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I’m writing this post at my desk, which overlooks a barren square of backyard that is partitioned from the neighbors’ equally yellow yards with chain-link fence. I have high hopes for this ugly backyard of mine. The grass is already showing little twinges of fresh green growth, which is enough for me to start fantasizing about a little garden overflowing with herbs and cherry tomatoes. And if my sneezes are any indication, those tall trees overhead will soon come back to life.

I’m really looking forward to sipping wine under a canopy of green leaves this summer. Maybe I’ll get a grill and some twinkle lights and invite my friends over for dinner. Yes, I think I’ll do that. I’m getting ahead of myself. My world hasn’t turned green yet and I’m already daydreaming about juicy peaches and long summer nights. Spring weather has finally arrived and summer’s heat will be here soon enough. I’ve been making up for the lack of green in my surroundings by filling up on green salads lately.

This one is my latest favorite. It’s an explosion of spring textures, flavors and colors, all tossed in my standard zippy lemon dressing. In fact, orange carrots and hot pink radishes are so bright and spring-y that this salad almost hurts my eyes to look at. The garlicky quinoa and herbed avocado round it up to a full, satisfying meal. This salad has several components. I think it would pack pretty well for lunch, but you’ll want to keep the dressing away from the arugula until you’re ready to serve (or you could switch to chopped kale, which can sit in dressing for a while without deteriorating). The avocado blend has enough citrus juice in it to keep it from getting too brown too quickly.

To save time, you can make the quinoa beforehand. I like to cook extra quinoa so I can have leftovers for future salads. You’ll end up with extra vinaigrette, too. If you’re short on time, I suppose you could just slice the avocado and toss in the herbs, but it’s nice to mix the guacamole-like blend into the rest of the salad for some creaminess.

I was torn on whether to write this recipe to yield two salads or four. I decided to leave it at two, but I wanted to note that the recipe will double easily. For reference, three tablespoons times two is about 1/3 cup. No need to double the dressing ingredients, as the amounts listed should yield plenty for four salads. 

5 from 5 reviews

This fresh and filling springtime salad features carrots, radishes, fennel, garlicky quinoa and herbed avocado, all tossed in a simple lemon vinaigrette. The salad as written below yields two large salads—if you’d like to make four, double everything except for the dressing.



Lemon vinaigrette

Herbed avocado



The salad is gluten free.
Make it vegan:Use agave nectar instead of honey and skip the feta cheese.
Storage suggestions: Store leftover vinaigrette in the refrigerator, covered. It should keep for about a week. If you have leftover avocado, press plastic wrap against the avocado to help keep it fresh. It’s best eaten within a couple of days—use it as a dip for vegetables or chips, spread it on toast or serve it with quesadillas.
