This spring mix salad is made with a combination of fruit, vegetables, cheese, and sesame roasted cashews. It is topped with a simple dressing and you can serve it with your favorite lunch or dinner recipes.
The Best Spring Mix Salad
Looking for a salad recipe that uses your favorite spring mix? This spring mix salad is the perfect combination of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and cheese.
We have so many salad recipes on Fit Foodie Finds and one rule of thumb we always follow is remember to always have a mix of textures, flavors, and ingredients!
Ingredients in this Salad
Here is everything you need to mix up this fresh and crunchy spring mix salad.
- Cashews- you are going to make the most delicious sesame roasted cashews for this recipe. Be sure you buy raw cashes!
- Maple syrup– the sesame roasted cashews are tossed with maple syrup
- Sesame seeds– you add an extra crunch to your roasted cashews by tossing them in sesame seeds.
- White wine vinegar– we kept the dressing super simple for this salad. white wine vinegar adds just the right tartness.
- Honey– the natural sweetener in the dressing is honey!
- Salt + Pepper– season the cashews, salad, and dressing with salt and pepper!
- English cucumbers– adding some more crunch to this spring mix salad with english cucumbers!
- Spring mix lettuce- use your favorite homegrown or store bough spring mix as the base for this salad.
- Blueberries + Strawberries- there is nothing like fresh fruit in a vegetable salad. It adds just the right amount of sweetness.
- Red onion– add a little bite to your spring mix salad with finely diced red onion.
- Feta crumbles– adding a bit of crumbled feta to this salad adds the perfect amount of saltiness.
- Olive oil– the oil we use for the dressing is olive oil! It adds great flavor to any salad.
- Lemon zest– brighten up any salad with lemon zest.
substitution options
Mix up the vegetables
The vegetables we chose for this salad add different textures and sizes to this spring mix salad. If you would prefer other vegetables, here are a few substitutions we would suggest.
cucumbers —> red or green peppers
purple onion–> green onion
spring mix–> arugula
Add the crunch
We are big advocates of adding crunch to any of our salad recipes. We did that by adding sesame cashews and oh-baby are they delicious.
If you don’t have time to make roasted cashews or would like a different option, feel free to use any of the crunchy options below.
Change up the fruit
Sliced strawberries and blueberries add a spring and summery flare to this salad, but feel free to change up the fruit with whatever season you’re in. Dried fruit would also be delicious.
Sesame Roasted Cashews
These Maple Sesame Roasted Cashews are an easy at-home version that you can make in your own kitchen but made with no added sugar or additives. Here’s why you need to make these:
- 4-Ingredients: you only need 4 basic ingredients to get started.
- Ready in 30 Minutes: roasted cashews ready in no time!
- Vegan & Gluten-Free: these nuts are both naturally gluten-free and vegan.
- Versatile: whether you’re eating these as a snack, gifting them to a friend or family, or topping them on a salad, this roasted cashews recipe is so versatile.
When you make these cashews for this spring mix salad, you will have leftovers so be sure to store them in an air tight container so they stay crunchy.
All About the Dressing
The dressing for this salad is a simple mixture of white wine vinegar, honey, salt, and lemon zest. With all of the different ingredients and flavors a simple dressing is perfect.
If you are looking for a more dressing options check out any of these dressing recipes and choose your own adventure.
How to Make a Spring Mix Salad
- Prepare the cashews. The roasted cashews in this recipe take the longest (9 minutes) so be sure to follow the recipe in the recipe card for how to roast them to perfection.
- Chop the vegetables + fruit. Prepare the cucumber, red onion, strawberries, and blueberries and toss them in bowl with a spring mix salad.
- Whisk the dressing. Whisk together the vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper until the honey dissolves.
- Assemble the salad. Drizzle the dressing over all the salad ingredients and top the salad with the cashews, feta, and lemon zest.
What to Serve with Spring Mix Salad
You can eat this spring mix salad by itself for a simple lunch, add some chicken breast for protein, or serve it along side one of the main dishes below.
Simple Ground Chicken Burgers- If you are looking for a staple chicken burger recipe, this is it! These ground chicken burgers are so flavorful and moist and topped with our secret burger sauce.
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken- No matter the time of year BBQ Pulled Chicken is the way to go for any gathering. So, take out that crock pot, and let’s make the easiest Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken recipe of all time.
Grilled Steak- Get tender, juicy, perfectly grilled steak with this “how to grill steak” post. We’ll give you the best tips and tricks for grilling steak like a professional.
Storage
If you are not serving this salad immediately we suggest waiting to add the dressing to the salad until right before serving. Store the salad ingredients in an air tight container in the refrigerator separate from the dressing.
Spring Mix Salad Recipe
Make this spring mix salad recipe and get all of your fruits and veggies in in one meal!
Prep: 30 minutesCook: 9 minutesTotal: 39 minutes
Ingredients
Cashews
- 2 cups whole, raw cashews
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Salad
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sliced english cucumbers
- 5-oz. Spring mix lettuce
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup strawberries, thinly sliced
- 1/2 finely minced medium red onion
- 2/3 cup feta crumbles
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Cashews*
- First, preheat the oven to 375ºF and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Next, place raw cashews on the baking sheet and drizzle on maple syrup.
- Toss cashews in the maple syrup and make sure everything is fully coated. Then sprinkle on sesame seeds and gently toss again. Season with salt.
- Roast at 375ºF for around 10 minutes, stopping to toss at 3, 6, and 9 minutes.
- Once your cashews are golden brown, remove them from the oven and let them sit for at least 10 minutes. During this time they will become crunchy.
- Set the cashews aside for later.
Salad
- Add vinegar, honey, and salt into a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk together until the honey dissolves.
- Place the sliced english cucumbers in the bowl with the vinegar and toss so that all the cucumbers are coated in vinegar. Let the cucumbers sit in the vinegar for 10-15 minutes (or overnight).
- Next, place the spring mix lettuce into a large salad bowl and then add the blueberries, strawberries, red onion, and feta to the bowl. Toss ingredients together.
- Using a slotted spoon remove the cucumbers from the vinegar mixture and add them to the salad bowl. Save the vinegar mixture for the fressing.
- Prepare the salad dressing by removing 3 tablespoons of the vinegar mixture from the cucumbers and placing it into a small bowl. Add olive oil, lemon zest, and black pepper to the bowl and whisk everything together to combine.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss everything together.
- Finally, add ½-1 cup of the roasted cashews to the salad and enjoy.
Tips & Notes
*You will have left over cashews
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/6
Calories: 307
Sugar: 20
Sodium: 201
Fat: 18
Carbohydrates: 33
Fiber: 5
Protein: 7
Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: Spring Mix Salad