This Butter Lettuce Salad with Snap Peas and Radishes is light, fresh, and full of crisp spring flavor. It’s tossed with a homemade Champagne vinaigrette and finished with creamy goat cheese for an easy side that pairs beautifully with just about any meal.
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
This gorgeous green salad has spring written all over it. The combination of textures and flavors from the tender butter lettuce, crisp-sweet sugar snap peas, crunchy radishes, and creamy goat cheese gives it an irresistible bite.
It’s one of my favorite ways to use my light, bright, and slightly sweet Champagne Vinaigrette. This dressing has a way of elevating simple ingredients and makes this Butter Lettuce Salad loaded with spring produce something you’ll want to serve on a special menu. But don’t wait! You can toss this easy salad together anytime for a satisfying side dish with a weeknight meal.
If you love butter lettuce salads, you’ll also need to try my Butter Lettuce Salad with Grapes and Gorgonzola, another fresh and flavorful option.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter lettuce: Look for “living” butter lettuce with the roots still attached, typically sold in a clamshell. This tender variety is sometimes labeled Bibb or Boston lettuce and stays exceptionally fresh and delicate. Just trim off the root ball and gently separate the leaves.
- Lettuce blend: I love using Little Gems (like Organic Girl) or a baby lettuce blend here. A mix that includes red butter lettuce adds a little rich color contrast with all the bright green ingredients.
- Sugar snap peas: Choose stringless snap peas and slice them on a slight diagonal for nice bite-size pieces. They add a fresh crunch that works beautifully with the tender butter lettuce leaves.
- Radishes: Slice them very thin so their peppery bite doesn’t overpower the delicate greens. If you can find watermelon radishes, they’re a beautiful option and add a pop of pink color to the salad.
- Cheese: Goat cheese adds a creamy tang, but feta works well too if you prefer a slightly saltier flavor.
- Fresh herbs: Chives add a mild onion flavor while dill brings a fresh, slightly citrusy note. Either one works nicely here.
- Champagne Vinaigrette: This light, slightly sweet vinaigrette ties this simple salad together without overpowering the delicate greens. If you’d like to switch things up, this salad also works well with other light vinaigrettes. See my collection of salad dressings for more options.
How to Make Butter Lettuce Salad with Snap Peas and Radishes
- Step 1: Prep the Greens
Trim the root ball from the butter lettuce. Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces, rinse well, and spin dry in a salad spinner. Tear the baby lettuce blend into bite-size pieces and add all the greens to a large serving bowl. Add the sliced snap peas and radishes, then sprinkle in about half of the goat cheese. - Step 2: Dress and Finish the Salad
Drizzle the Champagne vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss to coat. Top with the remaining goat cheese, sprinkle with chives or dill, and finish with freshly ground black pepper if you’d like.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can prep the greens, slice the snap peas and radishes, and crumble the cheese up to several hours in advance. Store everything covered in the refrigerator.
The Champagne vinaigrette can be made a day or two in advance and stored in a mason jar in the refrigerator. Toss it with the salad just before serving so the greens stay crisp.
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Variations
Swap the cheese: Goat cheese adds a creamy tang, but feta works beautifully if you prefer a slightly saltier flavor.
Add avocado: Sliced avocado adds richness and pairs nicely with the crisp snap peas and radishes.
Add some crunch: A sprinkle of toasted almonds, pistachios, or walnuts adds great texture.
Make it a main dish: Top the salad with grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp for a light and satisfying meal.
Change the herbs: A garnish of fresh chives will add a mild onion flavor, while dill brings a fresh, slightly citrusy note. Both work wonderfully with the Champagne vinaigrette.
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Butter Lettuce Salad with Snap Peas and Radishes
Ingredients
- 1 head butter lettuce, clamshell package
- 5 ounces greens, baby lettuce blend or little gems (like Organic Girl Little Gems)
- 1 cup stringless sugar snap peas, sliced crosswise on a slight diagonal into about ½-inch pieces
- 6 to 8 radishes, very thinly sliced
- 4 ounces goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled and divided
- ¾ cup Champagne Vinaigrette
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or dill
- Freshly ground black pepper, optional and to taste
Instructions
- Trim the root ball from the butter lettuce. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and rinse and spin in a salad spinner. Tear the little gems into bite-size pieces and place both in a large, shallow serving bowl or on a large platter.
- Add the snap peas, radishes and about half of the goat cheese or feta. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, drizzle with the vinaigrette and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, chives or dill, and season with a little pepper, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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