Asparagus Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette

This tasty Asparagus Salad with feta is full of crisp, tender asparagus spears, salty feta cheese, and sweet cherry tomatoes with a mouthwatering lemon vinaigrette.

Enjoy this delicious fresh salad at home, or bring it to your next backyard BBQ or summer potluck. 

Asparagus Salad Recipe

It’s one of my favorite spring and salads because it’s super easy to make, has a delicious fresh taste, and pairs well with many different main dishes. 

You can also enjoy this simple salad for a light lunch or afternoon snack without feeling too full.

If you have leftover asparagus and are an asparagus lover like me, give this Air Fryer Asparagus and this Shrimp Asparagus Risotto a try next!

You can change this salad up just a bit by adding a few simple ingredients. If you’re looking for a variation of this salad, feel free to add pine nuts, green onions, sweet peas, or kalamata olives.

You can also change up the dressing a bit and try using an easy balsamic vinaigrette or simple shallot dressing. 

What do I need to make cold asparagus salad?

Asparagus: is the main ingredient in this salad. I like to use fresh asparagus with a medium-sized stalk. If you use asparagus with a thin stalk, your salad may not keep its crunch as long, and if you use asparagus with thicker spears, it may be too tough. You do need to use fresh asparagus for this recipe. 

Baby spinach: raw baby spinach has a sweeter taste than mature spinach leaves. For this recipe, I like to use baby spinach because the sweet flavor pairs well with the red onion and feta. 

Cherry tomatoes: add a sweet flavor to your salad as well as color and texture. You can also use grape tomatoes if you prefer.

Red onion: is a tad bit spicy when raw, which goes well in this salad. You can use yellow onions if that’s all you’ve got on hand, but they will have much more of a mild flavor rather than the sharp red onion taste.

Tip: if you want the onions to have a more mild flavor, you can marinate them in the vinaigrette for 30 minutes before adding them to the salad.

Feta cheese: brings a salty flavor and adds creaminess to your fresh salad. You can use vegan feta cheese or creamy goat cheese as a substitute if you like.

Fresh basil leaves: freshly torn basil leaves are both sweet and a little spicy. I don’t recommend dried basil leaves for this recipe. 

What do I need to make Lemon Vinaigrette?

Olive Oil: creates the smooth texture of the vinaigrette while adding a peppery and buttery taste to your dressing. 

Lemon: fresh lemon juice is ideal for this vinaigrette, but you can also use bottled lemon juice in the produce department of your local grocery store. Lemon juice also adds acidity to your vinaigrette and pairs well with maple syrup for a nice sweet and tangy flavor. 

Dijon mustard: I prefer to use Dijon mustard to yellow mustard because Dijon mustard is a little more tangy and adds a hint of spice. 

Maple syrup: this will add a sweet flavor to your vinaigrette and help balance out all the flavors.

Garlic: adds a savory, nutty flavor to your dressing. I prefer to use fresh garlic over garlic powder in this recipe, as the powder will change the consistency of your dressing.

Thyme: dried thyme brings many flavors to your dressing – earthy, citrus, and a hint of mint. 

Black pepper: freshly cracked pepper is piney and a little spicy, which goes well with the hint of spice in the Dijon mustard. 

How do I make fresh asparagus salad?

1. Prepare the lemon vinaigrette. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, grated garlic, salt, ground pepper, and dried thyme in a small bowl. Let the vinaigrette chill in the fridge for 30 minutes in an air-tight container.
2. Cook the asparagus. In a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat, bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Drop the asparagus spears into the boiling water, and blanch them for 1-2 minutes. Keep the asparagus in the water until tender but still bright green. While the asparagus is cooking, prepare a large mixing bowl with ice water. When the asparagus is finished cooking, transfer it into the ice water for 3 minutes, then drain.
3. Prepare the salad. In a large bowl, combine baby spinach leaves, cherry tomatoes, sliced onion, feta cheese, and basil leaves.
4. Serve. To serve, move the salad onto a platter, pour the lemon vinaigrette and balsamic vinegar on top, toss, then sprinkle more fresh feta cheese.

Can you eat raw asparagus in a salad?

Yes! Raw asparagus is full of vitamins and nutrients. For this salad in particular, we are blanching the asparagus, which partially cooks it. You can also grill them, bake them or air fry them.

However, raw asparagus is a little tougher than cooked asparagus, so if you’re using raw asparagus, be sure to pick out asparagus with medium to thin-sized stalks for the best flavor.

What goes well with asparagus?

There are so many things that pair well with asparagus. It’s one of those vegetables that is a great side dish to most all proteins, like chicken and fish, and is also great to add to many recipes. 

Depending on how you prepare your asparagus, you can add different ingredients to it to enhance its flavor. You can add garlic, honey, fresh herbs, and lemon zest or juice.

Another one of my favorite things to add to my asparagus is cheese, specifically parmesan cheese. The nutty flavor of the cheese pairs perfectly with the earthiness of the asparagus. 

Can you boil asparagus and then put it in an ice bath?

Yes! For this recipe, this is actually what I prefer so that your asparagus stays crunchy and vibrant green color. This process is called blanching. 

Blanching is when you place your vegetable in boiling water for just a few minutes and then quickly take them out and place them into either a bowl of ice water or run cold water over them.

Blanching is used to stop the cooking process, which keeps your asparagus from getting soft and losing its color. If you don’t blanch your veggies, they will continue to cook, become soft and lose their vibrant color.

Is it better to boil or steam asparagus?

It depends on your preference and the recipe you’re making. For this recipe, I like to boil the asparagus for just a few minutes and then blanch them. This keeps them extra crispy and green.

If you’d rather your asparagus be a little softer, you can either leave them to boil longer or steam them.

Steaming also helps keep some of the key nutrients in your asparagus that you may lose if you boil it for a long period of time. 

How long can asparagus last in the fridge?

Raw asparagus will stay fresh in your fridge for around four to six days if you just place the bundle in there until used. There are two ways to store your asparagus for the best quality:

1. With a damp paper towel, wrap the bottoms of your stalks and place them inside an unsealed plastic bag. Be sure you wrap the bottoms and not the tops.
2. Place them in a glass jar with a little bit of water and stalk side down, which will also help keep them super fresh. This will keep them fresh for about a week. 

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