20 Minute Cold Chopped Asparagus Salad

Crunchy, flavourful and totally addictive, this cold asparagus salad is lavished with seasoned panko crumbs, fried capers and a delicious garlic vinaigrette. It’s a salad that feels special enough for guests and it comes together in just 20 minutes with 7 ingredients plus dressing! Vegan, gluten free option too.

hand drizzling dressing on cold asparagus salad — This delicious cold asparagus salad just might be my new favourite way to eat asparagus!

You might not think that someone who writes cookbooks would ever get stuck in a food rut, but I do! Somehow, I manage to neatly compartmentalize cooking for work and cooking for eating.

Which means there is a bit of a pendulum swing in how I eat. If I’m cooking for work, my table is filled with delicious plant-based recipes like my kale caesar salad, kale and edamame salad or zucchini fritters.

And if I’m not? Sometimes I just open a jar of pasta sauce and call it a day.

Which is how we get to the story of asparagus: I LOVE it so much (and not just because the dietitian in me knows how good it is for gut health) but I tend to make it the same way EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. It’s my (admittedly very delicious) asparagus fries or a lazier roasted version where I just sprinkle with nutritional yeast, crumbs and garlic powder.

So, it is time for me to evolve…I cracked open one of my fave cookbooks, Six Seasons by Joshua MacFadden, and was reminded of his asparagus salad, which became the inspiration for this vegan cold asparagus salad.

I’ve veganized it, swapping in nutritional yeast for parmesan and added a few little touches of my own, like fried capers. It’s a perfect side dish salad for all those warm weather meals to come, paired with anything from grilled tofu to a vegan burger to takeout pizza.

Looking for more flavourful, simple gut-boosting recipes? My latest cookbook, Good For Your Gut, is jam-packed with goodies!!

Gather your ingredients and let’s make a cold asparagus salad!

Crispy, salty, crunchy, fresh…this salad only has 7 ingredients, plus dressing, but it’s WAY more than the sum of its parts!

cold asparagus salad ingredients in bowls — Crunchy, flavourful and dressed in an addictive garlic vinaigrette, simple ingredients like asparagus, panko crumbs, mint and almonds pack a punch!

Asparagus: choose asparagus with firm stalks and closed tips which indicates freshness. You’ll snap or trim off the woody ends.
Panko crumbs: panko crumbs have a fantastic crisp texture and you can find gluten free versions if needed
Nutritional yeast: nutritional yeast adds a burst of cheesy, umami flavour and is packed with B vitamins, including B12, so important for those on a plant-based diet
Lemon zest: a fragrant burst of flavour that compliments asparagus so nicely
Almonds: raw chopped almonds add heft and crunch to the salad. If you’re allergic, you can opt for any other nut or seed you like!
Fresh Mint: I’m firmly in my ‘eat more herbs’ era, and fresh mint is so fragrant and lovely and I really think it adds something special to this salad. Plus, it grows like a weed so if you have it in your garden, you need recipes that use a handful, not a sprinkle.
Capers: did you know that capers are actually a pickled flower bud? And that fried capers are one of the most underrated salad toppers? They take just 4 minutes to make – and add a salty tang. In a pinch, you can drop these for an extra pinch of flaky salt but I LOVE them!
Garlic vinaigrette: one of my most popular recipe basics, this rich, flavourful garlic vinaigrette is just the sass this salad needs. Make a double batch to have on hand for a few days…and try not to drink it straight up (it’s that good!)

Plus salt, pepper and oil….you know, the usual.

How to make this chopped asparagus salad

Okay, I know what you’re thinking: there are 3 cooking steps in this recipe? Which is a bit more involved than tossing some ingredients in a bowl….but/and/also…there is not a lot of chopping here, so and the steps are SO QUICK so this salad still comes together in about 20 minutes and I promise you, it’s worth it. You’ll be obsessed with this cold asparagus salad.

But first, some thoughts: raw asparagus salads are nice in theory, but you need to have that perfect, farmer’s market asparagus and then shave it really thin. So, as most of us buy our spears at the supermarket, a quick blanch does wonders – making the asparagus bright green and tender crisp, plus mellowing out any off flavours. It’s easy!

How to blanch asparagus for salads

Trim – or snap – off woody ends of asparagus. Then, slice spears into 1 – 1 ½ inch pieces (2.5 – 3 cm). Add some ice to a bowl of cold water and set aside.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add asparagus and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute for pencil thin asparagus and up to 2 minutes for thicker asparagus. You want it tender crisp – NOT soft.
Drain asparagus then add to ice bath to halt cooking and chill until you’re ready to toss the salad.

chopped asparagus in ice bath — Blanch your asparagus for the best salad! Boil asparagus until tender crisp, 1-2 min, then transfer to an ice bath.

Now that that’s done, you’re ready for step two…

Step Two: Toast and season panko crumbs. Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add panko crumbs and stir CONSTANTLY until they turn golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Place in a small bowl and stir in lemon zest, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step Three: Fry capers. Pat capers dry with paper towel to avoid spitting oil when you cook. Wipe out the skillet and place back over medium heat with a generous drizzle of avocado oil. Once hot (add a caper and when it starts sizzling, it’s ready!), add the capers and let them sizzle until they “bloom” and turn golden brown. Let drain on a paper towel.

Step Four: Assemble the salad. Drain the asparagus well and add to a salad bowl with the almonds, mint, fried capers and seasoned panko crumbs and toss. Serve with dressing on the side to preserve the crunch of the crumbs.

hand stirring toasted bread crumbs in pan — Toast crumbs in a dry skillet for a couple of minutes, then add seasonings!

hand pouring capers onto paper towel — Toast crumbs in a dry skillet for a couple of minutes, then add seasonings!

Why asparagus is so dang good for you

Asparagus is incredibly nutritious…here are just a few of the nutritional benefits of this springtime treat:

Asparagus is packed with prebiotic fructans that feed beneficial bacteria in the gut as well as containing dietary fibre – 2 grams of fibre per 6 medium spears.
Asparagus is a surprising source of plant-based iron: 2 mg of iron per 6 spears. It also contains small amount of minerals important for energy metabolism, such as copper, selenium and manganese.
Asparagus is a plant-based source of choline in addition to antiinflammatory carotenoids and vitamin K and folate.

Tips, Tricks and Substitutions

You can easily make the components of this salad a day or two in advance and just toss before serving. Also, this salad keeps well, tossed but undressed, for up to two days.
Have really nice asparagus and want to make a raw asparagus salad? Very thinly slice your spears on the bias, like ⅛ inch (¼ cm) thick.
Want to make this a complete meal? Double the garlic vinaigrette and marinate a can of drained white beans or chickpeas in half the vinaigrette as you prepare the salad, then add them to the salad and toss!

asparagus salad with mint, almonds, bread crumbs — SO many layers of flavour and texture!

More Vegan Spring Salad Recipes

30 Minute Low FODMAP Quinoa Salad and Dressing
Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Roasted Buckwheat and Creamy Ginger Cashew Dressing
Easy Vegan Pasta Salad
Italian Farro Salad with Arugula