If you love asparagus, this Spring Chopped Salad is for you! It has tender roasted asparagus and broccolini chopped in bite sized pieces, then mixed with earthy lentils, crunchy pecans, fresh herbs and green onions. Then it's all tossed with a tangy lemon and dijon studded tahini dressing that makes all the flavors pop. Every bite has so much flavor, texture and vibrant color.
What is a chopped salad?
If you have never tried a chopped salad, then you are in for a treat! Chopped salads are the ultimate for flavor and texture lovers. In these salad recipes, everything is cut into uniform, small bite-sized pieces. Cutting a salad like this ensures that every bite is full of variety. I call this a "combo bite" because you get a little of everything in each mouthful. This way all the flavors work together. Chopped salads are always tossed with the dressing so that everything gets coated evenly. People like chopped salads because they can be less messy and easier to eat than other salads.
Why you'll love this Spring Chopped Salad
- Packed full of plants!
- Balanced nutrition with protein, fiber and carbs plus hearth healthy fats
- The texture variety is really interesting. The chopped roasted veggies, the lentils and the pecans make every bite tender and full of crunch.
- Easy to make: this recipe involves very minor sheet pan cooking, chopping and whisking the dressing ingredients. It's beginner friendly.
- Fresh flavors scream Spring! The lemony dressing, fresh mint and cilantro and roasted asparagus are perfect for this season
- Gluten free, dairy free, and vegan recipe
- Great way to eat your beans and greens!
- Quick recipe comes together in about 30 minutes!
Asparagus Tip
When selecting asparagus, go for the thicker stemmed variety rather than the pencil type. These have a better texture for a chopped salad like this. Sometimes the pencil asparagus is woody and has a stringy texture that will be unpleasant in a recipe like this one.
Spring Chopped Salad Ingredients
This seasonal salad is perfect for the Springtime, but you can enjoy it anytime you see asparagus and broccolini in the market. If neither are available, use broccoli and cauliflower for a similar flavor and vibe.
- Asparagus: We use thick stemmed asparagus in this recipe as the stems are more tender. Plus they roast really well in the oven and stay juicy instead of dry out.
- Baby Broccoli or Broccolini- This veggie is more delicate than regular broccoli and las long thin stems that are delicious to eat.
- Green Onions, Cilantro and Mint- These aromatics and herbs give this salad a fresh flavor. If you don't like cilantro, sub parsley
- Lentils- I am obsessed with these earthy legumes, they make this salad more nutritious and filling
- Pecans- These give this chopped salad a delightful crunch
- Dinosaur Kale- this gives the salad a leafy green base
- Sesame Tahini- This is the creamy base of the dressing. It's a little nutty, a little bitter and really delicious
- Lemon, Dijon Mustard and Pure Maple Syrup- Balances the flavors of the tahini with bright citrus, mustardy tang and sweetness
- Salt and Garlic powder- Enhances all the flavors. If you are a garlic lover, you can use a clove of minced garlic instead of powder but be prepared for a stronger garlicky taste.
- Extra virgin olive oil- For roasting the veggies and massaging the kale
Lentils tip: If canned lentils are not available, you can cook your own from dry in about 20 minutes. Use about ¾ cup dry brown lentils and simply boil them until tender. Once cooked rinse them under cool water and drain well.
How to make Spring Chopped Salad
This salad is easy enough for a beginner. There is some chopping, mixing and sheet pan cooking but its nothing complicated or fancy.
- First, we roast the asparagus and baby broccoli with salt and extra virgin olive oil in the oven for 20 minutes
- Meanwhile we make the dressing by whisking tahini with garlic powder, salt, dijon mustard, lemon, water and pure maple syrup.
- Once the asparagus and broccolini have cooled, chop into uniform, bite sized peices.
- Massage the kale: Add the kale to a large salad bowl, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and massage until tender with your hands.
- Assemble the salad by adding to a the large salad bowl the roasted veggies, green onions, lentils, herbs, pecans and then tossing with the dressing.
