Raw Asparagus Salad with Almonds & Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette
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Raw asparagus isn’t something you see every day salads, but it’s absolutely worth trying. When thinly sliced, it’s crisp, fresh, and perfect for spring. Cool, crunchy, and full of bright flavor, this raw asparagus salad is just the thing when you want to change up your usual sides.
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 grilled or roasted asparagus. Instead of shaving the stalks into long, thin ribbons like you might see in restaurants, I slice them on the bias into bite-sized pieces—it’s easier and gets the job done just as well.
Serve the salad as a side with any Asian-flavored fish, chicken, or steak dish. Or turn it into a light main by adding chunks of leftover salmon, shrimp, or pulled smoked chicken. The salad is best made a few hours ahead, so plan accordingly.
“Amazing! We stirred in chilled shrimp with the almonds….Embarrassingly, my spouse and I finished the entire salad in one meal. So good.”
What you’ll need To Make Raw Asparagus Salad With Almonds
Asparagus spears that are medium to large (larger than a half-inch in diameter) are generally more tender than their thinner counterparts.
Step-by-Step Instructions
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.
Whisk well.
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).
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and serve cold or room temperature. Enjoy!
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Asparagus Salad with Almonds & Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette
This Asian-style raw asparagus salad is crisp, vibrant, and full of bold flavor—an easy way to add something fresh and unexpected to the table.
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 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 was great! I reduced the brown sugar as I don’t have much of a sweet tooth (also used avocado oil). I’m a little lazy so I made a double recipe for the dressing and reserved some to marinate salmon for 30 minutes prior to dinner. It worked great for a delicious, healthy meal. I also made Jenn’s warm couscous salad for another meal during the week. It worked well to plan on those two meals in the same week as it used up the mint and almonds.
I’m really shocked at the amount if sugar generally in US salad recipes that I keep coming across, even coleslaw, which I’ve been making for 30 years with 0 sugar, never even occurred to me, the carrots are already really sweet!?! A small spoon of honey in salad dressings sometimes, yes, but sugar just seems so weird and out of place and extremely unhealthy so I am very glad to read your comment, confirming that it tastes good without too as the rest sounds delicious, but the ingredients are a bit too expensive where I am for an experiment!
How long in advance can this be made? I’d like to make it and serve 2 days later. Will it be okay to sit in the refrigerator for that long?
Hi Leslie, I’d say 2 – 3 days max. Just keep in mind that the flavors will mellow as it sits in the fridge, so you will likely need to add more lime juice or rice vinegar. Hope you enjoy!
Would this go well with honey baked ham and your strawberry orange salad? Or would a different asparagus dish work better with the flavors?
Thanks!
Hi Linda, I think this would pair nicely with the fruit salad, but not so sure about the Honey baked ham. How about this recipe for Sauteed Asparagus with Peas or, if you’d prefer something that can be made ahead, how about this one? Hope that helps!
I made this beautiful salad and it was scrumptious. Since I do not use Vegetable Oil or brown sugar, I omitted them from the recipe. It did not make a difference because everyone loved it. The sesame oil was perfect. Every flavor stood out and was so fresh tasting. I highly recommend trying this recipe. You will be glad you did. Going to serve again at Easter.
This was absolutely wonderful! I’ve been looking for new ideas for side salads and this caught my attention. I served it with grilled chicken and everyone loved it. It did lose some flavor by the next day but I just added some more vinegar and lime juice. Yum! It’s really pretty too.
Delicious! We enjoyed this as a side with chicken and rice and the next day we ate the leftovers from this asparagus salad on top of a bed of spinach.
I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand so I substituted apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar, substituted olive oil for the vegetable oil. My family does not care for cilantro or mint, so I omitted these. I think next time I will add a little extra jalapeno but otherwise will make exactly the same as this time.
I loved having such a healthy and tasty way to serve one of my favorite spring vegetables.
Excellent salad and a nice change from the usual lettuce/olive oil dressings. I decided to parboil the asparagus for a minute so it wouldn’t be too crispy and it came out perfect. I also wanted more crunch from the almonds so I used blanched slivered almonds instead of the thin sliced almonds. The dressing was excellent and refreshing with the mix of mint and cilantro. It also kept nicely overnight in the frig so we ate it for two days which you can’t do with most of the leaf lettuces.
I’m doing Keto. The only changes I made to this delightful recipe was I used avocado oil instead of vegetable oil & Swerve brown sugar instead of regular brown sugar. Yum 😋
Also used apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar. Served with grilled rib eye!
This salad is delicious! I love asparagus and am always looking for new ways to serve it. It’s simple to make and can be made ahead of time! The Asian twist was so yummy and I think it goes perfectly with Thai Shrimp Curry, which is another of your recipes that I love. My company raved! I thought that it didn’t make a lot, but I found that a small serving was really enough. However, when I make it again this weekend for 6 people I will double the recipe. ❤️
Happy to find a delicious fresh salad to add to my rotation. I served this alongside lightly pan seared ahi tuna on a bed of lettuce and it was a hit! The dressing really makes this salad special. The only change I made a was a touch of tahini in place of the sesame oil. As usual, my guests asked me for the recipe!