Asparagus and Kale Salad
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Asparagus and Kale Salad is a great spring salad full of veggies and creamy goat cheese then tossed in a Lemon Dijon Dressing. This fresh salad is great for lunch, dinner or a Sunday brunch!
What You Will ❤️ About Asparagus & Kale Salad
- Healthy – this salad is so darned healthy! Kale is high in antioxidants and helps in so many ways!
- Creamy Cheese – I love how the goat cheese sort of melts into the salad but you still get creamy cheesy bites
- Flavor! Fresh lemon, fresh garlic and fresh herbs make this salad so bright and taste so fresh!
Ingredients for Kale & Asparagus Salad
Raid the garden or the farmers market for this recipe! Here’s all the fresh veggies and ingredients you’ll need:
- Fresh asparagus spears – I prefer thinner spears for a salad if you have the choice – one bunch asparagus is good but feel free to add more
- Olive oil – always use Extra Virgin for salads
- Fresh garlic – if you’re making fresh foods – you have to use fresh garlic! I’ve recently been buying the peeled cloves and they’re so handy!
- Chopped kale – I bought a big 16 oz bag of Kale and used HALF for this recipe – it was pre-washed and chopped. If you’re buying Kale in a bunch, be sure to wash the kale thoroughly!
- Coarse Sea Salt & Black Pepper
- Tomatoes – you could also use cherry tomatoes – I used a regular tomato and some golden cherry tomatoes as that’s what I had
- Mini peppers – I love these mini sweet peppers but you could also use bell peppers – I recommend yellow or orange to add color and sweetness
- Scallions – these will add a nice crunch as a garnish
- Goat cheese – you can use the flavored goat cheese and I do recommend purchasing the log vs. precrumbled – it has a different texture when you tear it up yourself! So creamy!
- Lemon Dijon Dressing:
- Olive oil
- Lemon – juice & zest – just one lemon but we’ll use the whole thing!
- Dijon mustard
- Fresh herbs – thyme & basil – I have an Aerogarden so I always have fresh herbs – it’s great!!! Mint would be nice as well for more cool flavor!
Recipe Variations
This salad is so fresh and delicious on its own but you can always make tweaks based on what you have and what you like. Here are a few ideas:
- Grilled Chicken – serve with grilled chicken or grilled salmon for a complete meal
- Crunch – you could add cooked bacon or even almonds, walnuts or pecans for extra crunch
- Cheese – not a fan of goat cheese? Swap with feta cheese or blue cheese
- Veggies – this is a very green salad – add some color with yellow bell peppers, shredded carrots or diced cooked beets
- Avocado – diced avocado will add nice creaminess to the salad as well
How to make Asparagus & Kale Salad
This side dish is so easy to put together and I loved the mix of the warm, roasted asparagus with the cold kale and the lemony dressing. Here’s how to make it:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Break off ends of asparagus. Lay asparagus on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle on minced garlic.
- Roast in the preheated oven until tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
- While asparagus is roasting, place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Massage kale leaves by scrunching and releasing handfuls of kale, repeating over and over until the kale has softened to your liking. Don’t over massage, or the leaves will get soggy.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest dijon mustard, basil and fresh thyme. Set aside.
- Remove asparagus from oven and cut into bite sized pieces using kitchen shears.
- To the bowl with the kale, add tomatoes, peppers, scallions, goat cheese and asparagus.
- Pour lemon dressing over salad and toss lightly.
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Tips, Tricks & FAQs
How do you store leftover kale salad?
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Unlike a lettuce salad the kale will hold up to being coated in dressing for a couple days.
Do you need to soak asparagus before cooking?
In 50 years, never done it – so I’d say no.
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More Kale Recipes
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Asparagus and Kale Salad
Asparagus and Kale Salad is a great spring salad full of veggies and creamy goat cheese then tossed in a Lemon Dijon Dressing. This fresh salad is great for lunch, dinner or a Sunday brunch!
Equipment
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 sprigs thyme leaves fresh
- 2 leaves basil fresh, minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Break off ends of asparagus. Lay asparagus on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle on minced garlic.1 bunch fresh asparagus
- Roast in the preheated oven until tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
- While asparagus is roasting, place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Massage kale leaves by scrunching and releasing handfuls of kale, repeating over and over until the kale has softened to your liking. Don’t over massage, or the leaves will get soggy.3 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 6 cups chopped baby kale, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest dijon mustard, basil and fresh thyme. Set aside.1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 2 sprigs thyme leaves, 2 leaves basil
- Remove asparagus from oven and cut into bite sized pieces using kitchen shears.
- To the bowl with the kale, add tomatoes, peppers, scallions, goat cheese and asparagus.3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup bell pepper, 1/4 cup scallions, 4 ounce goat cheese
- Pour lemon dressing over salad and toss lightly.
Notes
**We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cupCalories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 9gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 433mgPotassium: 481mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 5112IUVitamin C: 72mgCalcium: 162mgIron: 4mg
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