Cold Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
This cold asparagus salad is full of bright, fresh, spring flavors! Crisp asparagus pairs perfectly with red onion, bell pepper, creamy avocado and fresh mint. A light lemon vinaigrette dressing ties everything together. It’s a perfect spring or summer salad and a yummy side dish or a light lunch.
Need more light, healthy salads? You’ll love this quinoa salad with asparagus, this cold Asian noodle salad, and this chopped veggie salad. And if that’s not enough, here are 36+ more easy healthy salads!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this cold asparagus salad:
For the dressing:
For the salad:
How to make cold asparagus salad: Step by step
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Asparagus: I like to look for asparagus that’s not too thin. It makes for a crunchier, more hearty texture.
Parmesan cheese: Feta or goat cheese also pair well with this salad
Additions: You can add cherry tomatoes for extra juiciness! For a protein boost, include grilled chicken or chickpeas. Toasted almonds or pine nuts can provide a nutty flavor and extra texture.
Expert Tips
- Asparagus: You can absolutely forgo par-cooking the asparagus and just enjoy it raw. However, I think the quick cooking (blanching) of the asparagus mellows out the flavor and makes the salad even better.
- Cooking the asparagus: When you cook the asparagus, you are looking for it to cook to crisp-tender. Pay close attention to the thickness of your asparagus when cooking. If you use very thin asparagus, you might need to only cook it for 1 minute OR forgo the cooking altogether and enjoy it raw.
- Storage: This salad keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
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Thank you! ~ Casey
Cold Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 bunches of asparagus medium thickness, not too thin
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp mint, chopped
For the lemon vinaigrette dressing
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 3 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/8 tsp EACH coarse salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep: Break off the bottoms of the stems of the asparagus and discard. Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces.
- Blanch asparagus: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the asparagus in the boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes. Immediately transfer the asparagus by shocking it in an ice bath to retain its color and to stop it from cooking. Drain and set aside.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, add the lemon juice, oil, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined. Taste to see if more honey or salt/pepper are needed.
- Finish: Add asparagus, red bell pepper, cucumber, avocado, Parmesan cheese, and mint to a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve right away.
This salad is perfect for spring and it makes an amazing Easter side dish! XO ~ Casey