Seeing green.
This asparagus salad recipe with feta is the very best of spring. It takes minutes to make, 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.
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Meet this asparagus salad recipe.
Confession: I used to think of asparagus as one of those vegetables I “should” eat, rather than one I actually wanted to eat. Let’s face it, asparagus can be stringy and bland if it’s not cooked right. But! Turns out that when you cook asparagus just enough to take the raw off, and complement it with some bright flavors and textures, this lovely spring vegetable absolutely comes alive. This recipe is a perfect example.
In this asparagus recipe, just-cooked asparagus gets tossed with lemon for acid, tangy feta, fresh herbs like mint, and sweet peas. The result is absolutely delicious.
This fresh asparagus salad makes a wonderful side dish for dinner or a gathering. It also makes a wonderful and nourishing lunch; I like to add a protein like chicken, salmon, or hard-boiled eggs.
Need more spring vegetable inspiration? You’ll also like my recipes for Spring Farro Salad and Spring Pea Soup.
Asparagus Salad Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this simple asparagus salad:
- Olive oil: helps add body and makes sure the veg doesn’t stick when you cook it
- A large bunch of fresh asparagus: the star of the show! Make sure they’re plump, green, and perky
- Peas: fresh or frozen is fine. If you use frozen (I usually do), thaw them first
- A shallot: a little more delicately flavored than onion, shallot adds flavor to complement the asparagus
- Fresh mint: In addition to smelling great, mint adds freshness and an extra pop of green
- Fresh parsley: same as above
- Fresh, good quality feta: Use fresh feta in brine, preferably Greek feta. Pre-crumbled feta is often too dry and the pieces are too small. We want nice chunks of feta in the asparagus salad.
- A lemon: adds acid and brightness to the dish. Lemon zest is incredibly fragrant, and adds gorgeous yellow color.
- Kosher salt: I use Diamond Crystal
- Fresh-ground black pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Do your prep. Trim and chop the asparagus. Zest, then halve, the lemon. Remove the mint leaves from the stems. Discard the stems, chop the leaves.
- Cook the vegetables–but only briefly. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the asparagus, peas, minced shallot, salt, and pepper. Cook jus until the asparagus is bright and al dente. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add half of the: mint, parsley, feta, lemon zest. Add all the juice you can squeeze from the lemon. Toss and ajust seasoning.
- Serve. Spoon the asparagus salad into a serving dish or shallow bowl. Top with the remaining mint, parsley, feta, and zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.
This recipe will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to two days, but does not freeze well. Bring to room temperature and give it a good toss and additional garnish before serving.
Recipe Notes
Here are some additional tips and answers to some asparagus salad recipe F.A.Q.s.
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 at room temperature or slightly warm.
What to serve with fresh asparagus salad?
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.
Asparagus Food Pairings
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. I like to serve asparagus with richer proteins like salmon (this smoked salmon pasta would be particularly good), chicken, and steak, which stand up well to the assertive flavor of asparagus.
Asparagus Wine Pairings
Many people think that pairing asparagus and wine is an especially difficult task. 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 wine pairings for this asparagus salad recipe are:
- Sauvignon blanc: the herbaceous and citrus notes complement the same flavors in this recipe and is the most common pairing for asparagus.
- Pinot Grigio
- Dry Riesling
Avoid pairing asparagus with:
- Full-bodied, oaked, or tannic wines: in other words, generally avoid reds, though some very light ones like Beaujolais and pinot noir could work
- Oaked white wines, like chardonnay
Enjoy this quick, easy, and bright spring vegetable side dish.
Love this asparagus salad recipe? You’ll also love these easy spring and summer vegetable dishes:
This recipe was originally published on March 14, 2023 and updated on April 1, 2025.
Fresh Asparagus Salad
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large bunch asparagus, rinsed
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen and thawed
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 24 turns fresh-ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 ounces fresh feta, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 Lemon, zested and juiced
Instructions
- Do your prep. Trim the tough, dry bottoms from the asparagus and discard. Chop the remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch thick coins, leaving the tops fully intact.PRO TIP: Cut the asparagus on an angle for a nicer look.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the asparagus, (thawed or fresh) peas, minced shallot, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, just until the asparagus is bright green and al dente. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add half the mint, half the parsley, half the feta, half the lemon zest, and all the juice you can squeeze from the lemon. Toss. Taste for seasoning.
- Spoon the asparagus and pea salad into a serving dish or shallow bowl. Top with the remaining mint, parsley, feta, and zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
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 at room temperature or slightly warm.What to food to serve with fresh asparagus salad?
This spring asparagus salad recipe with feta cheese 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. I like to serve asparagus with richer proteins like salmon (this smoked salmon pasta would be particularly good), chicken, and steak, which stand up well to the assertive flavor of asparagus.Asparagus Wine Pairings
The best wine pairings for this asparagus salad recipe are:- Sauvignon blanc: the herbaceous and citrus notes complement the same flavors in this recipe and is the most common pairing for asparagus.
- Pinot Grigio
- Dry Riesling
Cooking Asparagus
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.Choosing the Best Feta
If available, always use Greek feta packed in brine, never crumbled feta. Pre-crumbled feta is often crumbly and bland. You want nice, rich chunks of feta here--not tiny bits.Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
5 comments
Tina
Can this salad be made ahead?
Unpeeled
Hi, Tina! Yes, you can make this up to a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Just add the garnish topping of feta and herbs before serving, and make sure you don’t serve it too cold. But my favorite way to get a head start on the salad is to prep all my ingredients in advance, then cook it shortly before serving. It only cooks for 5 minutes, and you can’t beat the freshness.
Stella Henriquez
This is a very good asparagus recipe. I am used to cooking asparagus a little more, but I thought that it was just right as-is. The mint and lemon and feta were great flavor combinations here.
F.P.
Loved this fresh dish and will be making it for Easter.
Joy W.
Easy and very good. I hadn’t gut asparagus into little rounds before but it was great!