This raw bok choy salad with asparagus and peas is the most delicious easy salad! A no-dressing dressing with lemon juice and olive oil + some fresh parmesan rounds out this gluten free side or main dish. Round this spring salad out with some favorite grilled chicken and shortcut focaccia, or serve this as a cold vegetable side dish!
It's another non-dressing salad, aka my favorite way to throw together a super quick and fresh meal.
Farmer's markets are finally coming back, which means we are in Spring Greens heaven, and so many of these ingredients are able to be found locally right now.
The gist is this: raw greens, fresh herbs, and a few choice veggies blanched super quickly in salted water that get cooled and served on top. Salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, and parmesan top the dish for flavor, so we don't need to mess with making a dressing.
I LOVE salads like this this time of year, because you can customize them based on what you like or have in your fridge that needs to be used up. Literally any veggie, herb, or cheese can be swapped out here, this is just a combination that I love.
Spring Salad Ingredients
I start with a base of shredded raw bok choy, then some sliced green onions and fresh mint. Asparagus and fresh green peas add nutrition and even more green, and the parm and lemon on top are so delicious and salty + bright.
The only real cooking here is blanching the asparagus and peas, so bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pan with a teaspoon or more of salt. Boil the veggies for just one minute, then drain them and let them cool for a few minutes.
Note that some people move veggies to an ice bath to shock them and stop the cooking process and keep a really bright green color on the veg. YOU CAN TOTALLY DO THIS. I choose not to because any time I can eliminate a step from anything in my life I do that. The results are still delicious.
When all of the ingredients are prepped, layer the bok choy, asparagus, peas, mint, and scallions in a salad dish.
Sprinkle everything with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, then drizzle the dish with olive oil. Throw lots of parmesan on top, zest the other half of the lemon if you'd like, and we're done!
This can definitely be made in advance, just add the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt at the last minute before serving.
I like this as a lunch (with a hunk of bread, please) or dinner with some extra protein on top like tofu, chicken, or even sliced steak, which we have done and loved. The peas and asparagus give a little extra bulk to the salad so it doesn't feel TOO light, and the textures from all of the different ingredients make the salad feel substantial even though it's so healthy and fresh.
Here's to not overthinking your salads this season. Enjoy!
Spring Salad with Asparagus
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut to 2-inch pieces
- ½ cup fresh peas
- 1 small head bok choy thinly sliced
- 1 scallion sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves torn
- ¼ cup shaved or thinly sliced parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ lemon the same lemon you zested!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring 3 inches of water to a simmer in a wide skillet. Add the asparagus and peas and cook for one minute, then drain into a colander. Let cool slightly.
- In a wide shallow bowl, make a bed with the bok choy.
- Top with the asparagus, peas, scallions, mint, and lemon zest.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle the salad with the lemon juice and olive oil.
- Top with the parmesan shavings. Enjoy!
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