Chopped Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Name: Chopped Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: ¼ lb asparagus (about half a bunch) (trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces); 4 cups mixed greens; 15 oz can chickpeas (drained and rinsed); 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved); 1 English cucumber (peeled and diced); ½ cup red onion (diced); ½ cup kalamata olives (pitted); ½ cup feta cheese (crumbled); 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice; ¼ tsp dried oregano; ⅛ tsp salt; ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Delicious chopped asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette dressing has feta, chickpeas, pecans and is a keto friendly vegetarian dish.

Jump to Recipe

Nothing beats a colorful, fresh and tasty salad when you are looking for a healthy lunch or dinner option. This beautiful vegetarian chopped asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette ticks all the boxes.

It is packed with tons of delicious crunchy vegetables, creamy feta cheese and tangy olives. The homemade lemon vinaigrette adds just the right amount acidity and seasoning, and best of all, it only takes 20 minutes to make this scrumptious dish.

close up of chopped asparagus salad with tomatoes, olives and chickpeas

You can add some protein like grilled meat or fish to turn this easy salad recipe into a complete meal and serve it with some crusty bread. Asparagus and chickpea salad also makes an incredibly yummy gluten free and keto friendly side dish. You will love the blend of flavors and textures of this Greek inspired salad.

❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS FRESH SALAD RECIPE

✔️ This Greek inspired salad is full of fresh and healthy vegetables and ready in only 20 minutes.

✔️ The easy lemon vinaigrette uses simple ingredients but adds tons of flavor. If you are low on time you can use store bought dressing.

✔️ This nutritious salad is veget aria n, gluten free as well as keto friendly. It’s healthy and full of protein.

✔️ You can serve this beautiful asparagus and chickpea salad as a side or main dish.

close up of asparagus salad with crumbled up feta, olives, chickpeas and tomatoes

Table of Contents

ASPARAGUS SALAD INGREDIENTS

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for gluten free chopped asparagus salad, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

You may have all of these keto friendly asparagus side dish ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Asparagus: We recommend using thin green asparagus for this recipe. Make sure you trim off the woody ends.
Mixed Greens: Use whatever leafy greens you prefer.
Chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans, need to be thoroughly rinsed to remove the canned flavor.
Grape Tomatoes: We used grape tomatoes, because they are the perfect size for a chopped salad. You can also use cherry tomatoes, for example, or regular tomatoes cut into 1 inch pieces.
English Cucumber: Adds a nice, fresh crunch to the salad.
Red Onion
Kalamata Olives: They add a nice tangy flavor to the salad.
Feta Cheese
Olive Oil: We prefer using extra virgin olive oil. Try to use high quality olive oil with this salad as the flavor of the oil really comes through.
Lemon Juice: For best flavor use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Dried Oregano
Salt
Black Pepper

ingredients for chopped asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette

INSTRUCTIONS

This section shows how to make asparagus and chickpea salad, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, nutritional information, to print the recipe or to have the recipe scaled to double or triple, see the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Boil the asparagus for 2 minutes. Then transfer to an ice water bath to cool. Remove from the water and pat dry.

🔴 TIP: Trim the woody ends off the asparagus, these will stay hard and are no joy to eat. You can skip parboiling, if you enjoy raw asparagus.

MAKE DRESSING: Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to emulsify.

🔴 TIP: Skip making a dressing. If you don’t want to make your own dressing, use ¼ cup of your favorite store bought dressing.

MAKE SALAD: Add all the prepared salad ingredients to a large bowl.

TOSS: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve.

Chopped asparagus salad ready to eat in a bowl.

TIPS FOR THE BEST CHOPPED SALAD

Follow these tips to make the best chopped asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette.

✔️ Trim the woody ends off the asparagus. If you hold each end with a hand and bend it should break at the point where the woody end snaps off. Do that for one piece then cut the rest at the same point.

✔️ Cut asparagus into 1-1.5″ pieces. If you don’t enjoy the tips just discard them.

✔️ Cut other ingredients into bite sized pieces.

✔️ Rinse the canned chickpeas. Giving them a thorough rinse will get rid of the “canned” taste.

✔️ Whisk the salad dressing well to emulsify. Pour over the salad immediately.

ready to eat asparagus salad in a glass bowl

WHAT TO SERVE WITH SALAD

Serve asparagus salad as a healthy lunch, with a side of delicious bread or flavorful sandwich. We love Garlic French Bread, Garlic Knots, Copycat Lionhouse Rolls, Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich bites or 3 Cheese Bombs, for example. You can even add some protein, such as grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp or steak.

This colorful, scrumptious and keto friendly chopped salad also works as a phenomenal side dish for Air Fryer Salmon, Air Fryer Tilapia, or Grilled Chicken Marinade with Lemon. To complete the meal serve some fluffy baked potatoes or grilled baked potatoes.

MORE SALAD RECIPES

If you love love asparagus salad you’ll enjoy our delicious Italian Salad, Antipasto Tortellini Salad, Salmon Pasta Salad, Greek Salad or fresh Caprese Salad.

Are you also a big fan of asparagus? Then you also enjoy our easy Air Fryer Asparagus and Air Fryer Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For perfect results every time, here are answers to the most common questions about cooking chopped asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette.

Can I add some protein to this salad?

Of course! Add a cooked or grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, salmon, or tofu to the top of this salad to make it a complete meal. You could also add some quinoa.

How long can I store homemade vinaigrette in the fridge?

Generally, homemade vinaigrettes can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Shake or whisk again before using.

Is this salad vegan?

This salad is vegetarian, gluten free and keto friendly, but because we use regular feta for this recipe the salad is not vegan. But you can simply leave out the cheese or substitute vegan feta to make vegan chopped asparagus salad.