Grilled Asparagus Salad
Grilled asparagus salad is made with tender fresh asparagus, creamy white beans, onions, and tomatoes tossed in a light balsamic dressing. It’s a spring salad that is super easy to make.
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Grilling the asparagus for this delicious salad adds a slightly smoky, nutty flavor and requires little seasoning except for a dash of sea sat and black pepper. The light dressing brings out the flavor in all of the ingredients that blend together perfectly.
Enjoy this fresh and vibrant salad as a side dish with grilled chicken or as a light meal with a side of crusty bread.
Why you will love grilled asparagus bean salad
- It’s a quick recipe to make with simple ingredients and can be made ahead of time.
- It’s made with fresh ingredients that can be enjoyed as a light lunch, side dish or main course.
- Asparagus, tomato, and bean salad is healthy and flavorful.
Here is what you will need
This is a brief summary of the ingredients needed to make this delicious grilled asparagus and bean recipe and a convenient shopping list from my Instacart affiliate link. For a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card section.
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Ingredients
- fresh asparagus
- cherry or grape tomatoes
- onion
- cannellini beans
- balsamic vinegar
- dijon mustard
- olive oil
- maple syrup
- crushed garlic
🥄Equipment
- outdoor grill or indoor grill
- grill pan or grill topper
- glass missing bowl (for mixing and serving)
- knife
- garlic crusher
How to make this grilled asparagus salad recipe
Prepare the ingredients: preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Rinse and dry the asparagus; break off the rough ends. Rinse and cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters, chop the onions, drain and rinse the beans and mix up the dressing ingredients.
STEP 1: Once the grill is hot, brush the asparagus spears with a little bit of olive oil and place the asparagus on the grill.
Cook the asparagus for about 5 minutes and flip them over and grill for three to 5 minutes longer.
STEP 2: Once the asparagus is cooked, remove it from the grill and set it aside to cool.
When it is cool enough to handle, cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and set them aside.
STEP 3: Add the grilled, chopped asparagus to a medium bowl along with with the beans, onions, and tomatoes.
STEP 4: Pour the dressing over the salad.
STEP 5: Gently mix all of the ingredients together and refrigerate or serve at room temperature.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
The full list of ingredients to make this grilled asparagus salad recipe is above. Below are notes about some of the ingredients along with ideas for substitutes.
Cannellini Beans – Also called white kidney beans are the most common white beans and can be interchanged with other varieties of white beans such as navy beans or great northern beans which are also white beans.
Onions – Red onions, yellow onions, or Vidalia onions can be used in this recipe. I like to use red for a little extra color. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, try Vidalia onions.
Tomatoes – Any type of cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes can be used. We like red, or yellow cherry tomatoes. A mixture of both red and yellow adds a nice touch of color to the salad.
Fresh Garlic – In my opinion, fresh is always best in salads. If you don’t have a fresh garlic clove, it can be replaced with 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Maple Syrup – Be sure to use real maple syrup and not pancake syrup. If it’s not available, it can be swapped with an equal amount of honey.
Balsamic Vinegar – Can be substituted with red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar for a more tangy dressing. You can also use an equal amount of lemon juice in the dressing for this salad.
Make-ahead instructions
Salads are perfect make-ahead dishes, and this asparagus salad is a prime candidate. Here are a few make-ahead suggestions:
- Prepare the salad without assembling it. Grill the asparagus, slice the tomatoes in half, chop the tomatoes and mix up the dressing. Store each ingredient in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to two days. Assemble the salad just before serving.
- Prepare the entire salad and use only one-half of the dressing. Store the salad in the refrigerator for up to two days. Just before serving pour the remaining dressing over the salad.
Serving suggestions
This delicious asparagus salad recipe is the perfect side dish to serve chilled or at room temperature garnished with lemon zest and black pepper paired with a burger, grilled chicken, pork or all by itself as a light healthy meal.
Storing leftovers
Store leftover grilled asparagus salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days. If the salad is dry, add a little dressing before serving.
Recipe variations
Add cheese – Use a half cup of crumbled or chunks of feta cheese, parmesan cheese, goat cheese or mozzarella cheese.
Add meat – Add up to a half pound of chopped boneless chicken breasts for a one-dish meal.
Change up the beans – Substitute the white beans with chickpeas, fava beans or kidney beans.
Greek asparagus salad – Add 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives, sliced red onion and feta cheese.
Roasted asparagus salad – Instead of grilling the asparagus, roast it: place asparagus on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes.
Asparagus arugula salad – Toss with baby arugula for a fresh and zety salad.
Tips
- Use a grill topper like this one from Lodge to keep the asparagus from falling through the grill grates.
- Grill a double batch of asparagus the night before with dinner and use the leftover asparagus the next evening to make the salad.
- Check out these tips on how to choose, clean and cook asparagus.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can roast the asparagus instead of grilling it. Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet and place it in an oven preheated at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes.
No it does not need to be soaked, a rinse in cold water will remove the grit from the fresh asparagus.
You might also like these asparagus recipes
- Roasted Asparagus with Garlic Butter
- Instant Pot Asparagus Risotto
- Marinated Grilled Asparagus
- Air Fryer Asparagus Frittata
- Asparagus Pesto Sauce
Do you like this recipe or have a question?
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Click on serving size to scale this recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon [olive oil]
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus that has been cleaned and trimmed
- 3/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes sliced quarters
- 1/2 medium onion sliced thin
- 1 cup [white beans]
- 2 tablespoons [balsamic vinegar]
- 1/2 tablespoon [maple syrup]
- 2 teaspoons [dijon mustard]
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- one clove crushed garlic
Instructions
- Preheat the grill and prepare the ingredients: clean and trim the asparagus, rinse and slice the tomatoes, chop the onions.
- Make the dressing: mix up 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 4 tablespoons olive oil and one clove of garlic.
- Brush the asparagus spears with olive oil and place them on a heated grill and grill over a medium flame turning frequently until they become tender – about 10 minutes (turning them after 5 minutes)
- Remove the asparagus spears from the grill and allow them to cool off.
- Place the tomatoes, onions, and beans into a bowl
- Once asparagus is cool enough to handle slice into 1-inch slices and add it to the bowl.
- Stir the dressing into the salad ingredients and serve at room temperature or cold.
Video
Notes
-
Store leftover grilled asparagus in the refrigerator for two to three days. Enjoy leftovers served with a side of grilled chicken or a field green salad.
See list of substitutes and recipe variations in the blog post above.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
This was perfect for our summery meatless Monday dinner! I think this would also be a great side dish with some chicken or fish or as a larger salad to bring to a picnic. Thank you 🙂
The perfect addition to our asparagus lovers. My family loved it