Spring Salad with Edible Flowers ~ this simple side dish is spring in a bowl ~ I’ll show you how to identify, source, and use edible flowers to make this celebratory salad for weddings, showers, holidays, or any spring gathering.
This palate refreshing salad is uber simple. I’ve tossed a mix of baby spring lettuces with finely shaved sweet onions, and then accented the whole thing with brilliant edible blooms. The salad is light and airy, and spectacular. It’ll be the showpiece of your table.
Which flowers are edible?
Let’s do a little edible flowers 101 ~ spring is the perfect season to find and use colorful edible flowers as a garnish in special dishes because by the time summer rolls around many of them have come and gone. Below is a list of the more common edible flowers so you’ll know what to look for. Any of these colorful spring blooms would be perfect for a salad like this. Here are some you’re likely to come across (I’ve highlighted in green the ones I used in my salad) ~
- carnation
- chrysanthemum
- citrus blossoms
- cornflower
- dandelion
- day lily
- dianthus
- daisy
- geranium
- hollyhock
- honeysuckle
- impatiens
- jasmine
- lavender
- lilac
- marigold
- nasturtium
- pansy
- passionflower
- clover
- rose
- snapdragon
- sunflower
- violet
You can remove the petals and scatter them into the salad, or use the whole flowers to garnish. Remove pistils and stamens before eating.
Where can I find edible flowers?
Source your edible blossoms in one of several ways ~ you can buy them in some supermarkets, just look in the same area where you find the fresh herbs. I know Melissa’s Produce sells them. You can use blossoms from your own garden. You can ‘borrow’ blossoms from friends and neighbors. Check with your local nursery ~ some now have edible flower sections. Flowers from a florist are likely to have been treated with pesticides or chemicals, so avoid them.
TIP: Make sure your edible flowers are pesticide free. Ask if you aren’t sure.
As for dressing, use a light vinaigrette type , nothing thick or creamy that will weigh down your salad. I have lots of great SALAD DRESSING RECIPES on the blog. I think my RHUBARB VINAIGRETTE, or my LEMON POPPY SEED DRESSING would be especially nice with this salad.
TIP: Don’t pour your dressing over baby greens and try to toss them, the dressing will saturate the delicate leaves, and they’ll wilt and stick together. Not a good thing. I suggest one of two things: either serve the salad dry, and let everyone drizzle dressing on their own plate, or put the dressing at the bottom of the bowl, top with the lettuce, and toss just before serving, right at the table.
I use triple washed spring greens in the plastic tubs, that way they’re clean and dry. I don’t want to wash delicate greens like this because it’s time consuming and very difficult to get them completely dry. The tubs are well worth it!
What do edible flowers taste like?
I’m not gonna lie ~ I use edible flowers more for their color and drama than for their taste ~ but that doesn’t mean they taste bad. Some of them are slightly spicy, some are grassy, some are sweet ~ just give them a nibble to see. If you want to dip your toes in the whole edible flower experience, I recommend starting with pansies or marigold petals, they’re easy to come by, and have a big impact.
Do you follow me on PINTEREST? I hope so! Check out my Edible Flower Pinterest board for tons of inspiration!
Spring Salad with Edible Flowers
Ingredients
- 5 ounce clamshell pack of baby spring greens mix
- 1 small sweet onion such as Vidalia Maui, or any generic sweet onion
- assorted edible flowers
- 1/4 cup dressing of your choice
Instructions
- Peel and slice the onion into paper thin rounds. The easiest way to do this is with a mandoline slicer. if you don't have one, just get them as thin as you can. Separate the rings.
- Put the dressing at the bottom of a very large salad bowl.
- Put the greens and onions into the bowl, but don't mix with the dressing.
- Scatter the edible flowers across the top of the salad.
- Bring the salad to the table and toss with the dressing just before serving.
- Alternately you can serve the dressing on the side.
Notes:
- Be careful to only use the blossoms of these edible flowers…other parts of the plant, such as the leaves, etc., may be inedible.
- To store edible flowers for a short time, either put them in water, if they still have their stems, and put that in the refrigerator, or line a plastic storage container with a damp paper towel and lay them out in a single layer, cover, and put in the refrigerator. Plan to use them asap.
- If you have a green thumb, you can buy collections of edible seeds to grow an edible flower garden right in your own yard.
Don’t forget to pin this spring salad with edible flowers!
35 Comments
Donald
February 17, 2020 at 6:19 amHello, I would add a caution to not use flowers from a florist as they could be treated with pesticides. Only buy from the produce section of your grocery store.
Sam
November 1, 2018 at 10:11 pmHey Sue,
Do you have an updated link for the edible garden seeds thats mentioned above?
Sue
November 1, 2018 at 10:21 pmYes Sam, here’s an updated link, and I changed it in the post..https://www.amazon.com/Edible-Flower-Seed-Kit-Instructions/dp/B06XK39D8S/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1541135956&sr=8-5&keywords=edible+garden+seeds
cakespy
April 18, 2017 at 5:57 amNo hesitation and no doubt about it: this is the loveliest salad I’ve ever seen. I love the fact that it could double as a bouquet! ๐ You’re so inspiring!
