An easy recipe for a very tasty asparagus salad with tomatoes and onions, a super fresh and delicious summer side dish.
This tasty salad is a summer staple at my house. It’s so fresh and flavorful! I like to serve it to guests because I can make it in advance. But I also serve it often to my family.
A new way to serve asparagus
I love asparagus but have always served it warm. I love roasted asparagus and steamed asparagus. The idea of serving it chilled in a salad has never occurred to me. Until I was served a delicious asparagus salad at a dinner party.
I never got around to asking the hostess for the recipe. But I think I got a pretty good idea of what was in there, and this is my humble attempt at recreating the flavors.
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty salad (exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below):
- Fresh asparagus
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onions
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Garlic
- Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and black pepper
How to make asparagus salad
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. It’s really simple. Here are the basic steps:
- You steam the asparagus in the microwave until tender-crisp.
- Mix with tomatoes and onions.
- Add the tasty dressing and toss to coat.
You can make this salad a couple of hours ahead of time and chill until ready to serve.
What to serve with asparagus salad?
Anything, really. It’s a truly versatile side dish. But I think it goes especially well with these main dishes:
Is this a healthy recipe?
I think it’s very healthy! Asparagus has several health benefits, tomatoes are very healthy, and olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids.
How long can I keep the leftovers?
While you can make this salad ahead of time, I wouldn’t try to store the leftovers for longer than a couple of days.
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for maximum freshness, and gently toss the salad again before serving it.
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Asparagus Salad
INGREDIENTS
Salad:
- 1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed, chopped into 1-inch pieces (10oz)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (5 oz)
- 1/4 cup red onions, diced (1 oz)
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the asparagus in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a tablespoon of water. Cover and microwave 5 minutes. Stir and microwave 2 more minutes, until just tender. Drain into a serving bowl and allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and the onion. Place the dressing ingredients in a small jar, seal well and shake until well-blended.
- Add the tomatoes and the onion to the serving bowl. Pour the dressing on top and gently mix.
- Serve the tomato asparagus salad immediately, or cover and keep in the fridge until ready to serve, but no longer than 2 hours. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before serving and toss again.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
