This asparagus salad is bursting with flavor and totally versatile! It highlights this healthy veggie with lemon, radishes, feta, and a Dijon dressing.

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 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 cooked quinoa 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.

What’s in this asparagus salad?

This asparagus salad features spring’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, tender local asparagus.

To complement the robust flavor of asparagus, we wanted to surround it with fresh, zingy flavors like lemon and crunchy greens. Here’s what’s in this asparagus salad:

• Asparagus: You’ll use our sauteed asparagus recipe, cooked in a hot pan and squeezed with lemon. It’s also great as a stand-alone side dish!
• Radishes: Peppery radishes add a kick.
• Red onion: Onion adds a savory note; you could also use green onion.
• Feta cheese: Brings savory saltiness.
• Lemon zest: Adds a nice freshness; you can use the lemon from the sauteed asparagus recipe. (Here’s how to zest a lemon.)
• Dijon dressing: This healthy dressing just 5 minutes to make and covers the entire salad with a tangy brightness

Want a few more salad dressings? Try our How to Make Healthy Salad Dressing.

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:

1. As a main dish salad: Add cooked quinoa to make this asparagus salad a main dish salad for lunch or a light dinner.
2. With salmon: It would be a great pairing for Lemon Dill Salmon or Easy Cedar Plank Salmon.
3. Alongside pasta: Dishes that would work well: Creamy Cavatappi Pasta or Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta.
4. With soup: Imagine it with this Vibrant Spring Soup for a springy luncheon or dinner party.
5. With risotto: This would pair nicely with Easy Mushroom Risotto, adding a nice source of fiber.

Asparagus nutrition

Is asparagus healthy? You bet. There are lots of great things about eating this super vegetable; here are some highlights:

• High in fiber: It’s a great source of fiber: 1 cup of cooked asparagus has 4 grams of fiber. (Source)
• High in Vitamin K: It’s a great source of vitamin K, over 50% your daily requirement. Vitamin K is a nutrient involved in blood clotting and bone health (Source).
• Relatively high in protein: It’s also high in protein for a green vegetable: 1 cup also has 4 grams protein. (Source) That’s a similar level to broccoli and potatoes.

Other ways to use asparagus?

Looking to add more asparagus to your life? Outside of this asparagus salad, here are some of our favorite ways to serve this veggie:

• Easy Baked Asparagus An easy side dish that’s a hit with everyone! The green stalks are roasted until tender, spritzed with lemon & topped with Parmesan.
• Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Or, bake it in the oven for about 10 minutes with garlic, olive oil, and lemon slices. Perfection!
• Shaved Asparagus Salad Ever tried asparagus raw? It tastes mild and sweet! Eat it as shaved asparagus salad, which pairs the ribbons with a tangy lemon vinaigrette and Parmesan.

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.

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A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes