Balance Spring Meals with These Leafy Green Side Salads — Sensational Sides

If you’ve visited your local farmers market lately, you may have noticed a spike in arugula, bok choy and other salad greens. The return of these leafy vegetables signals the end of produce purgatory, a period otherwise known as winter, when the only produce available to us seems to be root vegetables and cabbage. If you feel your diet’s been lacking in fiber these last few months, then grab these springtime vegetables and start pairing your dinners with leafy green side salads. Here are five recipes that require little time and effort, but a whole lot of in-season produce.

Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
You can find spinach year-round at most grocery stores, but the tender green peaks in freshness during the spring. Skip the saute pan for a change, and serve fresh spinach in its tender uncooked state with a red wine vinaigrette, chunks of tangy goat cheese and toasted walnuts. Add some grilled chicken for a simple yet balanced weeknight dinner.

Honeydew-and-Arugula Salad
Sweet honeydew is the perfect sidekick for peppery arugula. Food Network Magazine unites the two star players with a creamy lime dressing in this 15-minute salad recipe. You can even toss in some fresh herbs, such as mint or parsley, for an herbaceous flavor note.

Baby Bok Choy with Bacon, Onion and Butter Beans
When you see bok choy you might think stir-fry, but the chefs in Food Network Kitchen decided to treat this in-season vegetable like a hearty green, wilting it and softening it in bacon drippings. Add big, creamy butter beans and a splash of vinegar for an acidic complement to the bacon. Serve it right out of the pan warm or at room temperature.

Watercress Salad with Dried Fruit and Almonds
Tyler Florence’s simple watercress salad is the ultimate weeknight side dish, given that it requires just five ingredients and takes only five minutes to prepare. Just combine toasted almonds and dried cranberries with fresh watercress, then toss it all together with a quick red wine vinaigrette.

Fig, Bacon and Frisee Salad
The chefs in Food Network Kitchen decided to pair these bitter spring greens with fresh figs for a sweet counterpoint. If your figs are super-ripe, the texture will be almost creamy, similar to the soft egg yolks in the classic French salad of frisee, bacon and poached egg.

For more ways to embrace spring with leafy greens, check out these salad recipes from our friends:

Devour: 6 Protein-Heavy Salads to Make Your Desk Lunch Less Sad
Homemade Delish: Napa Cabbage, Mango and Bacon Salad
Dishin & Dishes: Buddha Power Bowl
Creative Culinary: Iceberg Wedge Salad with Bacon, Croutons and Buttermilk Herb Dressing
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Green Salad With Emerald Green Vinaigrette
Red or Green: Southwest Salad With Ranch Salsa Dressing
TasteBook: The Ultimate Green Salad
Taste with the Eyes: Blackened Barramundi Salad, Blackberry Vinaigrette
The Mom 100: Pea Shoot Salad with Shrimp, Goat Cheese and Citrus Vinaigrette
FN Dish: How to Eat Salad for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (and Not Be Mad About It)

from Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy Living Blog http://ift.tt/1SSJhcB