I’m celebrating spring with this warm spring salad featuring asparagus, leek, peas, strawberries, and parsley all tossed in a simple lemon olive oil dressing. It’s very light and veggie-packed with some protein provided by quinoa. If you’d like to add even more protein I’m sure it would be nice with some white beans, chickpeas, or French lentils thrown in too.
Behold, non-wimpy asparagus!
Normally I don’t consider asparagus to be one of the most exciting vegetables, but it always surprises me every time I make it. I enjoy it way more than I think I do. A simple, light sauté leaves it tender, but still crisp and fresh. I find it turns out best when I cook it a bit less time than I think I should. Less is more with this guy! I’ve made the mistake of cooking the hell out of it in the past and it’s something I try not to repeat.
Nutrition Facts about Asparagus
- Look for firm spears that don’t bend easily. Asparagus doesn’t tend to last very long, so it’s best consumed within 48 hours of purchasing. When you bring it home, wrap the stems in a damp paper towel to extend freshness.
- Asparagus may aid in digestion thanks to its inulin content which is said to function as a “prebiotic”
- In 1 cup of raw asparagus you’ll receive Vitamin K (69.6% Daily Value), Vitamin A (20.2% DV), Folate (17.4% DV), Iron (15.7% DV), Vitamin B1 (12.6% DV), Vitamin C (12.5% DV), 3 grams protein, 2.75 grams fibre, and more.
- It can act as a diuretic causing you to lose more fluid than normal. Be sure to get enough water throughout the day.
- Asparagus is anti-inflammatory thanks to its large composition of anti-inflammatory nutrients.
- Source: World’s Healthiest Foods
Since spring produce seems to be picking up speed around here, I’m celebrating my first spring recipe of the season today – a warm spring salad featuring asparagus, leek, peas, strawberries, and lots of parsley all tossed in a simple lemon olive oil dressing. Easy, light, and super refreshing. If you’d like to add even more protein than what the quinoa + veggies provide I’m sure it would be nice with some white beans, chickpeas, or French lentils thrown in too. Eric also suggested we sprinkle some seeds on top – pumpkin and hemp – and that was a very nice addition!
Keep in mind that the strawberries will turn the quinoa a pinkish hue once tossed. If this is a concern or if you are making this in advance, I suggest adding the strawberries on just before serving.
Cheers to crunchy, fresh spring salads!
If you like the look of this salad be sure to check out some of my other great Spring salads:
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Warm Spring Salad
Yield
4 Servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
I’m celebrating my first spring recipe of the season with this warm spring salad featuring asparagus, leek, peas, strawberries, and parsley all tossed in a simple lemon olive oil dressing. It’s very light and veggie-packed with some protein provided by quinoa. If you’d like to add even more protein I’m sure it would be nice with some white beans, chickpeas, or French lentils thrown in too. Keep in mind that the strawberries will bleed pink juices into the salad and turn the quinoa a light pink hue once tossed. If this is a concern or if you are making this in advance, I suggest adding the strawberries on just before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or try speltberries)
- 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, sliced into rounds or half moons
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends broken off and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup diced strawberries (optional)
- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or other sweetener)
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt & lots of pepper, to taste
- lemon zest, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and place into a medium pot. Add 1.5 cups vegetable broth (or water) and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low-medium, cover with tight-fitting lid, and cook for 15-17 minutes, or until fluffy and all the water is absorbed. Fluff with fork, remove from heat, and let sit covered for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, grab a very large skillet or wok. Sauté the leek and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add in the asparagus and sauté for another 5-10 minutes or until the asparagus is just tender, but still a bit crisp. Stir in the strawberries (optional), peas, and parsley. Heat for a few minutes and then remove from heat.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, and 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt) to taste. Pour dressing onto skillet mixture and stir in the cooked quinoa. Season to taste with salt and pepper & enjoy! This would also be lovely with nuts or seeds sprinkled on top.
Tip:
Oh, I forgot to mention – this is also fantastic served cold too!
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)Oh, I forgot to mention – this is also fantastic served cold too!
Ooh, this looks great! I think I have all of these ingredients too. They were meant for other recipes, but who cares about that.
This looks delicious, Angela. I have snow peas in the fridge, so I’m going to use those. I also have green onions, not sure if they can be a substitute for leeks but hope so!
I made your black bean and potato nachos over the weekend and used a cilantro pepper cashew cream sauce. They went over very well!!!
Green onions would be a great sub.
So glad the potato nachos turned out for you! Thanks for letting me know :)
Adding green onions is a great idea, actually! =)
I can’t wait for asparagus and strawberries to make an appearance at my farmers market. I’m ready for spring recipes and this definitely makes the list!
This is perfect and so timely! My boyfriend had the world’s most pathetic asparagus salad this weekend (literally- lettuce and a few spears) and I’d love to redeem the veggie with a more worthy salad this week. Thanks!
Love this recipe, especially since it is really not warm at all yet, but also not below freezing either! Love the colours!
This looks INSANELY good! I just happen to have some fresh asparagus that I was going to pair with roasted garlic but I’m kind rethinking that now!
The last 1-2 weeks leading up to figure competitions, the only veggie I can have is asparagus. You can imagine the smell… LOL! But it’s a high-protein veggie and a diuretic, so it’s like body building super food.
It kind of ruined it for me outside of those couple of weeks, but this combo looks too good not to try! I love the leek + strawberry combo.
This looks fantastic! I have some asparagus sitting in my fridge right now (that’s definitely been there longer than 48 hours) so I might just have to switch up my plan and make this for dinner.
Thanks for a delicious looking recipe :)
Such a photogenic salad :) I will try this one for sure!
I love the photography for this post! It just so happens that I bought strawberries, peas and asparagus as part of my weekly grocery trip yesterday and it is leek season where I live. Looks like this salad will be my lunch at some point in the very near future!
I always look forward to your posts, Angela. Your ‘go-to kale salad’ is a favourite in our home. I really appreciate the mix of flavors and ingredients I would normally not try myself. I will be making this one…
So…I’m guessing the asparagus I ate last night that I bought in March probably wasn’t the best idea? I hate wasting food and I found them at the bottom of my produce drawer in the fridge so I just at the still intact tips but they were a bit wimpy. :)
I have always been a tad scared of Asparagus so thank you for the useful tips, you make it slightly less intimidating. I think I’ll have to give it a go!
Lovely photography in this post!
I will save this recipe for when the strawberries are in season here in Sweden. Shouldn’t be more than a couple of months away now… oh, summer, please arrive soon!
This is a beautiful salad with so much colour. I bet those leeks give it such a nice fresh taste. You’re lucky spring is picking up in your area, there’s a snowstorm happening outside my window right now! I need this salad to make me think of spring. :)
The salad looks really delicious. I love all the ingredients you used and will definitely try this very soon :)
This looks delicious! I love asparagus, its a sure sign that spring is here. I really like the idea of combining it with strawberries and peas to give it a spring feel.
I absolutely love salads with strawberries and quinoa, but I’ve never tried asparagus in my salad. Can’t wait to give this a try! By the way, the pictures are gorgeous!
Love warm salads! Especially for this weird in-between weather we have going on!
Such a great spring recipe! I love the combination of citrus, sweet and savory/bitter from the asparagus. I’ll have to try this one out. Thanks for sharing Angela :)