Asparagus Salad with Olives and Tomatoes

A fresh-tasting and delicious summer side dish, this asparagus salad with tomatoes, olives, and onions is ready in 20 minutes.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 142kcal

1 tablespoon olive oil extra-virgin
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh garlic minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

Steam the asparagus until just tender. Drain it into a serving bowl and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Cut it into bite-size pieces.
1 bunch asparagus
Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and onion. Add them, the olives, and the asparagus to a serving bowl and gently mix.
1 cup cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup red onions, ¼ cup black olives
Place the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until they emulsify into a velvety dressing.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix. Be gentle so that the delicate asparagus heads remain intact.
Serve the salad immediately, or cover and keep it in the fridge for up to four hours until ready to serve. Remove it from the fridge 15 minutes before serving and gently toss again.

Seasonings, especially salt, are guidelines. Adjust to taste.
It's important to avoid overcooking the asparagus. Steam it until it's tender-crisp, not limp and stringy.
Be gentle when mixing the asparagus with the remaining ingredients. The spears' heads are fragile and can easily disintegrate if you're not careful.
These are big portions - you can easily serve this salad to three or even four people.
Turn it into a main-dish salad by adding a protein such as hard-boiled eggs, grilled chicken breast, grilled salmon, or skirt steak.
While you can make this salad ahead of time, I wouldn't try to store the leftovers for longer than a couple of days. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge, and gently toss the salad again before serving it.