Raw Asparagus Salad with Almonds & Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette
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This Asian-inspired raw asparagus salad is vibrant, crunchy, and delicious.
In this springy raw asparagus salad, thinly sliced raw asparagus is tossed with scallions, almonds, fresh herbs, and a spicy Asian-style vinaigrette. It’s cool, crunchy, and a welcome change from the typical roasted or grilled asparagus. Instead of shaving the raw asparagus into long, thin ribbons, as it’s done in restaurants, I slice it on the bias into thin bite-sized pieces; it accomplishes the same thing and is much easier.
Serve this salad as a side dish with any Asian-flavored fish, chicken, or steak entrée. Or try adding leftover chunks of salmon, shrimp, or pulled, smoked chicken to make a more substantial dish. The salad is best made a few hours ahead of time, so plan accordingly.
What you’ll need To Make Raw Asparagus Salad
Asparagus spears that are medium to large (larger than a half-inch in diameter) are generally more tender than their thinner counterparts.
How to Make Raw Asparagus Salad
Begin by prepping the asparagus. Snap or cut off the tough ends of each asparagus spear.
Cut the asparagus on the bias into very thin slices (about 1/8-in thick), leaving the tips intact.
Next, in a mixing bowl large enough to fit all of the ingredients, make the dressing: combine the rice vinegar, vegetable oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño.
Add the sliced asparagus, scallions, cilantro, mint, and sesame seeds to the bowl.
Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. 
When ready to serve, stir in the almonds and then taste and adjust seasoning (you will likely need to add more lime or rice vinegar, as the flavors mellow).
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Asparagus Salad with Almonds & Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette
This Asian-inspired raw asparagus salad is vibrant, crunchy, and delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons Asian/toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (see note)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced (see note)
- 1½ pounds medium asparagus
- 4 scallions, finely sliced (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup fresh chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Salt, to taste
- ¾ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl large enough to fit all of the ingredients, make the dressing: whisk together the rice vinegar, vegetable oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño.
- Snap or cut off the tough ends of each asparagus spear. Cut the asparagus on the bias into very thin slices (about ⅛-in thick), leaving the tips intact. Add the sliced asparagus to the mixing bowl and toss with the dressing. Add the scallions, cilantro, mint, and sesame seeds and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, stir in the almonds and then taste and adjust seasoning (you will likely need to add more lime or rice vinegar, as the flavors mellow).
- Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and serve cold or room temperature.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
- Note: When handling jalapeño peppers, be sure to keep your hands away from your eyes and wash your hands immediately afterwards so the juices don’t irritate your skin.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 182
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 153 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This salad is so delicious and easy to make! I didn’t have sliced almonds, so I just chopped a handful. My whole family loved it. I can’t wait to make this again!
I want to make this ahead for a potluck for a large group. I have read the comments re make ahead options. I welcome thoughts in adding a grain to this to make it go a little farther (ie farro? pearl couscous?) – maybe make more dressing to accommodate extra volume?
Hi Alison, adding a grain is a great way to “stretch” this dish. Either farro or pearl couscous would work nicely. and depending on how much you plan to add, yes, I’d increase the dressing. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Thanks! I’ll keep you posted.
I actually forgot to add the almonds so next time it will be even better. This recipe did take me some time (I’m not a fast chopper!). BUT it was totally delicious.
I’m a huge fan of Once Upon a Chef. She is my go-to site, and now I’ve resolved to try at least one of her new recipes — coming by email — each week. I’d love to give her an overall 5* review but am not sure where/how to do that!
I’m not a big fan of raw asparagus. With that being said, this recipe changes my mind. So much flavor, I could make a meal out of it.Wow! Thanks Jenn for all your great recipes. Dan
Outstanding! Such a wonderful flavor combination.
just delish, light and refreshing
Hi there! I’m wanting to try this recipe. It sounds delicious! But then all your recipes are! We are trying to stay away from “seed “ oils…..no vegetable oil. Could a light olive oil be used in this recipe? Or do you have another suggestion?
Thank you for helping….and that you for sharing your gift!
Cindy
Hi Cindy, I use vegetable oil here because it’s more neutral in flavor, but feel free to use olive oil if you prefer. Avocado oil is another option as it’s got a very neutral flavor. I’d love to hear how it comes out!
This is delicious and such a nice change from grilled/broiled asparagus. We toasted the sesame seeds with the almonds and added them before serving. Lunch today was the leftovers mixed with chilled sweet potato noodles. I’ve already shared the recipe with friends and will definitely make it again before asparagus season is over..