Asparagus Salad With Lemon And Herbs

Cold asparagus salad with lemon, herbs, cheese, and nuts in a white bowl.

5 from 5 votes

Asparagus Salad With Lemon And Herbs

A cold asparagus salad with a delicious shallot vinaigrette will grace your table for either a side dish or as a stand-alone salad.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: people

Calories: 422kcal

Author: Gwen Wolken

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.

Notes

This asparagus salad is best when the asparagus is just tender, not soft. Steaming it briefly and then transferring it to an ice bath preserves the bright green color and keeps the texture crisp, which is especially important since the salad is served cold. Once cooled, be sure to drain the asparagus well so the dressing doesn’t become diluted.

The lemon and shallot vinaigrette is light but flavorful, so using good-quality olive oil makes a noticeable difference. Letting the shallots sit briefly in the lemon juice softens their bite and helps the dressing taste balanced rather than sharp. Fresh herbs add a lot of character here, and using a mix of dill and parsley gives the salad a clean, spring-forward flavor.

This salad can be assembled a few hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator, making it a great option for entertaining. Add the pistachios and extra cheese just before serving so they retain their texture. Serve chilled or slightly cool for the best flavor and contrast.

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