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Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad Recipe

Asparagus is in season now (and always on sale), so it’s a great excuse to make it in tons of ways, like this fun, raw Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad recipe. It’s perfect for any of your summer barbecues.

For more ideas, check out all of our salad recipes.

Thin slices of asparagus and radish being held up by tongs with the words "Shaved Asparagus & Radish Salad" digitally written above it.

I love asparagus. During the summer, I’ll buy it nearly every shopping trip. And that means I’m always trying to vary the way I’m cooking it. Because grilled asparagus is delicious, but if you eat it weekly for months, it sort of loses its appeal.

That’s how this Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad was born.

Pete was making homemade lasagna as our main dish and I wanted to make something for a side that didn’t require the oven (since the lasagna would be occupying that space). I didn’t feel like grilling, so I decided a raw asparagus salad would be perfect.

It was a big hit and has been a regular in our rotation ever since.

Bundle of asparagus with the words "Budget-Friendly Asparagus Recipes" digitally written on top.

If you like this recipe because you love asparagus, check out our list of Budget-Friendly Asparagus Recipes for more ideas of what to make with the tasty vegetable.

Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad Recipe

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Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad Ingredients:

How To Make A Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad:

A bunch of asparagus broken in pieces.

Wash the entire bunch of asparagus, then break the asparagus spear at its natural break (about 1/3 of the way down the asparagus). Discard the bottom part that snaps off.

A vegetable peeler peeling asparagus.

Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin ribbons from the asparagus stalks.

Shaved asparagus in a blue bowl.

Put them in a large bowl.

​Side note: The easiest way to do this is to peel about eight slices from one side. Flip the asparagus and place the flat side down on a cutting board. Then, peel about eight slices. Turn it so the asparagus is on its side and peel four or so slices. Flip the asparagus over and peel another four or so slices.

But then, the only remaining asparagus is a very thin portion of the center. If you don’t keep rotating the asparagus, you’re not going to get as many slices from it. You can just eat the remaining stalks on their own. Don’t try to cut them and add them to the salad.

Red radish being cut on a red mandolin.

Use a mandolin to cut thin rings of radish.

Sliced asparagus and sliced radish in a blue bowl.

Add them to the bowl as well.

Side note: Don’t try to use a vegetable peeler to cut the radishes because you don’t want to wash two kitchen tools. It doesn’t work as well and you get really thin slices. It will also take forever.

Chopped pecans and a knife on a blue cutting board.

Chop the pecans and add them to the bowl.

Shaved asparagus, shaved radish, pecans, and feta in a blue bowl.

Sprinkle the feta cheese crumbles on top of all the ingredients.

Olive oil being poured over shaved asparagus, shaved radish, pecans, and feta in a blue bowl.

Drizzle the shaved asparagus salad with olive oil.

Lemon juice being poured over shaved asparagus, shaved radish, pecans, and feta in a blue bowl.

Drizzle the lemon juice on top. Sprinkle with salt.

Tongs stirring Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad.

Use a pair of tongs to mix the salad together. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.

Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad in a blue bowl.

Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad: Frequently Asked Questions

Is asparagus and radish salad bitter?

If you’ve ever tried asparagus raw, you know it can come across as bitter. And then you pair it with the peppery radishes and you have a really distinct, and sort of bitter, flavor. The lemon juice and salt really cut through the bitterness. If you feel that the salad is still too bitter, you can add more lemon juice and salt. If you eat just the asparagus alone, it is slightly bitter. However, if you eat all the ingredients as a single bite, it’s not bitter.

If the salad sits overnight, the asparagus gets softer and the bitterness is almost completely gone. So, if you’re looking for a more mild flavor, you may want to make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge overnight before serving.

How can you store leftover asparagus and radish salad?

Store any leftover asparagus and radish salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for about five days.

Could you use a different cheese in this salad?

​Feta works really well in this salad because it’s easy to crumble it across the entire salad. So a soft cheese like goat cheese would be a good substitution for it. I wouldn’t suggest blue cheese because, even though it’s delicious, it’s really strong and would be too overpowering.

If you don’t like soft cheese, you could use shaved parmesan cheese also (like we use in our Grilled Caesar Salad). I wouldn’t recommend using grated parmesan cheese in this because it wouldn’t have anything to affix to and would just fall to the bottom of the mixing bowl, deeming it useless.

​What could you use instead of pecans?

I love any excuse to use pecans. But, if you have a nut allergy, or you’re just looking for something more frugal (because pecans can be expensive), you could use sunflower seeds in this recipe. They’d add that little bit of crunch that you get from the pecans.

Definitely add something for that texture. If not, this salad is pretty soft and can seem a little boring.

Sausage and vegetable skewers on a platter.

What to serve with Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad:

This asparagus and radish salad is a really light side dish that pairs perfectly with a heavier main course, like Eggplant Parmesan.

This simple salad is also really good with anything grilled, since it’s more of a summer or spring salad (since that’s when asparagus is in season). And that means you don’t have to turn on the oven when it’s hot out, which is nice. So definitely make our Grilled Sausage and Pepper Kabobs or Grilled Beer Can Chicken to go with this.

Broccoli salad in a red plastic container.

More Salad Recipes:

If you’re a fan of salad and have one with dinner every night and found this recipe because you’re looking for new ones, you’re in luck. We have a bunch of great salad recipes.

Our favorites are our Red, White, And Bleu Kale Salad recipe and our Broccoli Salad recipe. We’re also currently obsessed with our Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad, which isn’t at all a green salad (unless you count the cilantro in it).

Yield: 6 Servings

Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad

Asparagus is in season now (and always on sale), so it’s a great excuse to make it in tons of ways, like this fun, raw Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad recipe. It’s perfect for any of your summer barbecues

Prep Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 2 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of fresh asparagus (about 3/4 pound)
  • 1 bunch of red radishes (about 7)
  • ​3/4 cup pecans
  • 2.5 oz. feta cheese crumbles
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Wash the entire bunch of asparagus, then break the asparagus spear at its natural break (about 1/3 of the way down the asparagus). Discard the bottom part that snaps off.
  2. Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin ribbons from the asparagus stalks. Put them in a large bowl.
  3. Use a mandolin to cut thin rings of radish. Add them to the bowl as well.
  4. Chop the pecans and add them to the bowl.
  5. Sprinkle the feta cheese crumbles on top of all the ingredients.
  6. Drizzle the shaved asparagus salad with olive oil.
  7. Drizzle the lemon juice on top. Sprinkle with salt.
  8. Use a pair of tongs to mix the salad together. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 1512Total Fat 157gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 134gCholesterol 11mgSodium 464mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 20gSugar 9gProtein 21g

Have you made this Shaved Asparagus And Radish Salad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

amy liu dong

Saturday 3rd of June 2023

I love how easy and delicious this dish is to make. Thank you!

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