Sue
April 18, 2017 at 7:25 amYou’ve made my day ๐
sippitysup
April 15, 2017 at 5:50 pmI’ve never seen white nasturtiums. They look as delicious as this salad. GREG
elisabetta sopher
April 15, 2017 at 9:46 amhow much beauty in a salad you made up here, in love with it, and i really enjoy being stumbled upon your blog so i get to know you! greetings from Italy!
Sue
April 15, 2017 at 9:50 amThanks Elisabetta ~ so glad to welcome you in!
Monique
April 15, 2017 at 6:47 amHappy Easter! I can’t wait for my edible flowers!
Lovely clics..all of them!
Natasha @ Salt & Lavender
April 14, 2017 at 2:56 pmThis is so beautiful! When I was a kid, we had some edible flowers on the acreage we lived on, but since then I really haven’t explored them. I want to! Thanks for the useful post. Sharing!
Kristina @ Love & Zest
April 14, 2017 at 9:01 amI had NO idea there were SOOOO many different kinds of beautiful edible flowers! Thanks for sharing this list! What a beautiful salad that makes!!
Sue
April 14, 2017 at 10:27 amI think a lot of people don’t realize how many varieties there are Kristina ๐
[email protected]
April 14, 2017 at 8:41 amThis salad is gorgeous! I’ve never really tried edible flowers but they definitely look great in this salad! I’m a big fan of salads so I need to try this for sure ๐
Raia Todd
April 14, 2017 at 8:28 amMy daughters would love this! They’re always bringing in flowers from the yard to eat with our salads! ๐
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles
April 14, 2017 at 5:33 amAbsolutely GORGEOUS! I can’t think of a prettier spring salad than this!
Susan McKenna
April 14, 2017 at 4:53 amJust beautiful! Wouldn’t this especially appreciated at an engagement party or an bridal shower! Thanks for all your wonderful postings!
Sue
April 14, 2017 at 7:20 amI think this would be amazing at a shower.
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
April 14, 2017 at 4:22 amSo beautiful! It would look absolutely perfect on an Easter table ๐ Have a great holiday weekend!
Ruby J.
April 14, 2017 at 4:21 amVery nice salad turned out and I think very useful. I have all these flowers growing, but I never used them for food. I’ll definitely try!
Teri Giese
April 13, 2017 at 10:26 pmAm a HUGE fan of flowers as food!Miss my always abundant flowers in my yard in my home state of Wisconsin!Live in Arizona now,and need to get it going here!Funny aside.As a girl,we used to suck on the flowers from the clover “weeds”,which were everywhere!Tasted like honey!lolWas so awesome to sneak berries,apples,stalks of rhubarb from ours and the neighbors yards.Often while playing in the woods,we would find such lovelies also.No worries about pesticides in the late ’60’s and early ’70’s,no one used them!The BEST!
Sue
April 14, 2017 at 7:28 amGreat memories Teri. I wish I had found some clover flowers, they are so pretty and would have been perfect in my salad. And I agree with you, I get such a thrill from finding and eating food in it’s natural state. Even just picking an apple from a tree ~ so great!
Laura | Tutti Dolci
April 13, 2017 at 7:35 pmSo pretty, Sue! Love the edible flowers! ๐
joan
April 13, 2017 at 3:21 pmNothing finer than nipping off a few pansy faces to slip into the salad….deadheading with the best possible purpose – dinner – in mind!
Sue
April 13, 2017 at 6:23 pmAgreed!
Diane (created by Diane)
April 13, 2017 at 3:01 pmWhat a gorgeous salad, wow that is a long list to choose from… but I like what you chose best!
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert
April 13, 2017 at 1:24 pmYou are the queen of gorgeous salads Sue! I always think of you when I see edible flower garnishes. I need to plant more in my organic garden so I can serve the blooms and impress my guests! What a great idea about the dressing too – I’m going to try that! Love that beautiful bowl ๐
Natalie
April 13, 2017 at 12:25 pmOh, I really love the idea of spring salad with edible flowers. Beautiful. I never tried it, but surely looks interesting. It’s perfect for impressing the guests. Thanks for all tips.
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon
April 13, 2017 at 11:40 amWhat pretty salad! Perfect for spring. I’ve seen edible flowers at the supermarket from time to time, but I’ve always passed them by. I’ll have to get a package and try them out.
Sue
April 13, 2017 at 11:44 amBe sure to check the package carefully, I usually grab one from the back ๐
Luci's Morsels
April 13, 2017 at 11:01 amThis salad is almost too pretty to eat! What a great idea for an Easter spread or party in the spring. Thanks for sharing!
[email protected]'s Recipes
April 13, 2017 at 10:58 amThe salad looks so very pretty with those edible flowers, Sue.
Deepika
April 13, 2017 at 10:22 amI can’t get my eyes off those pictures. They are so lovely. I have never tasted or worked with edible flowers. But they sure look fun and beautiful to work with.
Sue
April 13, 2017 at 10:34 amThanks Deepika ~ they are so easy to photograph, you can’t take a bad shot of them ๐
Sandi G
April 13, 2017 at 10:20 amI love your recipe and tips on edible flowers. We were just at a winery this past weekend and they were talking about how fun edible flowers can be.
Sue
April 13, 2017 at 10:33 amThanks Sandi ~ they can be so cheering, especially in early spring!