Cold Asparagus Salad Recipe (with Shaved Asparagus)

This star attraction of this easy Cold Asparagus Salad Recipe are ribbons of bright and colorful shaved asparagus with crisp lettuce greens tossed with a super flavorful homemade buttermilk dill dressing. It’s a super fresh and flavorful salad that’s guaranteed to be a springtime favorite. 

Tasty Asparagus Salad

In this refreshing Cold Asparagus Salad recipe, the asparagus is served raw. If you’ve never tried raw asparagus before, you’ve come to the right place because you’re in for a real treat.

Ribbons of fresh asparagus swirl around the other veggies as the boiled eggs are nestled on top. The salad is topped off with red radishes, crumbled goat cheese and drizzled with an amazing creamy and tangy buttermilk dressing that gives the salad a wonderful bright flavor. And the best part is, this recipe comes together in just 15 minutes, making it the perfect side dish for busy weeknights.

This Cold Green Bean Salad and this easy Kidney Bean Salad are two more of our other favorite go-to summer salads you should try!

Why We Love this Recipe

• It’s a super simple salad that showcases seasonal ingredients! Great way to use asparagus when it’s in season.
• Boiling the eggs is the only cooking involved, perfect for a warm weather recipe.
• The beautiful bright green color of this tasty salad is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds!
• Easy enough for a weeknight side salad but elegant enough to serve at a dinner party

Ingredients

For the Spring Salad

• Spring lettuce
• Fresh asparagus spears
• Radishes
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Goat cheese

For the Buttermilk Dill Dressing

• Sour cream
• Buttermilk
• Lemon zest
• Fresh lemon juice
• Fresh dill, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Hot sauce (optional)

Substitutions and Additions

• Swap the type of cheese: Try swapping out the goat cheese for salty feta cheese, or soft mozzarella balls.

• Choose the lettuce: You any use any type of crisp lettuce you prefer. Bibb, Boston, butter, spring and romaine are just to name a few.

• Add more protein: Add a can of chickpeas for added protein. Or add some grilled chicken, shrimp or steak for a complete meal.

• Pick extra toppings: Just a few extra toppings that work well are, chopped pecans, shredded carrots, canned marinated artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, or diced red onion.

• Dressing choices: If you like more of a lemon vinaigrette type dressing, you can make your own with olive oil, fresh lemon juice and little white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar. You can also serve this salad with balsamic vinegar dressing.

Recommended Tools

• Large platter or serving bowl
• Vegetable peeler
• Sharp knife
• Whisk

How to Make this Delicious Asparagus Salad Recipe

Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, buttermilk, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk together for a minute or two until smooth.

Stir in the chopped fresh dill, and hot sauce (if using). Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until ready to use.

Make the salad: Trim the ends of the asparagus, then shave them into thin strips with a vegetable peeler. Slice eggs in half lengthwise, crumble the goat cheese.

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter or large plate. Then add the rest of the ingredients on top of the lettuce. Season to your liking with salt and pepper. 

Serve and enjoy: Drizzle with the dressing just before serving.

Tips for Buying Asparagus

• The tips of the asparagus are called buds. When buying asparagus at the grocery store or farmer’s market, the buds should be firm and tightly closed. If you see dark green or a light purple color, that is a sign of freshness. But if the tips are dry, yellowing or mushy, they are past their prime and beginning to spoil.

• The bottom of the best asparagus stalks should look moist and not dried out or woody.

• When bending the middle of the stalk, if should feel as though it would easily snap in half. Avoid rubbery limp stalks.

• Pick the right size spears based on the way you plan on preparing them. Thin spears are usually sweeter and tender that are great for a quick blanching pan searing and stir fry recipes. Larger asparagus is awesome for shaving, like in the cold asparagus recipe, or for grilling or chopped into smaller pieces and roasted.

• Before storing, snip of the very tip end of the stalk and store in a glass that has a little water just like you would a bouquet of flowers. This extends the freshness by several days. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Raw Asparagus Taste Like?

Raw asparagus has a pleasant grassy like flavor that easily takes on the other ingredients its paired with. In this cold asparagus salad recipe, it pairs really well with creamy dressing and the soft-boiled eggs.

Is Asparagus Healthy?

It is very healthy. Asparagus is naturally low in calories and great source of fiber, antioxidants including vitamins C and E. It also contains potassium and B9, as well as other nutrients. For more nutritional information, check out this article on Healthline.

Can I Use Cooked Asparagus?

Raw is best in this cold asparagus salad recipe but if you prefer it cooked, you’ll want the asparagus al dente, so you’ll still be able to get nice shavings. The best way to do that is a quick blanch in boiling water for a few seconds, then immediately place in a large bowl of ice water. The cold water ice bath will stop the cooking process.

Want More Healthy Side Dish Recipes?

• Caprese Salad
• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
• Oven Roasted Cauliflower
• Butternut Squash
• Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables
• Breakfast Potatoes