Tips for Making the Best Spring Chopped Salad
- Don't skip the massage! Even though Dino kale is more tender than other types, it still benefits from a massage with extra virin olive oil and salt. It sounds silly, but this simple step will turn you into a kale lover.
- Careful not to overcook the vegetables! If you cook them too long they will lose the vibrant green color and then the salad will be brown instead which is less appetizing.
- Experiment with different beans, use cannelini beans, chickpeas or butter beans for variety.
- Make it more colorful and add more veggies: roasted peppers, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers. The sky is the limit.
- Pump up the protein by adding cubes of oven roasted tofu or tempeh.
FAQs
There are some specific compounds that are exclusive to asparagus that when they are broken down, give urine a strange odor. This odor is harmless and caused by asparagusic acid breakdown. The amazing thing is that many people actually can't smell this!
If you are allergic to nuts and cannot eat pecans, substitute sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds to add crunch to this salad recipe.
If you are allergic to sesame tahini, you will need an alternate dressing for the recipe. This Dijon Dill Dressing, or Tofu Caesar Dressing would work nicely in this salad.
Yes, since all the ingredients are hardy and hold up well for a couple of days in the dressing, I consider this a meal prep friendly recipe. However, be aware that broccolini and asparagus both get a stronger odor on day two and three. The smell won't make it taste bad, it is just a little shocking how strong they smell as leftovers. This happens with broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts as well.
Other Delicious Vegan Chopped Salad Recipes
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Spring Chopped Salad with Asparagus and Lentils
Ingredients
- 2 bunch baby broccoli
- 1 bunch large asparagus
- ½ bunch dino kale thick stems removed and chopped small
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 15 oz can lentils drained
- 4 tbsp fresh mint chopped
- 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup pecans chopped
- 2 green onions white and green parts chopped
Dressing
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 lemon squeezed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- To a sheet pan add asparagus and broccoli, drizzle with oil, season with salt and roast for 20 minutes until the asparagus is tender and the broccoli is charred on the edges. Once finished, let cool then chop in small pieces.
- Make the dressing in a bowl by whisking tahini, dijon, water, garlic powder, pure maple syrup, lemon and salt until smooth. Since tahini brands vary in thickness, you may add a little more water to thin it out.
- Add the kale to a large salad bowl then massage the kale with a little oil and a pinch of salt to tenderize the leaves
- Next add the roasted baby broccoli and asparagus, the lentils, the cilantro and mint, green onions and the pecans. Pour the dressing over the top and toss until well coated.
- Enjoy within 2-3 days for best taste and quality.
Erin
The written description above the recipe mentions green onions and maple syrup- neither of these are in the actual recipe below. How much of these ingredients should be used?
Sara Tercero
sorry about that typo! I fixed it and altered the recipe. I appreciate you calling it to my attention
Janell Hall
Loved this! Husband loved this! Only skinny asparagus though, so I sautéed instead of roasted. It still had a smoky flavor?
kathy j
Loved this! I made the recipe as is except added 1 cup steamed green peas for some extra protein. Also used just 1/2 tsp salt which was plenty. The 1 tbsp called for in the recipe seems like way too much to me??
Gretchen
I had high hopes but I can’t tell whether this salad made me sad or angry.
Sara Tercero
Wow Gretchen, I am so sorry to hear that. What happened?
Sara Tercero
Glad you both liked it!
Sara Tercero
Whoa good catch. That was supposed to be 1 teaspoon not tablespoon. I think it's time I got an assistant! Sorry about that.
Lindsay Davis
THIS IS DELICIOUS and speaking as someone who basically can only boil water- this is totally doable. The dressing is super tasty on everything else in the fridge and the crunch of all the veggies made it so much better than a typical lame salad. Appreciate the versatility too- I did walnuts and look forward to trying with brussel sprouts. Thank you!
Sara Tercero
This makes me so happy to hear. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback, so appreciative.