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This asparagus salad recipe bursts with flavor, pairing the vegetable with lemon, radishes, feta, and a tangy Dijon vinaigrette. It’s a healthy and satisfying side dish or main course with added protein!
Want a salad that’s as tasty as it is versatile? Enter: asparagus salad! It’s got savory sauteed asparagus, cooked up in a hot pan for a few minutes then spritzed with lemon. Add that to a bed of greens and sprinkle with peppery radishes and salty feta cheese.
A Dijon mustard dressing tops it off, perfectly balanced with tangy and savory notes. Even better: you can serve as a side dish, or add protein and make it a main dish salad. When Alex served it to me, I exclaimed “Yum!” halfway into the first bite—which was when we knew we had to share the recipe.
Ingredients in asparagus salad
This asparagus salad is a spring salad starring the season’s most popular vegetable! Asparagus is usually available most of the year, but it’s best in March through June. If you can find this veggie at a local farmers market, make sure to pick some up! The best asparagus is fresh and locally grown. Here are the key ingredients in this recipe:
- Asparagus: This salad stars sauteed asparagus, cooked in a hot pan and squeezed with lemon. It’s a nice contrast to the fresh ingredients.
- Radishes and red onion: Peppery radishes add a kick, and onions a savory note. Substitute green onion if you like.
- Feta cheese: This cheese adds a punch of savory saltiness. Substitute goat cheese crumbles or shaved Parmesan cheese if desired.
- Lemon zest: Zest adds citrusy, bright notes; you can use the lemon from the sauteed asparagus.
- Dijon dressing: This healthy dressing takes just 5 minutes to make and covers the entire salad with a tangy brightness.
How to make asparagus salad: step by step
This asparagus salad comes together quickly: the longest lead time item is sauteing the asparagus! Here is the basic outline:
Step 1: Make the sauteed asparagus. Remove to a bowl until serving.
Step 2: Make the Dijon dressing.
Step 3: Clean and dry the salad greens. Place the greens on serving plates, then top with asparagus, red onion, radishes, feta cheese, and lemon zest. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
For exact steps and quantities, go to the full recipe below.
Variation: make it a main dish
Make this asparagus salad into a main dish by adding a protein! Try adding:
- Plant-based proteins like quinoa, canned chickpeas, white beans, baked tofu
- Hard boiled eggs
- Seafood like sauteed shrimp, baked salmon or blackened salmon, or
- Chicken like grilled chicken or blackened chicken.
Ways to serve this asparagus salad
This salad is so versatile, you can serve it with just about anything! It’s up there in our list of our favorite salad recipes. Here are a few ways we’d recommend:
- Main dish salad: Add cooked quinoa, white beans, crispy tofu, blackened chicken, or sauteed shrimp to a main dish salad for lunch or a light dinner.
- Salmon: It would be a great pairing for lemon dill salmon or grilled salmon.
- Pasta: Pair it with creamy cavatappi, pasta with peas, or creamy goat cheese pasta.
- Soup: Imagine it with this spring soup or Italian chickpea soup for a luncheon or dinner party.
- Risotto: This salad would pair nicely with mushroom risotto.
Storing leftovers
This salad is best the day it is made. Leftovers store up to 2 days refrigerated, but the greens wilt over time. If making ahead, store all components in separate containers without the dressing. Make the dressing in advance and refrigerate; allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Assemble the salad directly before serving.
A few more asparagus recipes
Looking to add more asparagus to your life? Try these top asparagus recipes:
- This baked asparagus and roasted asparagus are a hit with everyone!
- Go for fan-favorite broiled asparagus, boiled asparagus, or blanched asparagus.
- Mix up a pan of asparagus risotto.
- Opt for shaved asparagus salad featuring raw asparagus, which tastes mild and sweet!
Dietary notes
This asparagus salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, omit the cheese and add chopped roasted salted almonds.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, this salad features cooked asparagus. But you can use raw asparagus in a Shaved Asparagus Salad.
Consider cheeses with complementary flavors like Parmesan (nutty and salty), feta (tangy and salty), goat cheese (creamy and tangy), or even crumbled blue cheese (sharp and bold).
It’s recommended to assemble the salad just before serving. However, you can prepare the dressing and other ingredients (like chopping vegetables) in advance to save time.
Asparagus Salad with Feta
This asparagus salad bursts with flavor, pairing the vegetable with lemon, radishes, feta, and a tangy Dijon vinaigrette. It’s a healthy and satisfying side dish or main course with added protein!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Vegetables
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced*
- 3 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 recipe sauteed asparagus**
- 1 recipe Dijon dressing
- 2 bunches salad greens, including romaine lettuce (about 8 cups)
- ⅓ cup feta cheese crumbles
- Lemon zest, for garnish (using the lemon from the asparagus recipe)
- Protein adders: Make it a main dish by adding cooked quinoa, canned chickpeas, white beans, baked tofu, sauteed shrimp, baked salmon or blackened salmon, or grilled chicken
Instructions
- Make the sauteed asparagus. Remove to a bowl until serving.
- Make the Dijon dressing.
- To serve, clean and dry the salad greens as necessary. Place the greens on serving plates, then top with sauteed asparagus, red onion, radishes, feta cheese crumbles, and lemon zest. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
Notes
*If desired, to mellow the strong flavor of the red onions you can place them in a bowl of water while you prepare the salad, then drain before using.
**You can also make steamed asparagus or blanched asparagus, making sure to season the asparagus with salt and toss with a bit of olive oil.
Storage notes: This salad is best the day it is made. Leftovers store up to 2 days refrigerated, but the greens wilt over time. If making ahead, store all components in separate containers without the dressing. Make the dressing in advance and refrigerate; allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Assemble the salad directly before serving.
I followed the recipe as written and really loved the flavours. Felt like i was eating at a fancy restaurant. My husband really enjoyed it too, and he tends not to like vegetables. This recipe is a keeper.