This fresh and tasty Asparagus Salad is perfect for spring and it's full of vibrant colours and rich flavours. A bed of greens smothered in a lemon vinaigrette and topped with asparagus, feta and pine nuts. A light and fresh salad that is ready in under 10 minutes.
When asparagus seasons comes round, this asparagus salad recipe is the first thing we make. It really is the star of the salad and the flavours are incredible. This cold asparagus salad is perfect for Spring time, when you are trying to ease yourself back into salads after the cold winter months.
If you are looking for some other asparagus recipes, why not try our Lemon Roasted Asparagus, Asparagus Soup or Feta and Asparagus Frittata?
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Why you will love it
- A great way to use asparagus - Asparagus is in abundance in the spring and so cheap and delicious. This asparagus salad is a great way to make the most of it.
- Versatile - There are so many different ways you can serve this asparagus salad. You can eat it as it is, or serve with chicken or salmon. It also makes a great side dish for a BBQ.
- Adaptable - Feel free to adjust this recipe with your favourite salad ingredients.
- Great for feeding a crowd - You can easily double or triple this recipe, making it a great salad for Easter if you have a few people over.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Asparagus - To ensure that this is the BEST asparagus salad, make sure you are making this with in-season asparagus. Not only will it have the best flavour and texture, but it will be cheap too. Try to go with medium thickness spears - not the really thick ones. To get the perfect asparagus, look for spears that are firm and a nice bright green colour. The tips should be dry and held tightly to the stalk. Thinner asparagus spears are younger and therefore more tender.
- Salad leaves - We used lollo rosso because it has lots of volume and colour, but really any salad leaved would work. For some added iron, add in some spinach too.
- Tomatoes - These help to add some freshness and colour. We used cherry tomatoes, but you could slice up a larger tomato if you prefer.
- Radishes - Not only does radish add a lovely crunch and some colour to this asparagus salad, but it adds a lovely peppery flavour too.
- Dressing - We used our homemade lemon vinaigrette, however we have some other dressing options for you below.
- Cheese - We used feta as it adds a lovely tang and creaminess that helps to balance of the dressing.
- Pine nuts - These add a lovely crunch and creaminess that helps finish off the asparagus salad recipe.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make asparagus salad - Step by step
One: Trim the woody ends off of the asparagus and put into a pan of boiling water.
Two: Simmer for 4 minutes. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water.
Three: In a bowl, add the lettuce, tomatoes, radishes and rinsed asparagus (a). Pour over the dressing (b) and mix well to coat everything.
Four: Transfer to plates and top with the crumbled feta and pine nuts.
What to serve with asparagus salad
This makes a lovely light lunch, however if you would like to serve it with something that we have a few suggestions for you.
Whenever I am trying to bulk out a meal, I always serve it with some bread. Why not try our Easy Bagel Recipe, Homemade Flatbreads or Cheesy Garlic Bread?
Potatoes go with everything, right? Some of our potato recipes that would work well are Air Fryer Diced Potatoes, Hasselback Potatoes, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Herb Roasted Potatoes or The BEST Greek Potatoes.
Variations
Vegetables - The great thing about salads is that they are so adaptable. Whatever salad ingredients you can think of, they can probably go on a salad. Other ingredients we like to add are olives, red onion, sweetcorn, bell peppers, shredded cabbage or carrot and roasted potatoes. Adding some cooked peas would make this even more of a Spring salad.
Protein - We have the feta for a little added protein, but if you wanted to make this more of a complete meal with a protein boost, then we have some suggestions for you. You could add in a can of tuna, or some boiled eggs or even shredded leftover chicken. To keep it vegetarian, you could add in some chickpeas.
Fresh herbs - If you want to add a lot of extra flavour to a salad, then fresh herbs is the way to go. The best herb to pair with asparagus is mint and use fresh rather than dried.
Grains - This is a good way to bulk the salad out and make it more filling. You could use rice, barley, couscous, farro or even some cooked pasta.
