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:
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 sounds lovely Ange! Tell Eric great call on the hemp and pumpkin seeds. Like you, I don’t consider asparagus one of my fave beggies, but I’ve also been getting my fill of it lately, mainly because it’s (almost) in season! Beautiful pics!
How come you have strawberries already?! I’m so jealous. I can’t wait til I see them at the farmer’s market. Then I’ll be making this salad!
What a gorgeous salad!! I am loving asparagus right now!
This sounds amazing! I love asparagus but didn’t know all of those stats on it so thank you for sharing :) I’ll definitely be trying this recipe soon.
no mention of asparagus one downside for part of the population:asparagus urine. it appears as though only some people have smelly urine after they eat asparagus (they don’t seem too clear on exactly what causes the smell). it also appears as though only some people are able to smell asparagus urine. both ‘skills’ are likely genetic and don’t always go hand in hand in the same person. since i’ve probably only eaten asparagus once or twice in my life and only found out about all of this within the last week, i sense a personal experiement in the works!
Thank you for sharing the info about asparagus. I love them but haven´t had them now as a RAW VEGAN! Love your pics though :) Have a Lovely day. Hugs from Amsterdam!
Strawberries and quinoa seems like quite the delectable spring combination!
Thanks for the asparagus cooking tips. The salad looks filling and easy. Love it.
Love everything about this salad! Thanks for sharing.
Peas, strawberries and asparagus all in one pretty spring salad that can be eaten hot or cold….fabulous!!
I recently started reading your blog and have already made a handful of your recipes…all of which have been so good! I found out two years ago that I’m allergic to dairy and decided a few months ago to try out vegan. I’m absolutely loving it and feel better than I ever have; so now I’m trying to get my husband on board but he is super against tofu (I try to explain to him that there is more to being vegan than just eating tofu!). Anyway, I saw this yesterday and had all the ingredients at home so I whipped it up last night and it was AMAZING. And best of all…my husband LOVED it! I found your recipe for the crispy tofu and going to try that on him next…fingers crossed I’ve got him converted! Thanks for making my switch to vegan so easy with all these amazing recipes!
Hey Rebecca, Oh I’m so happy to hear that it was a hit! Thank you so much for letting me know & goodluck with all of your vegan goals!
I am SO excited for this meal Ang! I just hit up my farmers market and I scored fresh peas! This meal will be perfect for them.
Thanks for such a perfect Spring dish indeed!
A friend sent me one of your blog posts and I love it, so here I am visiting your site. I can’t seem to find a spot to sign up to be on your mailing list though. Do you do that? I would love to join if you do. I’m not much of a FB user so would love to receive your posts.
Clare :)
Hey Clare! Thanks for your kind words…so glad you found the blog! As for signing up, yes you certainly can. Do you see the icons at the top right sidebar of my page? There is one for email (to have my posts mailed to you) Hope this helps! Oh and you can also subscribe by RSS there too.
Your photography is amazing, everything looks so sharp, vibrant and fresh. I also like the idea of pink quinoa being potentially “concerning”.
LOL…you never know right.
Yum!!!! I made this today and it is soooo good! I love how the strawberries add a pop of colour and also some nice flavour! Thanks for another great recipe!
Interesting Salad with veggies, fruit and grains
Well….Angela…you did it again…..really tasty….will definitely make it again and again. I am so looking forward to your cookbook. I wanted to ask you, at the beginning of last year, I subscribed to a newsletter with your blog but never received any newsletters. Was that something that was put on the back burner????
Just made this for dinner! So amazing!!!!
I brought this to a Spring potluck lunch at work today and it was a hit. I have several comments on how pretty it looked and how tasty it was. Many commented that they would have never put strawberries and asparagus together but it all went together very well. thanks for the timely post!
Hi Sherry, I’m so happy it was a hit! Thanks for letting me know :) Happy dance
Oh my, this looks so vibrant, fresh, and delicious! I love every single one of these ingredients :)