Fresh Ideas For Spring Salads

Sure, we all know salad is the ultimate diet dish. But chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten shows us how super-easy, unexpected mixes of seasonal vegetables can make this stay-slim staple taste like a treat.

Toss produce in no-fuss homemade dressing, and you have a side salad that can double as a light lunch. With heart-healthy olive oil and fiber-rich veggies, these dishes will fill you up—and their amazing flavors will make you feel like you've just splurged on a four-star meal.

For parties, toss the dressing with just the snap peas and spoon the mixture into endive spears to make a simple finger-food appetizer.

Ingredients: Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, champagne vinegar, lime juice, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, grapeseed oil, olive oil, sugar snap peas, Belgian endives, fresh herbs

Calories: 134

Try this recipe: Endive and Snap Peas with Parmesan Dressing

Try this recipe in early spring, when the first radishes appear at farmers' markets.

Ingredients: Red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, grapeseed oil, olive oil, butter lettuce, radishes, scallion, dill, avocado

Calories: 152

Try this recipe: Butter Lettuce, Radish and Avocado Salad with Mustard Dressing

Before large summer tomatoes are ripe enough for Greek salad, chefs including Vongerichten make it with sweet roasted beets instead.

Ingredients: Beets, olive oil, pepper, red wine vinegar, red onion, red Thai chile, romaine, celery, feta cheese, Niçoise olives, oregano

Calories: 231

Try this recipe: Greek Salad with Roasted Beets, Olives and Feta

Ingredients:

Cherry tomatoes, shallot, salt, pepper, Thai chile, red wine vinegar, olive oil, wax beans, goat cheese, lime juice, basil

Calories: 127

Try this recipe: Wax Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese Dressing