PITTSBURGH — Recent sunny skies and warm temperatures offered a taste of what’s to come — the heady, gotta-be-outside first days of spring.

After enduring an outdoor palette of dull grays and muddy browns, I can’t wait for the bright pop of yellow and purple when the daffodils and crocuses I sowed last fall start blooming in my yard. Even the scraggly forsythia bush I planted decades ago and never seem to remember to prune in the fall makes me smile when it starts to flower.

Something about the change of season also awakens dormant taste buds. Now more than ever, I want something fresh, crunchy and green on the dinner table or packed into a container for a not-so-sad desk lunch.

Not surprisingly, that usually means some sort of tossed salad. Late March and early April is when leafy greens like spinach and red and green leaf, bibb and butter lettuces start to make their grand entrances. They’re followed by cool-weather brassicas like Tuscan kale. The time of year is also when crunchy, peppery root vegetables like red radishes put in a showy appearance.

As temperatures rise after a long and cold winter, our bodies seem to seek a matching, nutritional boost with foods that are hydrating — most varieties of lettuce greens are around 95% water — and energize our immune systems with vitamins A, B, C and K.

Plus, a big, green salad is just pretty on the table — especially if it’s garnished with colorful fruits and veggies like strawberries, cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion.

Which salad green you start with depends on whether you want something crunchy or young and tender, and whether you plan on tossing the leaves in a light vinaigrette or a heavier dressing. Arugula, for instance, is more peppery than mild, subtly sweet butter lettuce; Tuscan kale has more crunch than baby spinach.

The creative cook has countless options when it comes to mixing and matching salad greens and dressings. To get the salad party started, we offer four surefire combinations that use everyday, easy-to-find ingredients and will make eating seasonally exciting.

Crispy and Creamy Kale Salad

PG tested

Kale can be thought of as a winter food, because it’s a heartier green that often ends up in soups and stews. But more tender and leafy varieties like Tuscan, also known as dinosaur or lacinato kale, are great in spring salads.

This nutrient-packed salad is texturally interesting in that it’s both crispy and creamy. Stemmed kale is tossed in a pesto-like dressing made with parsley, almonds and Parmesan and topped with salty baked kale chips.

For crispy kale topping

3½ ounces kale, stemmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

1¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

For salad

5 ounces kale, stemmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans, toasted, divided

1½ cup fresh parsley leaves or dill fronds

6 tablespoons water

¼ cup grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons fresh thyme or rosemary

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

Make crispy kale topping: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place kale in a large bowl, cover with warm water and swish to remove grit. Let kale sit in water bath for 10 minutes, then remove and spin or pat dry.

Toss kale and oil in a medium-size bowl until kale is well coated, about 30 seconds. Spread kale evenly on prepared sheet and wipe bowl clean with paper towels.

Bake kale until dry, crispy and translucent, 30-40 minutes, turning leaves halfway through baking.

Carefully remove kale and return to bowl, leaving excess oil on sheet.

Thoroughly combine sesame seeds, salt, sugar and cayenne in small bowl. Toss crispy kale and sesame seed mixture gently until evenly coated and kale is broken into small pieces.

Prepare salad: Place kale in large bowl, cover with warm water and swish to remove grit. Let sit in water bath for 10 minutes, then remove and spin or pay dry with paper towels.

Combine kale and ¾ cup almonds in a bowl.

Process parsley, water, pecorino, lemon juice, thyme, salt, sugar and remaining ¼ cup almonds in blender on high speed until finely ground, about 30 seconds.

With blender running, slowly add oil and process until incorporated and smooth and creamy, about 90 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar halfway through processing.

Transfer ¾ cup dressing to bowl with kale mixture, and toss until kale is well coated. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide salad among individual plates. Serve, sprinkling individual portions with crispy kale topping and drizzling with remaining dressing.

Serves 4.

— “The Complete Salad Cookbook” by America’s Test Kitchen

Spring Greens with Tamarind Dressing and Avocado Crema

PG tested

Fresh dill and tamarind paste, a tart-sweet condiment that’s a staple in Asian, Indian and Mexican cuisines, gives this fresh green salad a Persian twist. A riff on a wedge salad, the original recipe calls for baby gem lettuce. Alas, I couldn’t find any at my local market, so I made do with hydroponic butter lettuce.

Any leftover avocado crema (and there will be some for sure) can be used to top tacos or dip for chips or raw veggies.

For croutons

4½ ounces stale crusty bread, cut into small cubes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely grated

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

For dressing

1 teaspoon tamarind paste

3 tablespoons olive oil

Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lime, plus 1 tablespoon lime juice

½ garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tablespoons maple syrup

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

For avocado crema

2 avocados, destoned, peeled and roughly chopped

7 ounces creme fraiche

¾ ounce dill fronds, plus more to serve

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

For salad

3 heads baby gem lettuce, quartered, or 1 head hydroponic butter lettuce

Chopped dill, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make croutons: Toss bread cubes with oil, garlic and salt and spread into a single layer over a baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes or so, until golden and crisp. Allow to cool completely.

Make dressing. Place tamarind paste, olive oil, lime zest and juice, garlic, maple syrup and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Make crema: Place avocados, creme fraiche, dill, lemon juice and salt in a blender and blitz until smooth.

Smooth crema on to your serving dish, add baby gem lettuce, cut side up, then use a teaspoon to drizzle the dressing over the lettuce.

Sprinkle over croutons and dill, and serve.

Serves 4-6.

— “Centerpiece: Bold, Vibrant Recipes to Put Vegetables in the Spotlight” by Helen Graham (Aster, $33)

Strawberry Spinach Salad

PG tested

Strawberries and spinach are the peas and carrots of salad making. Here, the best friends get a flavor boost from a tangy-sweet homemade poppy-seed dressing. If you don’t care for feta, substitute goat cheese, burrata or crumbled Gorgonzola for a sharper bite.

For dressing

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

1½ tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1½ teaspoons mayonnaise, optional

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For salad

5 ounces fresh spinach

1 cup thinly sliced strawberries

⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion

½ cup toasted pecans

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, shallot, honey, poppy seeds, mustard, salt and mayo, if using.

Drizzle in olive oil while whisking and continue to whisk until the dressing is emulsified. Or combine everything in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake to combine. (Dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.)

Toss salad: Place spinach, strawberries and red onion in a large bowl. Add some of the dressing and toss to combine.

Add pecans and feta and gently toss. Add more dressing, as desired.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 4.

—- loveandlemons.com

Radish, Fennel and Cucumber Salad

PG tested

Radishes are often used just as a garnish, but as this crispy and spicy salad demonstrates, they also make a good foundation for something a little more substantial.

The thinner the radish, the better — you almost want to be able to see through them — so you may want to use a mandolin if you don’t share my fear of sliced fingertips. But a sharp chef’s knife works, too.

For salad

1 bunch radishes, trimmed

1 daikon radish, peeled

1 seedless cucumber

1 small bulb fennel, quartered and thinly sliced

For dressing

1 clove crushed garlic

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill

With a very sharp knife or a mandolin, thinly slice radishes and cucumbers into rounds. Place in a large bowl.

Trim the bottom of the fennel and remove the stalks. Slice fennel into quarters lengthwise and remove the core. Slice it as thin as possible into quarter moons. Add to the bowl.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until well combined.

Drizzle dressing over salad, and toss with your hands to combine.

Sprinkle chopped dill over the salad, and serve

Serves 4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

©2026 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.