Spring is just around the corner, and this week I’m sharing a wonderful Garden Green Salad with Basil Lemon Dressing recipe that will have you feeling refreshed for the new season!

Perfect for a sunny lunch on the porch, this salad comes with a bright pop of lemon and the warm heartiness of roasted chickpeas. It’ll fill you up without weighing you down, and it’s a great option for weekly meal planning if you have the time to prep.

From the spinach to the peas to the pistachios and avocado, my favorite part about this salad is the deliciously light texture. And the basil lemon dressing is guilt-free addition you’ll want to bottle up and save for your other meals!

Ingredients:

For Salad:

• 1 cup arugula or spinach

• 1 cup chopped asparagus

• 1 cup frozen organic peas

• 1/2 cup chopped radish

• 1/2 cup roasted chickpeas

• 1/2 cup pistachios

• 1/2 avocado

• 1 tsp paprika

• Salt and pepper

For Dressing:

• 1/2 cup basil

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 tbsp lemon zest

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Loving The Greens

Either arugula or spinach will work great for the base of this salad. Then, by adding in the boiled peas and asparagus, you’ll have a diverse array of greens packed with nutrients, including a healthy amount of dietary fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins.

Giving it Texture

While a salad is built on greens, it’s the rest of the fixings that can elevate a good salad to a great salad. In this recipe, the additions of the chopped radishes, roasted chickpeas, and pistachios add a dynamic texture that will make this recipe unforgettable. More than that, the combination will also bring an added depth of healthy fats and proteins to supplement your diet. 

All About the Dressing

We’re not calling this a Basil Lemon Salad for nothing. Our citrusy dressing is the star of the show, and there’s no reason to feel guilty about pouring a healthy serving over your greens. Everything in the recipe is a nutritious value-add, from the anti-inflammatory properties of the basil to the healthy fats included in the olive oil, and it comes without the unhealthy seed oils found in most store-bought dressings.

Make sure to really chop up the basil and blend it a ton to get the dressing nice and thick!

Instructions:

1. Clean and chop asparagus into 1/4-inch pieces.

2. Boil water in a medium pot and add frozen peas and asparagus. Cook until you can stick with a fork.

3. Drain and rinse organic chickpeas and place in small bowl. Add in paprika, salt and pepper, and then toss. Place on cooking sheet and heat in oven at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

4. For dressing: combine all ingredients into blender or food processor.

5. Place arugula, chopped radishes, cooked asparagus, peas, roasted chickpeas, pistachios, and avocado in a bowl.

6. Drizzle dressing over salad and mix together.