Asparagus Salad Recipe

For many of us home cooks, spotting fresh asparagus at the store is the first sign that spring has finally arrived. After months of cold and hearty winter meals, those vibrant green spears feel like a promise of warmer days ahead.

And with asparagus in season, I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy it. This simple asparagus salad is one of my go-to recipes—it’s fresh, easy to make, and perfect for meal prep. And if you’re looking for more salad recipes with asparagus, my Butter Lettuce Salad is another great option to try.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions:

This simple asparagus salad is packed with everyday ingredients that come together to create a refreshing and satisfying dish. The good news, you ask? You can easily customize it to your taste or use what you have on hand. Below is what you’ll need, along with ingredient substitutions, so you can make it your own with what you have on hand.

• Fresh asparagus: During asparagus season, you’ll often find different varieties at the store—thin or thick, and sometimes even in shades of green, purple, or white, depending on where you live. Any of these will work beautifully in this recipe! Just be sure to trim off the tough woody ends for the best texture. And if you’re not using them the same day you buy them, don’t worry—I’ve written a whole guide on how to store asparagus to keep it fresh for longer.
• Tomatoes: I opted for cherry tomatoes that I sliced in half but you can use any tomatoes you have on hand. Just slice them in bite sized pieces.
• Radishes: I love adding thinly sliced radishes for a pop of color and crunch.
• Olives: Use any olive you have on hand. Kalamata olives, Castelvestrano olives, or green olives would all work. Not a fan of olives? Omit them. It will still be delicious.
• Onions: I prefer the mild flavor of scallions but a thinly sliced red onion would also work.
• Cheese: Adding cheese is optional. I opted for feta cheese for a Mediterranean flair, but parmesan cheese, goat cheese, and shredded mozzarella would also work. And if you need a dairy-free salad, omit cheese altogether.
• Fresh herbs: The combination of fresh basil and asparagus is terrific, but fresh mint, dill, and parsley would also work beautifully in this fresh asparagus salad recipe.
• The dressing: My go-to asparagus salad dressing is my homemade lemon vinaigrette. However, you can also use my avocado salad dressing, lemon balsamic vinaigrette in this asparagus salad recipe. Or you can also try my Maple Dijon Vinaigrette for more of a sweet and tangy salad.

Optional Add-ins:

What I love most about this spring asparagus salad is that you can keep it simple or jazz it up with these optional add-ins to make it your own. Here are a few ideas:

• Add nuts: You can easily add in some crunch and extra protein by adding a handful of pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts.
• Spring mix or Butter Lettuce: If you’d like to turn this into more of a green asparagus salad, toss in a handful of spring mix or butter lettuce leaves for extra freshness and texture.
• Peas: A handful of blanched peas make a great addition to this salad. They add a subtle sweetness and a pop of color, making the dish even more vibrant and seasonal.

How To Cook Asparagus for A Salad?

Asparagus is one of those wonderfully versatile vegetables that can be enjoyed in so many ways, no matter the season.

However, if you’re making this salad during peak asparagus season and have access to freshly picked spears, you can even serve them raw following this recipe.

Raw asparagus salad offers a satisfying, crisp, and refreshing bite that is truly a treat.

However, I also encourage you to try other methods of cooking asparagus for this salad recipe. Whether you prefer oven baked asparagus, air fryer asparagus, steamed asparagus, or pan sautéed asparagus, this vibrant spring vegetable always makes for a quick and delicious addition to any salad recipe, and this one is no exception.

How To Make Asparagus Salad?

There’s something so satisfying about creating a beautiful salad with fresh, seasonal ingredients. And this asparagus salad is just that—a simple yet flavorful dish that highlights the best of spring. Here are the easy steps to follow:

1. Cook the asparagus: As mentioned earlier, if you’re making this salad during the asparagus season, you can serve it raw for a crisp, fresh bite. However, I personally love roasting it—drizzling the spears with olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper, and letting the heat bring out their natural sweetness. The slightly smoky, caramelized flavors are just so delicious and addictive.
   Alternatively, you can blanch the asparagus for a few seconds to keep it tender-crisp while maintaining its vibrant green color. The instructions below are for medium size asparagus. For thick asparagus, I recommend increasing the cooking time by 1-2 minutes.

2. Make the lemon vinaigrette: I make a batch of this dressing during the weekend and keep it in a jar in the fridge. To make it, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl until emulsified.

