Blanched Asparagus and Feta Salad

This Blanched Asparagus and Feta Salad is light and refreshing, a perfect salad for springtime dinners and entertaining!

The earthy taste of blanched asparagus marries well with the saltiness of the feta while the zingy lemon dressing makes it perfect to serve with barbecued meats, oily fish such as salmon or sardines. We served ours with rosemary chicken fillets.

Another low-carb, gluten-free recipe great for keto and some vegetarian diets. If you make your own vegan feta it would also be good for vegan and paleo dieters. 

How to Make It

STEP 1 -Prepare asparagus.

• Before preparing your asparagus, put your water on to boil. I use a deep frying pan so that the asparagus fits in easily.
• Remove the woody ends from your asparagus by gently bending the end of one spear until it snaps naturally. Then, use it as a guide to cut the remaining stalks.

STEP 2 -Blanch asparagus.

• Once your asparagus has been prepared, add some salt to your boiling water (this helps the asparagus to retain its bright green colour), then add your asparagus.
• Blanch until tender, approximately 3-4 minutes or until it is bright green and fragrant. You want your asparagus to be cooked until it is al dente, just like your pasta.
• Strain in a colander in the sink and immediately run cold water on top to stop the cooking process.

STEP 3 - Prepare the rest of the ingredients.

• Rinse your mixed leaves in a colander under cold running water, remove any wilted, yellowed or damaged leaves.
• Either pat dry with a towel or spin in a salad spinner this makes for drier leaves that allow your vinaigrette to adhere to the salad leaves for a much tastier salad.
• Place all your vinaigrette ingredients in a glass jar add some salt and pepper to season then shake until emulsified (well combined). 

STEP 4 - Assemble the salad.

• Place your salad leaves on the bottom of a salad platter or shallow bowl, add the cooled asparagus and the crumbled feta, season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.
• Arrange in a salad bowl, then serve.

Make Ahead Tips

You can blanch your asparagus, make your vinaigrette and crumble your feta the day before and store it covered in your fridge.

Also, washing your salad leaves is ok but just make sure that they are completely dry before storing them to prevent them from spoiling and collecting bacteria.

The leaves in this salad prevent you from storing it for more than a day in your fridge as they will become limp.

Here are some more asparagus recipes...

Recipe Card