Make this delicious and simple Roasted Asparagus Salad recipe with arugula and shaved Parmesan for an easy lunch! Top it with my delicious Basil Honey dressing for a meal that will make this salad one to remember.
Lunchtime is generally something I’ve struggled with since I started working from home. Sometimes it seems like the entire day bleeds together and before I know it, it’s 2 p.m. by that time, I’m starving and I’m munching on something unhealthy just to get some food in me.
However, this year I’ve tried to go low carb and I’ve been exercising everyday for the last 99 days. I’ve needed to find a good lunchtime meal that could fuel my body and my mind. My usual, old lunch standbys were just not cutting it.
Over the last few months though roasted asparagus has become my go-to for this season of life. In fact, I’ll usually roast up a bunch of it for lunch and eat it while I’m doing some work. The last few weeks I’ve been elevating it up by making it a full blown Roasted Asparagus Salad recipe. I add on some delicious arugula, shaved parmesan cheese and mix it with a Basil Honey vinaigrette. And it has been incredible!
How to make this Roasted Asparagus Salad recipe
To make this roasted asparagus salad recipe you need to start with a nice bunch of asparagus. This is a perfect recipe for the spring because asparagus is in season. It’s often bigger (not mine clearly), and cheaper. However, asparagus is a vegetable I can find year-round so this salad will probably become a lunch staple for me.
It’s simple to roast the asparagus in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. I brush it with a little olive oil and give it a nice sprinkle of seas salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Then I pile a plate full of arugula and add the asparagus on top. The taste of the asparagus goes really well with the slightly peppery flavor of the arugula.
How to make the Basil Honey dressing
The sweetness and the acid of this dressing goes really well with this Roasted Asparagus Salad recipe and a lot of other dishes. In fact, I have also included it in this Mediterranean Chicken Kabob recipe {HERE}. It balances out the robust flavor of the roasted asparagus and compliments the arugula too.
Making it is simple. All you have to do is blend all the ingredients together in a food processor. I have this one {HERE} and use it for EVERYTHING! Just make sure to use really good extra virgin olive oil and it will be dressing you want to make again and again.
Embellishments for the Roasted Asparagus salad recipe
When it comes to topping this salad, I kept it pretty simple. In fact, that seems to be the theme of this recipe. I almost always add a cheese to my salads and in this case I decided Parmesan would work best. The Earthy flavor pairs really well with everything else happening in the roasted asparagus salad recipe. I don’t recommend adding a softer cheese, like a goat cheese or blue, because I believe they’re a little too mushy for this recipe and will overpower the flavors.
I also top it with pine nuts. I love the light nutty flavor and how it rounds out the whole dish. they tend to be expensive, but so are a lot of nuts. If you can’t find them you can also try almond slices or walnut pieces.
Lastly, I add a sprinkle of fresh basil, fresh thyme leaves sea salt and fresh, cracked pepper. I’m a big believer in topping all food with fresh herbs and salads are no exception.
Tips for making the Roasted Asparagus Salad recipe
- I suggest cutting the asparagus into pieces before roasting it. It just makes it easier to pop on top of the salad when it’s done roasting versus trying to cut later when they are covered in olive oil.
- Make sure to chop off the woody ends of the asparagus and discard them.
- You can sever this salad cold or warm. I generally eat it when the asparagus is straight out of the oven because I make it for lunch and need food as soon as humanly possible. BUT, you can make the asparagus ahead of time and take this to the office in a to-go container. Just don’t add the dressing until right before you eat it.
- You can make this dressing ahead of time. Just make sure to refrigerate it and then remove it from the refrigerator about an hour before using so the olive oil can come back to room temperature.
Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends! I hope that you love this Roasted Asparagus Salad recipe. You can find the full, printable recipe below. If you love asparagus, try this Mediterranean Roasted Asparagus this season too! Also, if you love arugula try this Grilled Peach & Arugula Salad this summer!
Roasted Asparagus Salad recipe with arugula
Ingredients
Roasted Asparagus Salad ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends removed
- 6 cups fresh arugula
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and fresh, cracked pepper
Basil Honey Dressing
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2-3/4 cup fresh basil, packed
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 Tbsp/ lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove the woody ends of the asparagus and discard. Then chop the asparagus into thirds.
- Add the asparagus pieces to a baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Then sprinkle them with salt and pepper and add them to the oven for 15-20 minutes.
- While the asparagus cooks, make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a food processor and blending. Set aside or refrigerate if you are going to eat this later.
- Add 3 cups of arugula to each plate and once the asparagus is done, top the arugula.
- Drizzle with Basil Honey dressing, top with shaved Parmesan, pine nuts, fresh basil pieces, thyme and sea salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
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