When the first tender stalks of asparagus pop up in the spring I love making this Asparagus Salad With Lemon And Herbs that is cheesy, herby, and nutty with the addition of the chopped toasted pistachios.
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The steamed asparagus is tossed with a lemon shallot dressing and enriched with grated Manchego cheese and can easily become a delicious side dish for an easy weeknight meal. This tangy bright salad is a stunner.
If you are looking for a cold asparagus salad recipe with flavor and texture, you have found it.
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Steaming fresh asparagus and then plunging the tender stalks into an ice bath will bring out the bright green color of the stalks. Layering the salad with a ton of flavor from the fresh herbs, cheese, lemon, and nuts creates a tasty asparagus salad.
I love serving this salad as a complete meal or as a great side dish alongside grilled or cooked meats. This spring salad is an easy recipe with a bright fresh taste.
Salads that are filled with more vegetables and fruit in them than lettuce make my day! For other salad recipes try my Arugula Feta Salad, Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad Recipe, or Tomato, Nectarine & Mozzarella Salad Recipe!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy Recipe - This is a simple recipe that comes together quickly
- Fresh Ingredients - Spring is the best time to find tender asparagus but this salad can be made year round as a side dish
- Cheesy And Nutty - If you love cheese and crunchy nuts, this salad will shine
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this salad with asparagus:
See the recipe card for quantities.
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Additions & Substitutions
Additions:
- Additional vegetables - The following vegetables all work well in this recipe: cherry tomatoes, red onions, green onions, kalamata olives, or fresh hard-cooked eggs.
- Protein - I love adding canned tuna to this salad once it is made. This will make this salad a complete meal.
- Dijon Mustard - While the lemon vinaigrette in this recipe is delicious, you can add 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard to make the dressing creamy.
Substitutions:
- Lemon Juice - You can substitute a red wine vinegar or even a balsamic vinegar, and you do not need to add the lemon zest but it does help amp up the lemon flavor.
- Manchego Cheese - You can use any young sheep's milk cheese such as pecorino or parmesan cheese; however, a salty feta cheese or a creamy goat cheese would also work.
- Pistachios - Substitute pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or toasted walnuts.
- Herbs - While I love a combination of dill and parsley, you can use any soft herbs like basil, tarragon, or thyme.
- Shallots - They can be omitted if you are using an onion as an addition.
How To Make Asparagus Salad With Lemon And Herbs: Step-By-Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with the exact ingredients are in the printable recipe card:
Step 1: Toast the pistachios in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat until lightly golden brown. Remove and let cool. Roughly chop.
Step 2: Fill a large skillet or pot with 1-2" of water. Place a steamer basket on top, add the asparagus, cover, and bring to a simmer. Steam the asparagus until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Once cold, cut the asparagus into pieces and place into a serving bowl.
Step 3: In a bowl, place the chopped shallot, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Let sit for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the pistachios, 3 tablespoons of the chopped herbs, and the grated cheese.
Step 4: Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and top with a pinch of salt to taste. Dollop with the dressing. Add the remaining chopped herbs on top and sprinkle with more grated cheese. Combine. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve at room temperature or cold.
Confidence Tip
Don't skip the ice bath for the asparagus. It will cool down the vegetable and make the lemon flavor pop.
You can serve this salad with any main course like the Balsamic Marinade For Steak, Grilled Cuban Flank Steak or the Grilled Pesto Chicken.
Storage And Reheating
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
Once you remove the asparagus from the heat, pour the asparagus into a bowl of ice-cold water. The cold ice water will stop the cooking process as well and bring out the naturally bright color and maintain its crisp texture.
Making it too far ahead. The asparagus will wilt and have a mealy texture unless baked into something like the Easy Baked Eggs With Asparagus.
The bend-and-snap method can waste delicious asparagus. The breaking point of a stalk depends on its thickness, how you bend it, and its freshness (super-fresh asparagus tends to be more rigid).
Other Delicious Salad Recipes
Combining simple ingredients, a homemade vinaigrette, your favorite vegetables found at your grocery store will create a delicious asparagus salad recipe that will help beat the high heat of summer.
Did you try this recipe? I would love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section and leave a ⭐️ rating and review. Share it on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
xoxoxo
Gwen
Asparagus Salad With Lemon And Herbs
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup pistachios or other nuts
- 1 lb fresh asparagus woody ends trimmed
- ¾ cup fresh herbs chopped, such as dill or parsley, or a combination. Reserve 3 tbsp's for the dressing.
- 3 tablespoon shallots minced, or use either red onion or scallion
- 1 lemon zested
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt large pinch
- ¼ teaspoon ground fresh pepper
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for serving
- ¾ cup coarsely grated cheese 1 ½ ounces, see note below, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Place the pistachios or other nuts into a pan on the stove. Heat the pan over medium heat and toast the nuts until golden brown. Remove and roughly chop after cooled. Set aside.
- Fill a large skillet or pot that you use to steam vegetables with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil.
- Place a steamer basket on top of the water, add the asparagus, cover, and simmer until the asparagus is tender. About 5 minutes.
- Immediately place the asparagus into an ice bath to stop the cooking and to maintain the bright green color. Once cooled, cut the asparagus into large chunks and set aside.
- Finely chop the herbs.
- In a medium bowl, combine the shallot, lemon juice, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside for 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk the olive oil into the shallots mixture.
- Add in the nuts, grated cheese, and 3 tablespoons of the chopped herbs.
- To serve, add the asparagus to a bowl or serving platter. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Dollop with the dressing, add the remaining chopped herbs and sprinkle generously with more grated cheese. Taste and adjust the salt.
Megan says
One of my new favorite recipes. This is a really classy salad!
Kara says
So good! I loved it!
laura says
I never thought to make a salad out of asparagus!
Wendie says
This was a huge hit!
Sharon says
Awesome salad! My family loved the pistachios!