagus and peas are blanched, which makes it super easy. If you've never blanched asparagus before, it only takes a few minutes. Learn more about how to blanch asparagus.
Spring Pea and Asparagus Salad is perfect for a weekend brunch or Easter side dish. It's also so beautiful it's sure to impress!
It's both vegetarian and low carb.
Ingredients
- Asparagus: Fresh asparagus. Select a bunch that's bright green with firm stalks.
- Peas: Shelled english peas or thawed frozen peas.
- Arugula: Baby arugula is a nice peppery base for this salad, however you can use whatever greens you prefer.
- Mint: Fresh mint.
- Ricotta: Part skim ricotta adds a nice creamy texture to this crisp salad.
- Lemon Vinaigrette: Extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic, salt and pepper.
*The full ingredient list with amounts is in the recipe card below.
Step-By-Step Instructions
In just a few simple steps, you can make this Spring Pea and Asparagus Salad.
- Prepare the lemon vinaigrette by whisking all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add some ice and cold water to a large bowl and set aside. Add the asparagus and peas to the boiling water and cook for 2-4 minutes, until asparagus is crisp-tender and bright green. Drain and transfer to the ice water for 1-2 minutes. Drain.
- Place the blanched asparagus, peas, arugula, and mint leaves on a serving platter. Toss to combine. Dot the ricotta over the top. Drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Variations
This salad is delicious as it is, however it is customizable if you would like to make some changes.
Use different greens. Swap out the baby arugula for a spring mix or baby spinach.
Make it dairy-free. Just leave out the ricotta cheese.
Prefer a different cheese? Swap out the ricotta for burrata. Just pull it into chunks and dot it on top. Crumbled goat cheese or feta would also go great in this dish.
Add prosciutto. Prosciutto is a perfect meat to add to this salad. It's sweet, salty, and pairs perfectly with asparagus and ricotta.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Asparagus is in season during the spring. It's freshest from March through June.
It's recommended to enjoy this salad immediately. You can refrigerate leftovers for 1-2 days, however the arugula and mint will become a little soggy.
More Recipes
If you like this spring salad, then you'll love these other recipes!
- Air Fryer Parmesan Asparagus
- Cara Cara Orange and Prosciutto Salad
- Peach Arugula Burrata Salad with Blackberries
- Rainbow Orzo Salad
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Spring Pea and Asparagus Salad with Ricotta
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Total Time: 14 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Blanch
- Cuisine: American
Description
Spring Pea and Asparagus Salad with Ricotta is the perfect spring recipe. It's both light and fresh. It features crisp spring veggies, creamy ricotta, and a simple lemon vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the Lemon Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Salad
- 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed, chopped in 2-inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups shelled english peas or thawed frozen peas
- 2 cups baby arugula
- ½ cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
- ½ cup part skim ricotta
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the lemon vinaigrette by whisking all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add some ice and cold water to a large bowl and set aside. Add the asparagus and peas to the boiling water and cook for 2-4 minutes, until asparagus is crisp-tender and bright green. Drain and transfer to the ice water for 1-2 minutes. Drain.
- Place the blanched asparagus, peas, arugula, and mint leaves on a serving platter. Gently toss to combine. Dot the ricotta over the top. Drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 5.4 g
- Sodium: 158.5 mg
- Fat: 6.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.3 g
- Fiber: 3.2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 6.4 mg
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