Heading into spring obsessing over this asparagus quinoa salad. Made with spring veggies, including asparagus, radishes and cucumber with whole grain quinoa. All tossed in an easy lemon honey dressing, you'll be making this salad on repeat all season long.
This works for a light lunch, easy dinner or meal prep option for busy weeks. My healthy broccoli kale salad checks all these boxes and is another reader favorite!
I am literally eating a bowl of this as I write this post and it might just be my new favorite quinoa salad. I've always been partial to my southwest quinoa avocado salad, but this one currently has my heart.
I'm pretty confident this is the only asparagus quinoa salad recipe you'll ever need. It's nutritious, packed with colorful veggies and is nice and light, making it perfect for lunch. Or, add in some protein and enjoy for a more filling meal.
Along with my superfood salad with quinoa, this is one of those salads I will be making on repeat all summer long. And it's even better as it sits, which is why I love food prepping this for the week ahead.
Reasons to love this asparagus quinoa salad
- Asparagus is the star - This asparagus quinoa salad packs in the asparagus, so there is no shortage of crisp, healthy asparagus in every bite.
- Great for food prep - The flavors of this salad getter better over time, so it's perfect for making ahead and enjoying all week long.
- Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free - Whether or not you're gluten-free or dairy-free, this salad delivers flavor and approval from all.
- Crowd-pleaser - Keep to yourself, or bring to you next spring/summer gathering. And like my Asian cabbage salad, I know this will be a hit with friends and family.
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Ingredient notes
- Quinoa - I use white quinoa, but tri-colored quinoa can also be used.
- Asparagus - I personally think thinner stalks work best, but any size thickness works. If you have extra, try my roasted asparagus with tahini or BLT salad with asparagus.
- Spinach - Either spinach or kale can be used.
- Basil - Basil might be one of my favorite fresh herbs, which is why I chose it for this salad, but any fresh herbs, like parsley, mint, or chives are all great options.
A complete list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below. The above are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
🤍 Sara's clean food tips: For optimal health benefits, use a quality extra-virgin olive oil, like California Olive Ranch and a quality raw honey. In addition, I recommend organic spinach and basil.
Optional add-ins
- Cheese - If you'd like to add some cheese, goat cheese, feta and fresh parmesan are great options.
- Protein - For added protein, add a can of drained/rinsed chickpeas or chopped chicken.
Step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: Cook quinoa according to the package directions. Once cooked, spread out on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer to quickly cool.
- Step 2: Trim and cut the asparagus spears into 1-2" pieces. While the quinoa is cooking, blanch the asparagus (boil briefly and transfer to an ice bath). See detailed notes below on blanching.
- Step 3: Add the cooled quinoa to a large serving bowl.
- Step 4: Add the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl.
- Step 5: Add all dressing ingredients to a mason jar, cover and shake. Then, pour dressing over salad.
- Step 6: Mix all ingredients together until salad is evenly coated in the dressing. Enjoy!
How to prepare and blanch the asparagus
Blanching is a cooking technique where you quickly cook vegetables and immediatly place them in an ice bath to stop the cooking. This ensures a bright, tender-crisp texture, which is perfect for this asparagus quinoa salad.
- To prepare the asparagus, trim the white, woodsy ends from the asparagus spears. You can typically snap the end and it will naturally break. Or, you can use a knife.
- After you've trimmed the asparagus, cut each spear into 1-2 inch pieces. Place in a pot of boiling salt water (I add 1 tablespoon of salt to my water).
- Boil until crisp-tender. How long you cook the asparagus will depend on how thick they are. For thinner spears, cook for 1-2 minutes. For thicker spears, cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Once they are crisp-tender, immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
- Drain water and dry before adding asparagus to the salad. This ensures flavorful, crisp asparagus.
Do not overcook the asparagus. You're better off having it slightly undercooked so it's still crisp. You really don't want mushy asparagus in this salad!
Sara's tips and notes
- Make the quinoa in advance so it has time to cool and is ready when you are. This also cuts down on the total time to make the salad.
- In my experience, thin asparagus spears work best, but if you can't find them, any thickness works.
- This salad is best after the flavors have had time to meld, so if time allows, let the salad sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.
What to serve with asparagus quinoa salad
Let's turn this into a family-friendly and easy meal! While this salad is great as is for a light meal, here are some ways to turn this into a more hearty meal.
- To keep it vegetarian, serve with this dairy-free vegetable frittata. Or add chopped avocado for healthy fats and additional fiber.
- For meat-based protein, enjoy alongside cilantro and lime chicken (baked or grilled), easy air fryer turkey burgers, or juicy gluten-free chicken meatballs.
- Or if you like salmon, try on the side of this frozen salmon in the air fryer.
Asparagus Quinoa Salad Recipe FAQs
While you can use frozen asparagus, you run the risk of mushy asparagus. If you'd like to use frozen asparagus, thaw first, pat dry and then sautee for 3-5 minutes to remove excess moisture. Allow to cool before adding to the salad.
The number one cause of mushy quinoa is too much water. Regardless of what the package says, I always reduce the water slightly to help create fluffy quinoa.
Absolutely! Quinoa salad is great for making ahead and food prepping. Prepare salad as is and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to eat. In fact, it's actually better after it has time to sit.
A can of drained and rinsed chickpeas works great or chopped cooked chicken breasts are another great choice for quinoa salad.
Storage
This salad should be kept in an airtight container and stored in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
As the salad sits in the fridge over time, the dressing may dry up. If it's too dry/bland for your liking, simply drizzle on some additional extra-virgin olive and fresh lemon juice.
More spring salad recipes to try
If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Eat Clean.Be Well!
-Sara
Asparagus Quinoa Salad
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Equipment
- 1 large serving bowl
- 2 pots
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Salad
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-2" pieces
- 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 5-10 basil leaves, chopped (depending how much basil you like)
Ingredients for the Dressing
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. lemon zest
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp. ground pepper
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. After quinoa has finished cooking, spread out on a cookie sheet and place in freezer to quickly cool (you will want the quinoa cold when you add it to the salad).1 cup dry quinoa
- While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the asparagus. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the cut asparagus pieces. Boil for 1-2 minutes (see notes). While the asparagus is cooking, set out a bowl of ice water. Once asparagus has cooked, use a tongs, or slotted spoon, to transfer the asparagus to the ice bath. Once cooled, remove the asparagus to dry.1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-2" pieces
- To a large serving bowl, add the cooked and cooled quinoa, asparagus and remaining salad ingredients.1 cup thinly sliced radishes, 2 cups chopped spinach, 1 cup chopped cucumber, 5-10 basil leaves, chopped, ½ cup sliced almonds
- Make the dressing by adding all dressing ingredients to a mason jar, or other lidded container. Cover and shake until creamy.½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp. lemon zest, 2 tbsp. honey, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, ½ tsp. fine sea salt, ¼ tsp. ground pepper
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated in the dressing. For best flavor, let the salad rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- I like to cook the quinoa in advance so it's cold and ready when I make the salad. This also cuts down on the total time needed to prepare.
- Thinner asparagus spears will be done in 1-2 minutes, while thicker ones will take 3-4 minutes. Cook until crisp-tender and then immediately remove from the water. Don't overcook.
Nutrition
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Joy says
This salad was so flavorful and fresh. I can't wait to make it again!