This light and colorful Cold Asparagus Salad is made with blanched asparagus, crisp romaine lettuce, and zesty spring radishes. Tossed in a creamy, lemon chia seed dressing, it's a healthy side salad that pairs well with so many meals.
Well, friends, asparagus season is upon us! So it's no mystery where the inspiration for this salad came from. And though I'm a huge fan of roasted asparagus, I wanted to use this beautiful spring vegetable in a different and fresh way.
Paired with beautiful Easter egg radishes, this simple asparagus salad couldn't be more perfect for springtime.
Ingredient Notes
- Lettuce - The crunch of fresh romaine is always nice, but feel free to substitute your favorite lettuce or whatever looks the freshest.
- Asparagus - When purchasing asparagus, look for stalks that are richly green and firm to the touch. The tips should look perky. Pass on bunches that look wrinkly or droopy.
- Radishes - Easter egg radishes are often easy to find in stores and at farmers markets around the same time asparagus is plentiful. Feel free to use any variety of radish you enjoy, like pink, violet, cherry belle, or watermelon.
- Chia Dressing - The dressing calls for 7 ingredients (plus salt and pepper). If you don't have a high speed blender like a Vitamix, you may want to substitute tahini, cashew butter, or almond butter for the raw cashews called for in the recipe.
Lemon-Chia Dressing
You're gonna love this healthy, WFPB (whole-food, plant-based) chia seed dressing. The lemon juice brings bright acidity plus a touch of sweetness, while the salt, nutritional yeast, garlic, and cashews round out the flavor and give it a savory edge.
Aside from being delicious, this dressing is also nutritious! You know how sometimes you want to douse your salad in a rich and creamy dressing, but you don't necessarily want to eat loads of oil and calories? Well, Lemon-Chia Dressing to the rescue! With no oil in sight, this creamy yet light salad dressing is automatically healthier than most.
Chia seeds provide plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids as well as protein and fiber. Cashews introduce a little more creaminess and also provide healthy, whole-food plant fats, fiber and protein.
Fresh lemon juice is rich in vitamin C, which helps our bodies absorb iron. And then there's the clove of garlic! I mean, you really can't fault this dressing for anything (unless, of course, you have a cashew allergy, in which case you can substitute your favorite seed or silken tofu).
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In fact, if you like a LOT of dressing on your salads, you may want to go ahead and double the batch! Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the dressing will keep for up to 3 days.
Variation
To make the salad more filling, you can add croutons or cooked beans or lentils-cannellini beans and chickpeas are especially nice. Toss them in a little bit of dressing and add some freshly cracked black pepper for extra zip!
Tips and Substitutions
On the topic of salad dressing flavors, I find them to be very subjective. Some of us prefer more acid and some of us less. Some of us like sweet salad dressings, while others always go for savory.
So feel free to play around with this lemon/chia/cashew base because it truly is versatile. You can tweak the acidity, sweetness, and saltiness to your heart's content and get it just right for your taste buds.
I really love lemon and wanted that to remain dominant, while the garlic and salt + maple and sweet flavors balance each other for the most part. Taste as you go, and keep in mind that even the tiniest changes in ingredients can transform a salad dressing from one you're on the fence about to one you absolutely love.
Oh, and here's one more prep tip: If you have time, make the dressing 2-3 hours in advance so the flavors have time to mingle. It really makes a difference!
More Vegan Salad Recipes
I hope you enjoy this quick and fresh asparagus salad. If you try the recipe let us know in the comments below.
Recipe
Cold Asparagus Salad With Chia Seed Dressing
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about two lemons)
- 1 small clove garlic
- 2 teaspoons champagne or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple or agave syrup
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ¼ cup raw cashews - If not using a high speed blender, sub 2 tablespoon raw cashew butter or soak nuts overnight.
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- black pepper
For the salad:
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus - about 16 spears, tough ends trimmed or snapped off
- 1 large head romaine lettuce - chopped
- 6 radishes - trimmed and sliced
- vegan parmesan cheese, optional - such as Violife; see Notes for oil-free option
Instructions
- To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare an ice bath large enough to hold all of the asparagus spears. Fill a large saute pan with about 1 inch of water, and place over high heat. Once boiling, carefully add the asparagus. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until just fork tender (time will depend on the thickness of the spears).
- Use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer the asparagus to the ice bath to stop the cooking. Swirl the water around to quickly cool the asparagus. Place a lint-free towel on a plate and transfer the asparagus to the plate.
- Combine the romaine and radishes in a serving bowl. Pat the asparagus dry, and cut it into bite-size pieces about 1½-inches long. Toss with the romaine and radishes. Serve with lemon-chia dressing and grated vegan parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and ingredients used.
Sue says
Wow! Amazing dressing. Perfect salad for a hot summer day. I'll be making this again soon.