Asparagus Salad With Feta

Seeing green.

This spring asparagus salad recipe with feta is the very best of spring. It takes minutes to cook and assemble, and incorporates a flavorful combination of mint, lemon, and feta for a dynamic and fresh side dish. You’ll make this asparagus recipe all spring and summer long.

Meet this asparagus salad recipe.

Fresh pea and asparagus season happens in spring and summer. (In my opinion, when all the good food happens!) And the best thing to do with your asparagus and peas? Make this lovely spring asparagus salad recipe.

The asparagus and peas take minutes to cook in a pan, and are tossed simply with feta, mint, lemon, shallot, and olive oil. The simple combination tastes perfect, and makes a fresh vegetable salad or side that takes no time at all. And if you don’t have fresh peas yet? Just use frozen!

Can you eat asparagus raw in a salad?

This asparagus salad recipe with peas is a cooked asparagus dish. I find that raw asparagus, while crunchy, can taste a little harsh. That said, you can definitely eat asparagus raw.

Here, cook the asparagus coins in a pan with the fresh peas just enough to soften the asparagus and brighten the color. Then remove from heat, and toss with the other ingredients.

Can you eat this asparagus recipe cold?

Yes. As a general rule, asparagus salad can be eaten cold, warm, or at room temperature.

I recommend serving this asparagus salad recipe with peas at room temperature, however, and not cold. Warm will be very good, too.

What goes well with fresh asparagus?

Asparagus gets a bit of a bad rep, especially when it comes to choosing wine that goes well with asparagus. But asparagus is actually very amenable to different flavors, both food and wine.

This spring asparagus salad with feta cheese recipe incorporates some of asparagus’s best complementary flavors: lemon, fresh herbs, and salt. Asparagus has a naturally vegetal taste that leans sulfurous, so bright lemon juice and salt balance those flavors. Fresh herbs like mint and parsley also help brighten the flavor.

What wine pairs best with asparagus?

Ah, the eternal conundrum.

Many people think that fresh asparagus and wine is an especially difficult pairing. And truth be told, asparagus does not pair well with a wide variety of wines. But there are some excellent asparagus wine pairings for this salad.

The best pairings for this asparagus salad recipe are:

• Sauvignon blanc: the herbaceous and citrus notes complement the same flavors in this recipe
• Pinot Grigio
• Dry Riesling

Avoid pairing asparagus with:

• Full-bodied or tannic wines
• Oaky wines, like chardonnay

Can you chop asparagus? How do you cut asparagus?

Absolutely! in fact, this recipe calls for doing exactly that. Cutting asparagus into thick coins accomplishes two things:

1. Speeds cooking time, and
2. Prevents stringiness.

You can chop asparagus for this asparagus salad recipe by laying the bunch of asparagus sideways on a cutting board. Trim the thick, dry bottoms off and discard. Then, chop into 1/2″ pieces, leaving the tops whole.

Enjoy this quick, easy, and bright spring vegetable side dish recipe.

Love this asparagus salad recipe? You’ll also love these easy spring and summer vegetable dishes:

• Roasted Asparagus With Good Crumbled Things
• Summer Vegetable Minestrone Soup
• Spring Asparagus + Pea Farro Salad

Spring Asparagus Salad

This fresh, easy asparagus salad with peas, feta, mint, and lemon takes minutes to cook and makes an absolute best, fresh vegetable side dish for spring and summer.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Course: dinner, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, French, Mediterranean, vegetarian

Keywords:: asparagus and peas, asparagus salad recipe, feta, lemon, spring recipe ideas, summer asparagus salad recipe

Servings: 4 to 6 people, as a side

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Ingredients 

1x2x

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large bunch asparagus, rinsed
• 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 sprigs fresh mint
• 3 ounces fresh feta, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste (I use Diamond Crystal)
• 24 turns fresh-ground black pepper

Instructions

• Do your prep. Trim the tough, dry bottoms of the asparagus and discard. Chop the asparagus into 1/2-inch thick coins, leaving the tops fully intact. Set aside. Zest, then halve, the lemon and set aside. Remove the mint leaves from the stems. Discard the stems, chop the leaves, and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the asparagus, peas, minced shallot, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until bright and al dente. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Add half the mint, half the feta, half the lemon zest, and all the juice you can squeeze from the lemon. Toss. Adjust seasoning.
• Spoon the asparagus and pea salad into a serving dish or shallow bowl. Top with the remaining mint, feta, and zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

It's important to cook the asparagus just until softened, and no longer. You want the asparagus and peas to be cooked and bright green, not mushy and dull. That's why I like to have all my bowls and ingredients ready. This asparagus salad recipe cooks very quickly. Enjoy!