3. Assemble the salad: Once you have your asparagus ready, all you have to do is to chop the rest of the ingredients. Then, go ahead and place chopped asparagus, cherry tomatoes, sliced radishes, chopped green onion, and kalamata olives in a large bowl and drizzle it with the lemon vinaigrette. Grab two large spoons or tongs and give it a gentle toss, making sure that all the veggies are coated with the dressing.
4. Garnish and Serve: If preferred, top your asparagus salad with feta cheese and a handful of freshly torn basil leaves. Serve immediately or cover with stretch film and refrigerate.

How To Store Leftovers & Make Ahead Instructions

One of the great things about using asparagus in salad is that it holds up well, even after a day or two in the fridge. Whether you’re making it ahead for meal prep or saving leftovers, here’s how to keep it fresh and delicious.

• To Store Leftovers: The best part about this spring asparagus salad is that it holds up well. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• To make it ahead of time: If you want to make this salad in advance, I recommend preparing and storing all the vegetables in a bowl and then adding the lemon vinaigrette, feta cheese, and basil leaves at the very end, right before serving.

Serving Suggestions:

While this asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette is perfect when served by itself, you can turn it into a whole meal with other recipes like:

• Serve it with grains such as cooked quinoa, cooked wild rice, or even cooked bulgur wheat.
• Add protein: If you want to make it more of a protein-packed salad, you can also top it off with a few hard-boiled eggs, Baked Sockeye Salmon, or a Baked Turkey Tenderloin.
• Serve it alongside main dishes, such as Greek Yoghurt Chicken, Air Fried Cornish Hens, and Whole Roasted Chicken.

You Might Also Like:

If fresh veggie-packed salads are your jam, here are a few more you might like:

• Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa
• Mexican Corn Salad
• Boston Lettuce Salad
• Chickpea Tuna Salad
• Healthy Cucumber Salad
• Watermelon Avocado Salad
• Need more inspiration? Check out all our easy salad recipes

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Asparagus Salad Recipe

5 from 10 votes

By: Aysegul Sanford

Yields4 servings

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Total Time17 minutes mins

A simple Asparagus Salad drizzled with homemade lemon vinaigrette and topped with feta, tomatoes, and olives. Light, crunchy, and perfect as a side dish, light lunch, or meal prep option. Gluten-free and vegetarian.

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

To roast the asparagus:

• ▢ 1 bunch asparagus spears, rinsed and the woody ends cut
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the lemon vinaigrette:

• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 clove garlic, minced
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the salad:

• ▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
• ▢ ½ cup radishes, thinly sliced
• ▢ 3 scallions, stalks – chopped
• ▢ ½ cup kalamata olives, optional
• ▢ ½ cup feta cheese, cut into cubes or crumbled or grated parmesan cheese (optional)
• ▢ ½ cup basil leaves, loosely packed and torn (optional)

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place asparagus on a sheet pan in one layer. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Give it a toss, making sure that all the spears are coated with the oil and seasoning.
• Roast for 12 minutes or until the asparagus is cooked*. Transfer onto a plate and let asparagus cool. When cooled, cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Place into a salad bowl.
• While the asparagus is roasting make the lemon vinaigrette by mixing together 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
• To assemble the asparagus salad: Place tomatoes, radishes, scallions, olive into the bowl with the asparagus. Drizzle with the dressing.
• Stir in the feta cheese (if using) and basil leaves. Give it a gentle toss. Serve.

Video

Notes

• Yields: This recipe makes about 4 cups (loosely packed) salads that serves four adults as a side dish. If you are serving a larger crowd, you can multiply the recipe. The nutritional values below are per serving.
• Raw asparagus: During the spring, when asparagus is in season, you can use raw asparagus to make this salad, especially if you can get your hands on freshly picked asparagus. Some people like to shave it (using a vegetable peeler), which will work, but I also like to cut it into bite-size pieces for a fresh and crispy spring salad.
• Blanched Asparagus: Alternatively, you can blanch asparagus to make this recipe. To do so, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus spears and cook them for 4-5 minutes or until fork tender. Meanwhile, prepare the ice bath by placing some ice cubes and cold tap water in a bowl. Remove the asparagus using a slotted spoon and place it in the bowl of ice water (to stop the cooking process). Drain and cut it into smaller pieces.
• How To Store Leftovers? The best part about this spring asparagus salad that it holds up well. Store it in an airing container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Instructions to Make It Ahead: If you want to make this salad in advance, I recommend preparing and storing all the vegetables in a bowl and then adding the lemon vinaigrette, feta cheese, and basil leaves at the very end right before serving.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 1363mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 606IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

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