This Asparagus Salad with tomatoes and basil is the light and bright dish you need for spring! Perfect for a light lunch or fresh appetizer!
Hooray for warm weather! Spring officially starts tomorrow and I’m craving all the fresh sides and snacks! Asparagus is my all-time favorite spring veggie, so an asparagus salad was in order. I love that this simple salad recipe has under 10 ingredients and takes just minutes to make!
How do I cook asparagus?
There are a few different ways to cook asparagus for this asparagus salad. To prepare the asparagus before any cooking method, you need to trim off the woody ends.
You can either use a knife to trim them off or use your hands to break them. Hold the end of a spear in one hand, and bend the spear until it snaps. It should break in just the right spot – where the woody part ends and the tender part begins.
If you’re grilling: Preheat the grill to medium, toss with Pompeian olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill the spears for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
If you’re cooking in the oven: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, toss with Pompeian olive oil, season with salt and pepper, place in oven-safe baking dish, and bake for 10 minutes.
If you’re cooking on the stovetop: Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and saute until tender and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
The secret to great tasting asparagus is using a great olive oil! I love using Pompeian robust extra virgin olive oil! Their EVOO comes from a family of olive oil farmers and olive oil craftsmen who nurture the world’s best olives from grove to table. Best of all, Pompeian EVOO adds monounsaturated fats, which not only have great health benefits, but it adds the best flavor! This asparagus salad recipe is perfect for snacking or taking on a spring picnic!
Why should I marinate my tomatoes?
If you have a garden full of juicy tomatoes, chop them up and let them marinate! By just combining them with good olive oil, garlic, and basil and letting them hang out for a bit, it allows all those flavors to develop and makes otherwise plain tomatoes extra delicious! Putting these marinated tomatoes on this asparagus salad is one of my favorite ways to enjoy them!
What should I serve with this salad?
If you’re serving this asparagus salad as a side or starter, here are some delicious pairing options:
Instant Pot Mushroom Gorgonzola Risotto
Asparagus Salad with Tomatoes and Basil
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
For the tomatoes:
4 ripe tomatoes on the vine, chopped and seeded
10 large basil leaves, chiffonade, plus some for garnish (I love Gotham Greens Basil)
3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbl Pompeian olive oil
1 tbl grated parmesan for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss asparagus in olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place on a lined baking sheet.
Bake asparagus for 10 minutes or until fork tender.
Chop and marinate tomatoes with olive oil, basil, garlic, salt and pepper for at least one hour.
Top asparagus with marinated tomatoes, garnish with freshly grated parmesan
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1 Comment
Beautiful! I can’t wait for fresh asparagus and beautiful ripe tomatoes! Sometimes for salads like this I use a Kalamata olive oil because of its deep flavor.