Shaved Asparagus Salad
by Katie Webster
April 29, 2021 (updated 4/12/24) Jump To Recipe
Today I have a 20 minute recipe for a salad of shaved raw asparagus ribbons, shredded romaine lettuce, hazelnuts and goat cheese tossed and dill shallot vinaigrette.
I originally shared this recipe on May 7th, 2015. I have updated the text and photography to share it with you today.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Shaved Asparagus Salad Recipe
If you love asparagus, and are looking for a unique way to prepare it, then shaving it and eating it raw in a salad is delicious! The fresh lightly sweet and slightly nutty flavor of the raw asparagus is delicious paired with creamy goat cheese, hazelnuts and bright dill and shallot dressing.
Eating asparagus raw is best when it is freshly picked, so asparagus season is the best time to enjoy this recipe! The peak of the season is April, but depending on where you live, the season lasts several months during the spring.
Ingredient Notes
- Asparagus: It takes a little practice to shave asparagus and I found that it was much easier with fatter asparagus. So if you have your choice at the market (or in the garden) choose the fatties. (By the way, asparagus aficionados will tell you the fatter stalks are the best ones anyway.)
- Extra-virgin olive oil: for the salad dressing
- Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar: for the dressing. Swap in red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Lemon would also be excellent in this dressing
- Seasonings: Shallot (or chopped chives), dill, honey, salt and freshly ground pepper
- Dijon mustard: to emulsify the dressing
- Hearts of Romaine: very thinly sliced
- Fresh chevre: Use fresh goat cheese for topping the salads. Parmesan is a good alternative if you do not like goat cheese.
- Hazelnuts: You can substitute walnuts, pine nuts or pecans. or pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for a nut free alternative.
How To Make This Shaved Asparagus Salad
Step 1: To shave the asparagus, you just hold the stalks on the cutting board and run a regular old vegetable peeler down the stalk.
When you got to the center of the stalk and can’t shave it down further, set that core aside and continued along with the remaining stalks. Then at the end take all the cores and chop them with a chef’s knife.
Step 2: Then I made a mustard dill and shallot dressing to go with it. It actually took me a few tries to get the right level of acidity. You all know by know that I have a thing about acidity in recipes right?
Well this is a pretty tart salad, I’m not going to lie, but it is important to have a bit of tart to balance the bitter of the asparagus.
Step 3. Add the shaved asparagus to the dressing. I also added shredded romaine hearts into the salad for more volume. I cut it up into the finest ribbons I could handle. The idea being the strips would match the strips of the shaved asparagus.
Step 4: Then I added in toasted hazelnuts because I wanted toasty flavor and a bit of crunch. And then the fresh goat cheese on top. Ahhh, it is so perfect. The creamy tart cheese with the asparagus oh and the dill and mustard and shallot. You! Guys! It is magic.
Serving Suggestions
- Top it with garlic herb grilled chicken and enjoy it as an entree salad. Or try with honey mustard chicken thighs or Crispy Roasted Chicken Thighs for lunch or dinner.
- For a seafood meal pair with Fish Casserole or Pan Fried Fish.
- This salad can be served as a green salad to accompany a spring meal, on Mother’s Day or as an addition to a weeknight meal, since it only takes 20 minutes to make.
FAQs
This is pretty common and hard to avoid entirely. If you rest the asparagus on the cutting board as you peel to support it, it won’t break as easily.
Omit the goat cheese and use agave instead of honey. If you want to add a vegan topping instead of the goat cheese you can use shiitake bacon or homemade croutons.
This recipe is best served immediately. The dressing can be made ahead up to 3 days. The asparagus and romaine can be prepared one day ahead. Toss with the dressing just before serving.
If you love asparagus in salads you’ll also want to check out our Spring Salad with Peas and Asparagus, our Sesame Roasted Asparagus Salad and this Roasted Asparagus Goat Cheese Power Salad.
Thanks so much for reading. If you make this recipe, please let me know by leaving a star rating and review. Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Shaved Asparagus Salad Recipe
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 9 cups 1x
Description
If you love asparagus, then try shaving raw asparagus into long curling ribbons with a veggie peeler. Then make it into a salad with shredded romaine lettuce, hazelnuts and goat cheese all tossed and dill shallot vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends removed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1/2 small shallot, minced (or 3 T chopped chives)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 hearts of romaine, very thinly sliced
- 3 ounces fresh chevre
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
Instructions
- Shave asparagus into ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Cut any remaining pieces that cannot be peeled any thinner into bite sized lengths with a knife
- Whisk oil, vinegar, shallot or chives, dill, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add romaine and the shaved asparagus to the bowl and toss to combine.
- Divide among four plates. Crumble goat cheese over the salads. Divide hazelnuts over the salads.
Notes
This recipe is best served immediately. The dressing can be made ahead up to 3 days. The asparagus and romaine can be prepared one day ahead. Toss just before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 1/4 cup
- Calories: 270
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
More Asparagus Recipes
- Turn on the grill for Grilled Asparagus or try my Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise or Pesto.
- This One Pot Chicken and Rice with Spring Veggies is bursting with asparagus and peas.
- Try adding Asparagus to Panzanella and you’ll know why it is one of my favorite spring suppers (and works for brunch too.)
- This Frittata with Ham and Asparagus is another spring brunch entree to consider.
- This Asparagus Pizza is a 30-minute springtime dinner that will spice up your pizza night!
- Another way to make asparagus in the oven is to broil it. Follow this recipe for Broiled Asparagus for perfectly tender results.
- Find more asparagus recipe ideas here and please check out my guide to asparagus.
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.
I’ve never considered eating asparagus raw, this is the perfect way to enjoy them while in season. Now I know what to do this all the extra ones I have lying around.
Thanks Kortney! I hope you enjoy the new use for your asparagus!
This is a gorgeous springtime salad!! Just the right amount of richness, crunch and acidity.
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
so fresh! I love this recipe.
Thanks so much for the recipe and rating Loren! I’m so glad you liked it!
Such a special salad, and my introduction to shaving asparagus. Love the dressing and the hazelnuts, too!
Megan- I’m so glad that you love the recipe and the dressing! The hazelnuts add a good crunch. Thanks for the comment and rating!
I have a bunch of asparagus I’m trying to use up so this will be perfect. Thanks!
I can never complain about extra fresh asparagus! Thanks for the comment and rating!
This is perfect for the Summer! Can’t wait to make for a BBQ
Hey Alyssa- thanks for the comment and rating! Let me know how it turns out!
Loving the goat cheese and hazelnuts in this recipe!
Thanks Tina! I’m so glad you love it!
I love how you went straight to the source and learnt about the product. Though i’m not a fan of goats cheese, I definitely do love shaved asparagus and hazelnuts together so I have to make this salad. Do you think that another crumbly cheese like feta will work equally as well?
Feta would be great as would blue cheese if you like it.
It’s something pretty new to me. I’d probably make it without cheese 🙂 just because I’m too much concerned about my diet (you know low-calorie meal). Your Shaved Asparagus Salad Rocks!
I’m a big fan of everything in moderation (even while working toward weight loss.) I hope you like this recipe Aga.
I saw this on IG and had to check it out! What a great looking salad! Love the champagne vinegar in it… that stuff is SO good, isn’t it?!
Thank you so much my friend. Glad that you came by to take a peek.
“Shaved” asparagus??? Dang lady – how brilliant is that! I gotta join your daughters in ohhing and ahhing (but, not exactly at the baby goats) but, at these salads! I should’vr known better than to come visit when I haven’t had lunch yet! GAH!
Glad the asparagus makes you ooh and ahh. Ha ha!