This shaved asparagus salad with quinoa recipe is a delicious side dish! It packs well for a take-to-work lunch or makes a great side salad for dinner.
It's topped with a zesty dressing made from orange juice and mustard - it adds a punch of flavor that pairs well with the subtle asparagus and quinoa.
I love making this salad because shaved asparagus has such a fresh, springtime vibe! Perfect for when winter is turning into spring and you want all the greens. It has a fun, kicky dressing made with wholegrain mustard, orange juice, and olive oil.
It also packs well, so you can take it to work for lunch or bring it as a side dish to Easter brunch, etc.
Here's What You'll Need
- Asparagus - You'll need one bunch of fresh asparagus. You'll use a vegetable peeler to make asparagus ribbons. No need to cook the asparagus - raw asparagus is delicious! It's best to get thicker asparagus, it's easier to make into ribbons than thin stalks.
- Quinoa - you need uncooked red or black quinoa. I like the nuttiness and flavor of red quinoa, personally.
- Orange - you'll use both the zest and freshly squeezed juice of an orange. Look for a navel orange with smooth skin that's heavy for it's size (they have the most juice and tend to be sweeter!)
- Mustard - I like using wholegrain mustard because it has a kicky bite, but you can substitute for dijon it you'd prefer.
- Shallot - shallots are a great way to add allium flavor that's more subtle than a red onion. No need for soaking to cut bitterness!
- Olive Oil - use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Salt and Pepper - round out the dressing with a little pinch of S&P.
How to Make this Easy Salad
Make the Quinoa - Cook the quinoa by adding it to a saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring it to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Once all the water has been absorbed, remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork.
Shave the Asparagus - While the quinoa is cooking, create asparagus ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Grip the woody end of the asparagus and move the peeler away from you - creating long strands.
Make the Dressing - Combine the orange juice, zest, mustard, scallion, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Pull Together the Salad - Combine the quinoa, asparagus ribbons, and dressing in a large bowl and stir gently to combine.
If you're into spring recipes and asparagus as much as I am, please check out my grilled ssparagus, asparagus puff pastry tart, shaved fennel asparagus salad.
Shaved Asparagus Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked red quinoa
- 1 bunch of asparagus
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa by adding it to a saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring it to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Once all the water has been absorbed, remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork.
- While the quinoa is cooking, create asparagus ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Grip the woody end of the asparagus and move the peeler away from you - creating long strands.
- Combine the orange juice, olive oil, mustard, orange zest, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Combine the quinoa, asparagus ribbons, sliced shallot, and dressing in a large bowl and stir gently to combine.
Emily S says
Is there a way to make this good with thin stalks?
EW says
It will taste great with thin stalks as well - they are just harder to make into ribbons 🙂
Emily S says
@EW, I made them with thin stalks sliced into quarters and then into segments for Easter dinner. They were a bit woody - would it have helped to par boil them? I don't think we get thick asparagus in my area
EW says
Parboiling can help but it won't fix all woody asparagus. You should always snap off the woody ends of any asparagus (thick or thin) before using them. If the whole stalk is woody, they are too old and there's not really much to work with when that happens!