You will love this easy asparagus salad with cherry tomatoes and pine nuts. It’s light, fresh, healthy, and tossed in an easy lemon vinaigrette. 15 minutes is all you need!
Why This Recipe Works
I absolutely love asparagus and it’s one of my favorite veggies in spring and summer. This asparagus salad with cherry tomatoes, vegan feta, and pine nuts makes a great side for BBQs and I love to bring it to potlucks. It’s always gone super fast!
I used store-bought dairy-free feta for this recipe, but it also works very well with my homemade vegan feta that is made with tofu.
For the dressing, I used an easy combination of olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, mustard, and maple syrup. It’s super fresh and very easy to make! I also love to use this dressing for other kinds of salads.
For extra flavor, I topped the salad with toasted pine nuts and freshly chopped parsley. All in all, you need only 15 minutes to make this salad. It also makes a great lunch on warmer days.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Green Asparagus
- Tomatoes – use fresh, ripe cherry tomatoes for the perfect flavor. They’re more flavorful than bigger tomatoes.
- Vegan Feta – use store-bought dairy-free feta or homemade vegan feta made with tofu.
- Pine Nuts
- Green Onions
- Parsley
- Olive Oil – I use organic extra virgin olive oil.
- White Wine Vinegar
- Lemon Juice – use fresh lemon juice.
- Mustard – I used Dijon mustard.
- Maple Syrup
- Salt & Pepper
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: Cut the asparagus into pieces (about 1.5 inches long). Heat a pot of water on the stovetop and cook the asparagus for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Step: Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves and the vegan feta into cubes. Finley chop the parsley. Cut the green onions into rings.
3. Step: Then make the dressing: combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.
4. Step: Place the pine nuts in a skillet (don’t add any oil) over medium heat. Stir often with a wooden spoon and heat them for about 3 minutes until golden and fragrant.
Then place all ingredients in a large bowl, add the dressing, and stir carefully. Store the asparagus salad in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving it for the best flavor. Then take it out and let it warm up a bit at room temperature (about 20-30 minutes).
Recipe Notes
- Make sure not to leave the stove when you’re heating the pine nuts as they burn very easily! Heating them until golden brings out their unique flavor.
- This salad will actually get better if it sits in the fridge for a few hours. The flavor will be more intense and the vegan feta will be marinated in the dressing. So I usually store it in the fridge for a couple of hours and then take it out to warm up a bit at room temperature before serving it.
- For a bit of heat, you could sprinkle it with red pepper flakes just before serving it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does This Salad Last?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last 2-3 days.
Can You Make This Salad Ahead?
Yes, absolutely! It even tastes better when it sits in the fridge for a while.
Could I Add More Veggies?
Yes, if you want you could add thinly sliced radishes (the crunchier the better) and peas. You could also add a bit of baby spinach.
Related Recipes
- Asparagus Pasta Salad
- Vegan Chickpea Salad
- Vegan Quiche with Asparagus
- Orzo Pasta Salad
- Easy Pasta Salad
I Love to Hear from You!
I hope you like this asparagus salad as much as we do around here.
If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Asparagus Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 17 oz green asparagus
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 4 oz vegan feta
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 green onions, cut into rings
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
For the Dressing:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the asparagus into pieces (about 1.5 inches long). Heat a pot of water on the stovetop and cook the asparagus for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves and the vegan feta into cubes. Finley chop the parsley. Cut the green onions into rings.
- Then make the dressing: combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.
- Place the pine nuts in a skillet (don't add any oil) over medium heat. Stir often with a wooden spoon and heat them for about 3 minutes until golden and fragrant.Then place all ingredients in a large bowl, add the dressing, and carefully stir. Store the asparagus salad in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving it for the best flavor. Then take it out and let it warm up a bit at room temperature (about 20-30 minutes).
Notes
- Make sure not to leave the stove when you're heating the pine nuts as they burn very easily! Heating them until golden brings out their unique flavor.
- This salad will actually get better if it sits in the fridge for a few hours. The flavor will be more intense and the vegan feta will be marinated in the dressing. So I usually store it in the fridge for a couple of hours and then take it out to warm up a bit at room temperature before serving it.
- For a bit of heat, you could sprinkle it with red pepper flakes just before serving it.
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