Photo: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Dish · From Bladwijzer

Spring salad with young lime leaves

Updated on 9 October 2026

• Makes: 2 portions
• Time: 15 min
• From: Large-leaved lime

Ingredients

• 2 handfuls of young lime (linden) leaves (± 50 g, bright green and soft)
• 100 g lamb’s lettuce or baby salad leaves
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 100 g fresh goat’s cheese
• 1 tablespoon shelled sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• salt and pepper

Method

1. In April or May, only pick the young, soft lime leaves that have just unfolded. Take them from an unsprayed tree that is not beside a busy road. Leave any leaves covered in sticky honeydew.
2. Rinse the lime leaves and the salad and drain them well. Tear the lime leaves into pieces or cut them into strips.
3. Toast the sunflower seeds for 3 minutes in a dry frying pan.
4. Whisk the oil, vinegar, honey and mustard into a dressing and season with salt and pepper.
5. Toss the salad leaves, lime leaves and radishes with the dressing.
6. Divide between 2 plates and crumble the goat’s cheese and the sunflower seeds over the top.

Storing: Eat the salad straight away, as lime leaves wilt quickly. The dressing keeps for a week in a closed jar in the fridge.