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This Cold Asparagus Salad is fresh, vibrant, and surprisingly easy to make. Crisp-tender asparagus and sweet peas are tossed in a bright lemon dressing, then finished with salty feta, fresh mint, and crunchy pistachios for a dish that truly lets spring produce shine.
Looking for recipes featuring asparagus? Don't miss Asparagus Frittata, Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry, Air Fryer Asparagus, and Vegetable Primavera.
Kristen's Keys For Cold Asparagus Salad
Over the years, I've tried quite a few chilled asparagus salads. Most were good, but after tasting a version at a local restaurant, I felt inspired to recreate it at home. After a little kitchen testing and tweaking, this version quickly became my favorite, and it all comes down to a few simple details that make the flavors really shine.
- Blanch the asparagus and peas. After a quick dip in boiling water, immediately transfer the asparagus and peas to an ice bath. This stops the cooking process and helps keep the vegetables crisp-tender and bright green.
- Pat the vegetables dry before dressing. Excess water can dilute the lemon dressing. A quick pat with a clean towel helps the dressing coat the vegetables instead of sliding right off.
- Give the salad time to chill. Letting the salad rest for at least 30 minutes allows the lemon dressing, shallots, and vegetables to mingle. It's one of those recipes that tastes even better after a little time together.
- Finish with texture and flavor. Before serving, add crumbled feta, fresh mint, and chopped pistachios to the salad. These are the difference makers. The combination of creamy, crunchy, bright, and fresh flavors is what makes this salad truly stand out.
Notes on Ingredients
A salad is only as good as it's components, so you will want to pay attention to the following ingredient notes for the best results or proper substitutions.
- Asparagus: Look for asparagus with closed tips thin, vibrant green stalks.
- Peas: If you can, select petite peas. They are sweeter and more tender than green peas, making them perfect for this salad. Using frozen versus fresh keeps the prep minimal.
- Shallot: Milder and sweeter than an onion, thin slices of shallots are the best choice for this salad, as they don't overwhelm the asparagus and peas.
- Lemon Dressing: Fresh lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. Simple, yet perfect.
- Pistachios: Shelled, salted, and chopped. Feel free to swap them out for chopped almonds or omit if nut-free.
- Feta: Crumbed feta cheese adds a nice creamy texture and salty finish to the salad. Omit if dairy-free.
- Mint: Mint + peas are a natural pairing, making fresh mint work beautifully in this salad.
How to Make a Cold Asparagus Salad
Let me walk you through exactly how I make this asparagus and pea salad in my own kitchen.
Step One: Trim Asparagus
It is important to remove the woody stems of the asparagus, as they are tough, fibrous, and not suited for a salad. The best way to do this, is to hold a stalk of asparagus at both ends and gently bend it until it snaps. It will naturally break right where the tough portion ends. Use that piece as a guide to trim the rest of the bunch.
After removing the stems, chop the asparagus into 2-inch pieces.
Step Two: Blanch Asparagus and Peas
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. While the water is coming to a boil, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with cold water and a few handfuls of ice.
Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus and frozen peas and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until the vegetables turn bright green and are crisp-tender.
Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer the veggies immediately to the prepared ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Step Three: Prepare Dressing
While the asparagus and peas chill in the ice bath, prepare the dressing. Simply whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon, honey, salt, and pepper until well combined and emulsified.
Step Four: Add Vegetables to Dressing
At this point, you will want to remove the vegetables from the ice bath and pat dry, so that dressing can cling to the veggies. I typically use a clean kitchen towel, but a paper towel works.
Add them, along with the thinly sliced shallot to the dressing and gently toss to coat.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. This gives the flavors time to blend and soften the bite of the shallots.
Step Five: Finish and Serve
Just before serving, transfer the salad to a platter. Top with crumbled feta, chopped pistachios, and ribbons of mint.
Serving Suggestions
This salad has quickly become one of those spring recipes I find myself making again and again. It's fresh, colorful, and easy enough for a weeknight, yet pretty enough to bring to the table for Easter brunch or a backyard dinner. Below are some of my favorite pairings.
- As a Side Dish: From a ribeye steak to honey lemon chicken to baked salmon to white bean pasta, this asparagus pea salad pairs with just about any entree!
- For Easter Brunch: Pair a classic quiche, a green chile egg casserole, or a savory breakfast strata, with this asparagus salad for a memorable brunch.
- For Easter Dinner: Alongside a glazed Ham (or Instant Pot ham) and scalloped potatoes, you can guarantee an Easter dinner to remember.
More Seasonal Spring Recipes
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Asparagus Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus
- 1 cup frozen petite peas
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, + more for blanching
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ small shallot, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pistachios, shelled and chopped
- 4 fresh mint leaves, sliced into ribbons
- ¼ cup crumbled feta, optional
Instructions
- Wash the asparagus, trim and discard the woody bottoms, and chop into 2-inch pieces.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Set up a large bowl of ice water to the side. Once the water is boiling, heavily salt the water and drop the prepared asparagus and 1 cup frozen petite peas into the boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the asparagus is just tender and still bright green. Timing will depend on thickness of asparagus. Immediately transfer the veggies to a bowl of ice water using a slotted spoon or spider strainer.
- Let the peas and asparagus chill in the ice bath for 2-3 minutes, then drain, and pat dry.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper together until well combined and emulsified.
- Add the blanched asparagus, peas, and thinly sliced shallot to the mixing bowl with the prepared dressing. Toss to coat and then cover and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- To serve, transfer the dressed vegetables to a serving dish and top with chopped pistachios, ribbons of mint, and crumbled feta. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a wonderful recipe. My family loved it. I had to improvise as I didn’t have pistachios so I used pumpkin seeds, which blended in with the nice green asparagus. Also, I didn’t precook it as my kitchen is being renovated. It turned out great. Thank you, will be making this as much as possible as asparagus is on sale here in Canada. Once winter hits, we are lucky to get descent asparagus and it’s very expensive.
Hi Sami! So thrilled you enjoyed and thanks for sharing your modifications 🙂 Pumpkin seeds and raw asparagus were great swaps. I appreciate you sharing your review as well 🙂
This recipe is delicious! I received many compliments as I served this recipe for Easter dinner. I left out the pistachios due to a dietary restriction. Not wanting to shell out the money for the fresh mint, I used dried mint leaves instead. Thank you for sharing this winning salad recipe.
Thanks for sharing, Deborah! I am thrilled you and your guests enjoyed! Great idea on the dried mint. My store AND farmer's market were out of mint, so I omitted it altogether for my Easter dinner--and we still loved it.
This recipe takes asparagus to a new level !! Deeelicious. Kristen, you have done it again.
WAHOO! I am so thrilled you agree, Skip! We are such huge fans of this one over here too!