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Why I Love This Asparagus Spring Salad Recipe
In my opinion, a salad should be just as much the focus of a meal as the main dish. Not only should we constantly be searching for ways to eat more greens, but salads offer a lot of interest as well as flavor. It seems that a lot of times we become used to boring, lifeless, and bland salads. But shop the produce aisle and you’ll quickly realize that there are endless ways to update your greens for more crunch as well as unique toppings.
This salad is perfect for an Easter dinner… or any meal, really. The addition of asparagus and peas gives this salad a springtime seasonal facelift. The asparagus is left crisp-tender for a slight crunch and the peas have a sweet fresh flavor.
The best part? The dressing, which is super simple, is made with pantry staples, making this salad a carefree dish to throw together!
Asparagus Spring Salad Ingredients
- Asparagus – The obvious springtime star in this salad recipe! The asparagus is cut into bite-sized pieces and blanched for a short time to remove the raw texture.
- Peas – Always fresh in the freezer aisle. Do not be concerned about using fresh peas. Once thawed, frozen peas are full of flavor and have the perfect edible texture.
- Red onion – Slightly sweet and the perfect way to give a boost to the salad without being overpowering.
- Goat cheese – An earthy cheese with a creamy texture. I use marinated or flavored goat cheese to add even more flavor.
- Roasted sunflower seeds – Bring a crunch, which provides an interesting texture to the salad.
- Mayonnaise – The base for the dressing. The high amount of fat in mayonnaise helps the dressing emulsify easily and has the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavor.
- Dijon mustard – Adds more flavor to the dressing. Think of Dijon mustard as the je ne sais quoi that adds a flavor that cannot be pinpointed, but is very much appreciated.
- Honey – Balances out the dressing by adding a small about of sweetness.
The right salad can be the most exciting thing on the table or at least be on a level playing field with all the other dishes. This salad may just be your new favorite. It’s a simple, old-style dressing with terrific flavor that complements all the fresh crunchy spring vegetables!
Follow These Tips
Serving & Storage
To serve – Serve chilled or cool, right after tossing so the lettuce stays crisp. Layer buttercrunch lettuce in a big bowl or on a platter, top with asparagus and peas, then sprinkle with red onion and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle with the creamy dressing just before bringing it to the table.
To store – Store components separately in the fridge for the best texture. Keep lettuce, blanched asparagus and peas, goat cheese, and dressing in their own containers for up to 3 days. Once dressed and assembled, enjoy within 1 day.
More Salad Recipes
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Asparagus Spring Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 lb asparagus dried ends removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup peas frozen and thawed
- ¼ of a red onion thinly sliced
- 4 oz goat cheese
- ⅓ cup roasted sunflower seeds
- 2 heads buttercrunch lettuce
- 4 oz microgreens
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp champagne vinegar
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the salad
- Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Once boiling, add 2 tsp salt. Add the prepared asparagus and cook the asparagus for 1-2 minutes until crisp-tender. Once cooked, immediately plunge into prepared ice water until chilled, 6 minutes. Once chilled, remove from the ice water and dry on a towel.1 lb asparagus
- Prepare the salad by cutting the heads of lettuce into quarters and arrange on a large platter. Drizzle on some of the dressing (recipe below). Top with the blanched asparagus, thawed peas, microgreens, sliced red onion, crumbled goat cheese, and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with more dressing to taste and serve immediately.1 cup peas, ¼ of a red onion, 4 oz goat cheese, ⅓ cup roasted sunflower seeds, 2 heads buttercrunch lettuce, 4 oz microgreens
For the dressing
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine and set aside until ready to use.⅓ cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp honey, 1 tbsp champagne vinegar, ¾ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Video
Notes
- The dressing can be made 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Hi Friend I enjoy your cooking recipe all of them The best part I have the ingredients always in.my house I cooked your roast chicken with the fruit orange and lemon and herbs It came out perfect it wasn’t first time cutting the chicken that way but I handle it your spring Salad it was over the hill Keep up the correct king You have what I take Your meals are so healthy tocookItkwepme alive .
This looks so incredibly good! Can you recommend a substitute for the mayo? I wish I liked it because living in the South, everything is about mayo here in salads, etc. I was thinking maybe just an oil and vinegar kind of dressing might work? I use balsamic regularly. I wonder if a different flavor vinegar might be nice. I don’t know. Just asking! And no worries if you’re too busy to answer. Thank you!
Delicious, a great way to use asparagus, and a nice variation of salad.
Made this tonight as the main dish for my family. Also had rotisserie chicken available for those who wanted some protein. Every single person gave it a thumbs up and suggested I keep the recipe. Super easy to make, looks good and tastes good.
What a great salad! Like another commenter, I had to use rice wine vinegar…still amazing!! The goat cheese really did the trick! Thank you!
Made this recipe exactly as it says for a dinner party (with the exception of substituting Rice Wine Vinegar), it is outstanding, everyone LOVED it. And presents so lovely! Thanks as always Kaleb!
Kaleb, This salad is 👌! Thank you for this recipe! I was at the store trying to figure out what type of salad I was going to make with my famous stuffed artichokes. So I opened up your salad recipes. The first one I saw the Asparagus Spring Salad! Well not only did your salad save my last minute shopping and my dinner!! But Everyone raved about it!!
So if you’re ever in a jam think of this Beautiful Salad! Thanks Again Kaleb!!
Made this salad for a few friends who raved about it. Thanks for this recipe.
Ann
Once again, your recipe was a fabulous success. I made this salad for Easter dinner and it was loved by all. I didn’t have any goat cheese, but used burrata in place and it was fine.
I love your recipes are so versatile and substitutions can be made. My favorite part was the dressing… Yummy! My husband who only eats ranch dressing was discovered in the kitchen using his yeast roll (also your recipe which I’ve used many times) sopping up the last of the dressing, lol. To all who haven’t tried this salad please try it …..it can’t be beat as far as flavor. Thank you for sharing yourself and your recipes.
made this ridiculously easy dressing. Got raves from the 8 people who it was served to. Now it’s my go to