This Spring Spinach & Asparagus Salad is loaded with flavor and nutrition. It’s perfect for people who love good food and want to be healthy, too.
Even better, it comes together with just 6 ingredients in about 20 minutes or less! It’s great for a weeknight meal and is fantastic for entertaining.
The key to making an awesome healthy salad like this that tastes great is the technique. We use the warm asparagus to slightly wilt the spinach in the bowl and melt the parmesan, making for a beautiful flavor and texture combination.
When sautéed, asparagus becomes tender, slightly crispy, and golden brown around the edges, creating a delicious, umami flavor. The lemon adds a bright, tangy pop, the almonds add some crunch, and the real parmesan cheese (which is healthy and lactose-free, BTW) lends more of that umami flavor that keeps you wanting more.
This Spinach & Asparagus salad is loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
It’s definitely something you’ll want to make on repeat!
Spinach & Asparagus Salad Ingredients
- Asparagus: Asparagus is full of fiber, vitamins A, C, E, K, and contains chromium, a mineral that helps manage blood sugar. It’s also loaded with antioxidants, which protect your cells from damage, and acts as a natural diuretic to help reduce bloating.
- Fresh Baby Spinach: Spinach adds more than just volume to this salad; its fresh, mild flavor creates a fantastic base for the rest of the ingredients. It’s also a low-calorie source of iron and vitamin K, essential for energy and bone health. If you don’t have spinach on hand, any fresh lettuce would work here.
- Sliced Almonds: Almonds add a satisfying crunch to the salad and a dose of healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Sliced almonds have a great texture and look nice on this salad, but you can also use slivered or chopped almonds if that’s what you have. Or, sub for any nut or seed you prefer.
- Real Parmesan Cheese: A sprinkle of real Parmesan cheese brings a savory depth with its umami flavor, plus it adds extra protein and calcium. Always use the real stuff—the powdered stuff in a can is mostly preservatives and won’t achieve the same flavor or texture.
- Fresh Lemon & Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The dressing on this salad is simple yet delicious. A big squeeze of lemon juice adds that acidic bite and bright flavor that makes veggies pop, plus a dose of vitamin C and enzymes to aid digestion. The extra virgin olive oil is key to helping the edges of the asparagus get golden brown and adds depth of flavor that brings everything together.
- Salt & Pepper: I use fine-grain sea salt (Real Salt) but Kosher salt or any salt works here. Salt enhances flavor, and it is perfectly healthy when used in moderation at home. Always use freshly ground black pepper—it makes a big difference.
Get the full recipe in the printable recipe card below.
Tips & Variations:
- The ingredient ratios of this Spinach & Asparagus Salad are flexible; it’s the method that’s important to master (watch the video on my YouTube Channel in the recipe card to learn the method). You can use more or less asparagus or spinach to your liking.
- If you don’t have spinach or need to use up other salad greens, you can substitute the spinach for just about any other greens that you have or prefer. Fresh greens are best, I would not substitute frozen spinach in this particular recipe.
- Walnuts make a great substitution for the almonds. If you prefer to go nut-free, sunflower seeds would also be nice here. The sliced almonds are pretty on this salad, but you can use any almonds you have. If you have whole almonds, give them a rough chop for a better texture.
- This recipe scales beautifully. Double or triple the recipe to serve a crowd or for healthy meal prep. Or scale down if needed (but I like to cook once and eat two to three times, so save it in the fridge for the next day if you’re cooking for one or two!).
- Food Styling Tip: You can, of course, enjoy this right out of the bowl you make it in. If you want to plate it up to make it pretty, toss it in a large mixing bowl to make sure everything is evenly coated, then transfer it to a low-serving bowl or platter. Make sure a good amount of the asparagus pieces are on top so you can see them, then top with an additional sprinkle of almonds and parmesan to make it pretty.
Find more asparagus recipes here.
Enjoy!
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Spring Spinach & Asparagus Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-8 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chop, Saute
- Cuisine: American
Description
This delicious Spinach & Asparagus Salad is incredibly simple to prepare. Sauté asparagus pieces until the edges are golden, then toss them with spinach, almonds, Parmesan, lemon juice and olive oil. It’s perfect for a quick lunch or a healthy side dish at dinner. Top with roasted chicken or salmon to make turn it into a main dish you’ll love. This recipe makes 4 large or 8 side servings. Scale as needed.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 pound fresh asparagus (about 12–16 fresh asparagus spears), trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves (about 4 cups or big handfuls)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (use the real stuff), plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds (or chopped walnuts)
- fine-grain sea salt or Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped asparagus to the skillet with a big pinch of sea salt and a few spins of freshly ground black pepper and sauté, turning occasionally, until they are crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 5-8 minutes depending on the size of the asparagus.
- Meanwhile, add the parmesan, almonds, and spinach to a large bowl. Add the warm asparagus along with any oil left in the pan; the warm asparagus will barely wilt the spinach, giving it a nice texture.
- Drizzle the additional tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice over the top, then sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few spins of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to combine and add more lemon juice, parmesan or almonds as needed. Serve immediately.
This salad is best enjoyed the day you make it. It can also be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to three days.
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