Health benefits of asparagus
A member of the lily family, asparagus is a nutrient dense vegetable and definitely one you should be trying to include in your diet more often. It is high in fibre, vitamins A, C, E and K and packed full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
There is evidence that the cultivation of asparagus dates back over 2,000 years to Greece, where they believed in its medicinal properties and that it could be used for curing toothache. It has been grown in England since the 16th century.
How to store asparagus
You should try to use asparagus on the day that it is bought, but if that isn't possible then we have some tips on how to keep it fresh for up to 7 days in the fridge. Take a look at this post on How To Store Asparagus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this salad a couple of hours in advance and then keep it in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
If you have any leftovers, they can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge until the next day.
Use the bend and snap method. Take one stalk of asparagus and then gently bend it to the point of breaking and it will snap off at the point where the woody tough part begins. You can carry on snapping them all, or use that as a guide and use a knife to cut them all at the same point.
Extra tips
• When it comes to cooking the asparagus, you want it barely blanched so that it still has a little crunch to it and also keeps its amazing green colour.
• Be gentle when mixing the salad, as you don't want the asparagus spears to snap.
• Because there is no mayo in this dressing, it makes it great for putting out for a BBQ when entertaining.
• You can toast the pine nuts in a dry pan first for some extra crunch.
More salad recipes
If you’ve tried this asparagus salad recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Asparagus Salad
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lb) Asparagus spears - trimmed
- 350 g (12 oz) Lollo Rosso salad
- 6 Radishes - thinly sliced
- 6 Cherry tomatoes - halved
- 1 portion Lemon vinaigrette
- 50 g (0.33 cups) Light Feta - crumbled
- 2 tablespoon Pine nuts
Instructions
- Trim the woody ends off of 500 g Asparagus spears and put into a pan of boiling water.
- Simmer for 4 minutes. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a bowl, add 350 g Lollo Rosso salad, 6 Cherry tomatoes, 6 Radishes and rinsed asparagus.
- Pour over 1 portion Lemon vinaigrette and mix well to coat everything.
- Transfer to plates and top with 50 g Light Feta and 2 tablespoon Pine nuts.
Notes
- When it comes to cooking the asparagus, you want it barely blanched so that it still has a little crunch to it and also keeps its amazing green colour.
- Be gentle when mixing the salad, as you don't want the asparagus spears to snap.
- Because there is no mayo in this dressing, it makes it great for putting out for a BBQ when entertaining.
- You can toast the pine nuts in a dry pan first for some extra crunch.
Nutritional Information
Garret Shaan
Well I thought I'd really like this recipe but found it was a bit all over the place once I tried it. Family weren't a big fan either. Maybe too sour.
Dannii
Thanks for the feedback. Not sure what you mean by all over the place? Did you make our lemon vinaigrette to go with it? If so, that has honey in it so it shouldn't be sour. Unless your asparagus wasn't very ripe?
Anjali
This salad is so healthy, satisfying and tasty! I made this for lunch today and it was a nice easy way to incorporate a bunch of veggies into my lunch!
Gina Abernathy
Love the flavors and the colors of this salad. This is so light and refreshing.
Nikki
I love the flavors and textures in this light and refreshing salad. Looking forward to trying it.
Traci
Asparagus season is here and I am loving this recipe for it! Especially the addition of feta - it's so good with asparagus. Thanks for sharing!
Holley
This is such a crisp and refreshing salad! I could eat this everyday!
Lily
I'm always looking for ways to make asparagus outside the typical roasted asparagus recipe. This asparagus salad was filling and yummy. I blanched the asparagus in cold water after boiling it to cool it down a bit. SO easy and yummy!
Ned
Oh my, this was one incredible salad! I loved the asparagus in it! Thank you!
Tara
Such a gorgeous salad! I love all that vibrant color and it sounds amazing paired with the lemon vinaigrette.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
I love asparagus in salads and this version has so much colour and crunch. The salty feta is perfect too.
Whitney
This is such a flavorful and filling salad, the asparagus add a beautiful color too!