This Asparagus Salad with Lemon and Herbs is light, lemony, and easy to pull together. With tender asparagus, fresh herbs, and a simple shallot vinaigrette, it's a versatile salad that works as both a side dish and a stand-alone meal.
Asparagus Salad At A Glance
- ⏱ Total Time: 40 minutes (20 min prep + 20 min cook)
- 🥗 Servings: 4
- 🌿 Cuisine Type: Mediterranean
- 🍋 Flavor Profile: Bright and lemony with tender asparagus, fresh herbs, crunchy pistachios, and a savory finish from grated cheese
- 🥗 Dietary Info: Naturally gluten-free; vegetarian
- 🥡 Storage Notes: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: A fresh, spring-forward salad that works equally well as a side dish or a light main. Simple to prepare, elegant on the table, and easy to make ahead
This salad leans into a Mediterranean-inspired meal, using a few high-quality ingredients rather than heavy dressing. Lemon juice, olive oil, and shallots create a light vinaigrette that coats the asparagus without overpowering it, while herbs, pistachios, and cheese add texture and depth. If you love asparagus, then you will love either the Roasted Asparagus with Lemon or the Sheet Pan Eggs With Asparagus.
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I love serving this salad as a complete meal or as a side dish alongside grilled or cooked meats. This spring salad is an easy recipe with a bright fresh taste. For other salad recipes, try my Arugula Feta Salad, Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad Recipe, or Tomato, Nectarine & Mozzarella Salad Recipe!
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this salad with asparagus:
Ingredient Notes:
- Asparagus - Fresh asparagus is the star here, so choosing firm, bright green spears matters. Briefly steaming the asparagus keeps it tender while preserving its color and snap, which makes all the difference in a cold salad. I prefer asparagus that is skinny instead of thick. The skinny stalks are sweeter than the large stalks. If you are using large stalks, consider using a vegetable peeler on the thicker ends.
- Fresh herbs - A generous mix of fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or a combination adds a clean, spring-forward flavor. Reserving some herbs for the dressing ensures the salad is evenly seasoned throughout, not just on top. Because the herbs add a lot to this salad, be generous with your portions!
See the recipe card for quantities.
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Variations
- 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 makes 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.
- 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.
- Pistachios - Substitute pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or toasted walnuts.
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.
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
Let me know your thoughts on this Asparagus Salad by leaving a star rating below or by sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, or Pinterest!
Thank you!
Gwen
Asparagus Salad With Lemon And Herbs
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup pistachios or other nuts, divided
- 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, divided
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 pistachios, ½ cup of the grated cheese, and 3 tablespoons of the chopped herbs to the shallot mixture and combine.
- 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.
Maggie says
what kind of cheese? parmesan?
Gwen Wolken says
You can use Parmesan. I used grated Manchego. Any mild white cheese would work.
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!