The Healthiest Spring Salad

Hi I’m Sammy, 

Your Good Farm in-house nutritionist. Here to bring you essential information on nutrition, diet and permaculture gardening - in a bite size, easy to understand, science-backed way.

The Healthiest Spring Salad

Whoever came up with the expression “you don’t make friends with salad”, I’d like to invite them over, sit them down and make them a salad worth talking about.

Spring brings the return of salad season, and the possibilities are endless. It can be as simple as fresh tomatoes, basil and boiled eggs, or an opportunity to explore less familiar leafy greens that pack a nutritional punch and help you get more variety of plants onto your plate.

The trick is knowing which leaves to choose, how to balance their flavours and what to add to turn a bowl of greens into a satisfying, nourishing meal.

Branch out with your leafy greens

Dark green, red and purple leaves often offer a broader range of phytonutrients, the protective compounds plants produce in response to sunlight, insects and other environmental stresses.

The varieties we choose, and how they’re grown, stored and prepared, can all influence their nutritional value.

Here’s an interesting one: where a leaf grows on the plant can make a difference. Loose-leaf lettuces spread outwards, exposing more of their leaves to sunlight. In response, plants produce protective compounds, some of which are beneficial in our diet. Inner leaves, shaded from the sun, may contain lower levels of certain compounds. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but it’s another reason to branch out beyond the familiar iceberg.

That said, don’t dismiss iceberg lettuce. While it generally sits at the lower end of the nutrient scale for leafy greens, it still has a place in our household, especially for san choy bow and as a fresh alternative to processed wraps.

A few leafy favourites

There’s more to salad leaves than the usual bag of mixed greens. Keep an eye out at farmers markets for some of these interesting varieties:

•          Wild rocket: Smaller, finely cut leaves with a stronger, pepperier bite. Wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) differs from cultivated rocket, also called arugula (Eruca sativa), which generally has broader leaves and a milder flavour. Both belong to the brassica family and contain glucosinolates, plant compounds also found in broccoli.

•          Radicchio: Burgundy leaves with a pleasantly bitter flavour and colourful plant compounds, including polyphenols.

•          Red oakleaf and red loose-leaf lettuce: Their frilly leaves and red pigments make a salad more colourful. Those pigments include anthocyanins, a type of plant compound.

•          Mizuna: A Japanese leafy green with fine, feathery edges and a mild, peppery flavour. Lovely mixed through a salad.

•          Tatsoi: Dark green, spoon-shaped leaves with a tender texture and mild brassica flavour.

•          Mustard greens: Available in different shapes and colours, from delicate frilly leaves to larger, bold greens. Their flavour ranges from gently peppery to quite pungent.

•          Sorrel: A lovely one to look out for if you enjoy a fresh, citrusy tang. A few leaves can brighten a salad without needing much dressing.

•          Watercress: Peppery and fresh, with its own mix of vitamins and plant compounds.

Balance the bitterness

Rocket and radicchio bring a lovely bitter edge, but if you’re not used to their flavour, the trick is to balance them with some natural sweetness.

Currants are one of my favourites, adding sweetness without needing a sweetened dressing. Sliced seasonal fruit or fresh berries works well too. You can even add a little honey to your dressing to soften the bitterness. When buying packaged currants, I check the ingredients and look for options without added seed oils.

My other tip? Mix your leaves. Combine the more bitter varieties with milder leaves, such as baby spinach or green oakleaf lettuce. You’ll enjoy a broader range of flavours and plant compounds without any one flavour dominating. If you’re new to rocket or radicchio, start with a small handful and build from there.

Build a balanced salad

Adding protein, healthy fats and acidity helps turn a bowl of leaves into a satisfying meal.

•          Protein: Eggs, salmon, sardines, chicken, lentils or chickpeas all work well and help keep you satisfied. Explore our protein series here.

•          Healthy fats: Extra-virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds add flavour and help your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients, including carotenoids from leafy greens. Explore our fat series here.

•          Acidity: Lemon juice or vinegar brings out the flavours and balances the richness of the other ingredients.

For a creamy dressing, try whisking tahini or almond butter with lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, water, salt and pepper. Adjust the water until you reach your preferred consistency. Easy no bottled dressing required.

A tip for your olive oil: As the weather warms up, store it in a cool, dark place away from the oven and direct sunlight. Heat, light and oxygen can speed up oxidation and degrade some of its beneficial compounds. Keep the bottle tightly sealed and away from the summer heat.

The additions I love

I love crumbled feta or shaved Parmesan for a salty, savoury hit. If I have sourdough that’s gone stale, I fry it up into crunchy croutons and toss them through the salad. Olives are another favourite. For extra tang, try adding a spoonful of sauerkraut or other fermented vegetables. Look for unpasteurised varieties if you want to include live cultures.

I also like to roast a tray of vegetables each week so I have them ready to add to salads. Small florets of cauliflower and different varieties of sweet potato are favourites.

For easy meals, I often turn to a few shortcuts. The Good Farm Shop’s salsa verde is delicious tossed through almost any salad, especially when roast vegetables are present. And when I want something more substantial, their slow-cooked brisket makes a great salad addition. I’d serve it over a mix of leafy greens with crunchy cabbage, avocado, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime for a satisfying meal.

Then there’s whatever happens to be growing in the garden. I add generous amounts of finely chopped parsley and onion chives. Don’t hold back! Native violets, calendula petals and peppery nasturtium leaves often find their way into my salads, bringing colour, flavour and a seasonal touch.

One final tip: slice your vegetables finely. I find the thinner they’re sliced or shaved, the more enjoyable they can be in a salad. Think finely shredded cabbage, thinly sliced cucumber, grated carrot and beetroot, and finely sliced capsicum. It makes everything easier to eat and helps the flavours come together.

A salad doesn’t need a complicated recipe. Sometimes the best ones come from throwing together what you have, trying a new combination and finding your own favourites.

And if someone still tells you that you don’t make friends with salad, you know what to do. Invite them over for lunch.