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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I made the Salad last night. I loved it, it will be a keeper for me!
Hi Jenn! Any recommendations for making this in advance? Can I make the dressing and refrigerate (or not?) until I’m ready to assemble?
Amy
Definitely, the dressing keeps well. You can also toss the salad and refrigerate a few hours ahead – it’s even better that way.
Subbed olive oil and left out the mint. Awesome. Just awesome! The rest of my family was initially, “Like weird”. They all helped dust every last bit of what I made.
Thank you Jenn for all your recepies they are outstanding,this salad was full of wonderful favors. It was amazing!
😊
The price of asparagus has doubled since I started making this, but I’m still making it. I finally found a great dentist. She’s vegetarian during Lent, so I took a big batch of this to her office for a light lunch. All of them really liked it.
This was simply amazing!
This is such a delicious salad. The dressing is so balanced in flavours. I didn’t have spring onions so substituted for half a shallot finely chopped and roasted the almonds. It was just perfect. Thank you Jenn for another amazing recipe.
Woah! Big flavors! So good, especially on a hot day. My favorite part is that the asparagus is raw, so no cooking.
I didn’t have quite enough asparagus so I added a chopped orange bell pepper and a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved. This provided more color.
I’d eat this any day! Great as a side or as a light lunch. Served with sweet and spicy chicken wings.
I made this salad for Easter brunch. I made the recipe exactly as-written. It was delicious. I could drink the dressing and will probably use the dressing for other recipes. I will definitely make it again!
We made this tasty salad last weekend and served it with the cedar planked grilled salmon with ancho chili rub (out of the Once Upon a Chef cookbook!). I substituted avocado oil for the vegetable oil, and reduced the brown sugar to one tablespoon. The flavors of the salad are super fresh – the mint and cilantro are essential- and the textures are nice. I may lightly toast the almonds next time. It was the first time we had ever eaten raw asparagus, as my grandmother always told us that it was poisonous if not cooked, but obviously an old wives tale as this was over 50 years ago! Thanks for a great recipe that will be added to the springtime rotation.
I made this tonight for a potluck tomorrow and the flavors are amazing. Used 1lb asparagus and 1/2 lb sugar snap peas, forgot the scallions. Toasted the almonds and will add tomorrow. Can’t wait to taste it again after all the flavors have had some time together.