Shaved Asparagus Pea Salad (Printable)

Fresh shaved asparagus and peas with lemon dressing, arugula, and pine nuts for a crisp, flavorful spring salad.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 bunch fresh asparagus, woody ends trimmed, approximately 10.5 ounces
02 - 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen green peas, approximately 5.3 ounces
03 - 2 cups baby arugula or mixed spring greens, approximately 1.8 ounces
04 - 2 radishes, thinly sliced

→ Cheese and Nuts

05 - 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese, approximately 1 ounce
06 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds, approximately 1 ounce

→ Lemon Dressing

07 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
10 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How-To:

01 - Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus stalks into thin ribbons and place in a large salad bowl.
02 - Add the green peas, arugula or mixed spring greens, and sliced radishes to the bowl with the asparagus.
03 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
04 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine and evenly coat the vegetables.
05 - Add the shaved Parmesan and toasted pine nuts, tossing lightly again or scattering over the top of the salad.
06 - Serve immediately for optimal freshness and crispness.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The shaved asparagus stays tender and silky without any cooking, which was a total revelation to me the first time it worked.
  • It's genuinely fast but tastes like you spent hours thinking about lunch, which I've learned is the best kind of recipe to have in rotation.
  • The bright lemon dressing cuts through everything with such clarity that it tastes like spring itself decided to dress up a salad.
02 -
  • The asparagus must be shaved raw and served that way, because cooking it would defeat the whole point of this salad's delicate, fresh energy.
  • Toss the salad just before serving, because the acidic dressing starts breaking down the greens immediately and turns the whole thing into a slightly wilted mess if you wait even twenty minutes.
  • The lemon dressing needs that mustard and honey to work properly, because without them the oil and lemon juice will just separate back into two bitter, greasy layers no matter how hard you whisk.
03 -
  • If your asparagus is particularly thick, shave from the tip down to where it gets woody, and toss those tender ribbon tips in whole for visual interest and varied texture.
  • Make the dressing in a mason jar and shake it right before serving, because this method keeps it perfectly emulsified and also doubles as a beautiful way to bring it to the table.
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