Grilled Asparagus Salad with Tomatoes & Olives
Combining the best of spring and summer, this grilled asparagus salad has cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, red onions, toasted walnuts and parmesan tossed in a lemon vinaigrette.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For asparagus
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For vinaigrette
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For salad
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped pitted Kalamata olives
- 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
- 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or a stovetop grill pan over medium high heat.
- Toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Grill the asparagus, turning occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until it turns bright green, has grill marks and is crisp tender.
- When the asparagus is cool enough to handle, slice the spears into 1-1/2-inch-long pieces.
- For the vinaigrette, whisk the garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, tomatoes, olives, red onions, walnuts, parmesan and parsley.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette into the salad, tossing to combine.
Notes
Roasting asparagus instead of grilling: If you don’t have a grill, you can roast the asparagus on a sheet pan at 425 degrees F for 7 minutes. Then cut it into pieces.
You can make the vinaigrette 3 days in advance. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Let it sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes and then whisk it before tossing with the salad.
Leftover salad can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 days. You can also stir in cooked grains such as quinoa, rice, farro or barley to stretch leftovers.
To make the salad vegan, leave out the cheese or use a plant-based, dairy-free substitute.
Optional Additions
You can add one of the following proteins:
You can add one of the following proteins:
- Chopped hard-boiled eggs
- Poached eggs
- Chicken
- Tuna
- Shrimp
Nutrition
Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 1013mg | Potassium: 582mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1878IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 4mg