• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Alternative Dish

  • About
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Main Dish
    • Salad
    • Sauces & Dressings
    • Sides
    • Soup
  • Cooking Classes
  • Services
    • Services
    • Corporate Wellness Workshops
  • Contact
Home » Recipes » Shaved Asparagus Salad with Pesto

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Pesto

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Shaved asparagus salad with pesto is a delightful and elegant dish.  Packed full of fresh basil, radishes, asparagus and lemon, this salad screams summertime.  Bring this salad to your next gathering and be the star of the show!

Shaved Asparagus Salad
Most people grab a bunch of asparagus and steam or roast it, which is lovely.  But, did you know that you can eat asparagus raw?  Raw asparagus has a mild and slightly sweet flavor.  It is delicious, and this shaved asparagus salad proves it! This is a salad that I have been making in different variations for years, and it is always a hit whenever I serve it.

How to Shave Asparagus

This salad is a labor of love.  You do have to shave each stalk of asparagus individually, but in reality it doesn’t take very long.  I shaved an entire bunch of it in under 10 minutes.

Shaving asparagus

Make sure you are using wider stalks of asparagus, as thin stalks will be almost impossible to shave.  Start by laying one stalk of asparagus on a cutting board.  Holding the tip, use a vegetable peeler to shave down the stalk.  I highly recommend using a Y-peeler which makes it easier to shave, but you can use a regular vegetable peeler too.  When the first side becomes awkward to shave, turn the stalk over and repeat until you cannot shave anymore.  Chop off the tip and roughly chop the remaining stalk.  Add tip, shavings and remaining stalk to a large bowl.  Repeat with remaining asparagus.  Done!

Shaved Asparagus

How to Make Pesto

This pesto comes together in a snap.  I use half parsley and half basil in this recipe for economy’s sake.  Basil can be expensive and this gives you all of the basil flavor without all of the expense. If you have a ton of basil hanging around though, by all means use it up!  I use sunflower seeds in this pesto so it is nut free, but this will give your pesto a darker hue.  If you want a more vibrant and green pesto, use walnuts or pine nuts in their place.

Add all ingredients to a blender container and blend until smooth, adding more water as necessary to reach desired consistency.  You want something that is smooth, but still a little thick so it clings to the shaved asparagus.  You will have more pesto than you need for this recipe.  Save it and store it in an airtight container for another use.  Pesto is great on pizza, pasta, sandwiches and more!

Variations for Shaved Asparagus Salad

-Skip the pesto and use a squeeze of lemon and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.
-Add toasted nuts or seeds to the top.
-Add other shaved vegetables such as carrots or golden beets, to add color variety.
-Use other nuts or seeds in place of the sunflower seeds.
-The basil pesto recipe I have below is merely a suggestion.  You can use any other herbs you want to easily change the flavors of this salad.  You want roughly 2 cups of greens here, so play around with different greens and herbs to make this pesto your own. Try using spinach, cilantro, arugula, tarragon, rosemary or thyme in place of some or all of the basil or parsley.
-Sprinkle with this vegan parmesan cheese for an extra flavor punch.

Shaved asparagus salad with pesto

Can Shaved Asparagus Salad be Made Ahead of Time?

This salad is best eaten within a few hours of making it as the asparagus will start to get limp and the pesto will begin to discolor.  If you don’t mind those things, it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day.

Shaved Asparagus Salad
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Pesto

Shaved asparagus salad with pesto is a delightful and elegant dish.  Packed full of fresh basil, radishes, asparagus and lemon, this salad screams summertime.  Bring this salad to your next gathering and be the star of the show!
Pin Recipe Facebook Email
Prep Time15 mins
Total Time15 mins
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: asparagus, pesto, raw, salad
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 98kcal
Author: Maggie

Ingredients

Pesto:

  • 1 cup basil loosely packed*
  • 1 cup parsley loosely packed*
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 small lemon juiced
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup water
  • pinch salt, more to taste

Asparagus Salad

  • 1 bunch asparagus thick stalks
  • 4 radishes sliced thin

Instructions

Make the Pesto

  • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth. Add more water a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Season with more salt and lemon juice as desired.

Shaved Asparagus Salad

  • Start by laying one stalk of asparagus on a cutting board.  Holding the tip, use a vegetable peeler to shave down the stalk.  (I highly recommend using a Y-peeler which makes it easier to shave, but you can use a regular vegetable peeler too.)  When the first side becomes awkward to shave, turn the stalk over and repeat until you cannot shave anymore.  Chop off the tip and roughly chop the remaining stalk.  Add tip, shavings and remaining stalk to a large bowl.  Repeat with remaining asparagus.
  • Toss the shaved asparagus with 1/4 cup pesto. Taste and add more pesto as desired. Add sliced radishes to the top and serve right away!

Notes

*Alternatively, you can use 2 cups basil, or play around with different herbs such as tarragon, thyme or arugula.  You need about 2 loosely packed cups of greens and/or herbs here.
Pesto: You will have more pesto than you need for this recipe.  Save it and store it in an airtight container for another use.  Pesto is great on pizza, pasta, sandwiches and more!
Storage:  This salad is best eaten within a few hours of making it as the shaved asparagus will start to get limp and the pesto will discolor.  If you do want to store it, put it in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
Nutrition Facts
Shaved Asparagus Salad with Pesto
Amount per Serving
Calories
98
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
5
g
8
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Sodium
 
14
mg
1
%
Potassium
 
485
mg
14
%
Carbohydrates
 
10
g
3
%
Fiber
 
5
g
21
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
7
g
14
%
Vitamin A
 
2431
IU
49
%
Vitamin C
 
35
mg
42
%
Calcium
 
68
mg
7
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Pin Recipe Facebook Share by Email

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and love or think my readers will find useful.

Share the love!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Previous Post: « Instant Pot Vegetable Broth
Next Post: Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes (Vegan, Gluten Free) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sally

    June 9, 2020 at 8:07 am

    Looks delicious. Will definitely try. May use some white asparagus too as it’s in season in Germany. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Maggie

      June 9, 2020 at 8:16 am

      White asparagus would be so lovely in this. It’s hard to find here in the upper Midwest, but I do see it occasionally. I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow Alternative Dish

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Welcome!

Maggie Wescott Cooking
Hi! I’m Maggie and I’m so excited you stopped by! I am a vegan and gluten free chef and bring my expertise and love for food, health and wellness to Alternative Dish.  My focus is on creating easy recipes that are friendly to those with food sensitivities and allergies.  I believe that everyone can still eat healthy, delicious food despite their dietary restrictions. Read on to find flavorful recipes to suit almost any dietary lifestyle…

Recent Posts

  • Sparkling Rosemary Ginger Lemonade
  • Vegan Breakfast Burritos (Make Ahead Option)
  • Garlic Smashed Potatoes (Oil Free)
  • Chocolate Buckwheat Porridge
  • Avocado Key Lime Pie (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Categories

Archives

Footer

Follow Alternative Dish

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

© 2022 Alternative Dish · | www.alternativedish.com

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.