Hey, you found it! The spring / summer salad of dreams.
We’ve got crunchy leaves, we’ve got jammy roasted peppers, we’ve got charred asparagus, we’ve got sweet bursts of sundried tomato, hearty nutty chickpeas, and perhaps best of all? We’ve got a crazy flavorful homemade pesto ranch that takes maybe 3 minutes to put together.
This salad takes a little over 30 minutes to make and is filling and varied enough to be your main meal if you want it to be. You can serve it when the asparagus is still warm, and you get a lovely mix of warm and cold ingredients (my fave way). Or you can cool it down fully and serve it completely cold (perfect for meal planners and if you have leftovers).
If hearty main course salads are your thing, you should also try my Roasted Chickpea & Halloumi Salad and my Falafel Chopped Salad!
What to Know About Your Ingredients
Well, it’s a salad and salads are always flexible, but these are my top tips…
- If you can get your hands on a sweet romano pepper, you will be rewarded, but a bell pepper cut into strips will do nicely too.
- I really like sundried tomatoes in this salad rather than regular tomatoes. They’re just an extra hit of umami / sweet flavor and bonus points if you can get smoked sundried tomatoes because WOW are they good. But not cheap, not easy to find, and not a deal breaker.
- The recipe calls for 1 cup of cooked chickpeas and I’ll admit that’s annoying, because it’s not a whole can. If you want to use a whole can’s worth, please feel free. For me it was a little too heavy on the chickpea when I used a whole can, so I’d rather save some to throw in another meal somewhere else. You make your own decisions here.
- You can really use any lettuce, I’ve tried it with romaine lettuce, butter lettuce (my fave) and gem lettuce (pictured). With the latter, you will want two heads because they’re pretty small.
- My quick pesto ranch recipe is really easy to whisk together, but another way to create a pesto ranch would be to mix prepared ranch and prepared pesto at a ratio of 3:1.
Serving Suggestions
- On its own, this recipe can serve two as a light dinner, with a smaller extra portion for lunch the next day.
- You can stretch it to 3-4 servings if you add some additional elements to the table. Think garlic bread, hummus and pita, spanakopita or fried halloumi cheese.
- It can also serve as a side dish for burgers (try Portobello Mushroom Burgers?) or some kind of quiche or pastry (does Tomato Basil Quiche or Puff Pastry Spanakopita Braid sound good?)
- I am also nominating it as a perfect pizza night salad! Try it with Air Fryer Naan Pizza for a really quick option, or Caprese Pizza for peak summer vibes.
Asparagus Lovers Unite 😍
Have we used up your whole asparagus haul here or do you need more ideas? Because I have suggestions…
Asparagus Salad
Tender roasted asparagus and sweet peppers are the stars of this simple but incredibly satisfying salad. It can be served cold or slightly warm, as a main meal or side dish. If you like your salads big, hearty and colorful, this belongs on your meal plan!
Ingredients
- olive oil, for roasting
- 1 large red romano pepper, sliced into rings
- 12 oz (350 g) asparagus, woody stems discarded, then sliced into thirds
- 1 head romaine or butter lettuce, washed, dried and chopped
- 1 avocado, chopped
- ¼ cup (25 g) pecorino cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp red onion, finely diced or sliced
- ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) sundried tomato, chopped
- 1 cup (160 g) cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 handful chives or other fresh green herbs, chopped
Pesto Ranch Dressing
- ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) sour cream
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp basil pesto
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp dried dill
- ¼ tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp garlic powder or granules
- ¼ tsp onion powder or granules
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 430F / 220C / 200C Fan.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.1/4 cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp basil pesto, 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp dried dill, 1/4 tsp dried parsley, 1/4 tsp garlic powder or granules, 1/4 tsp onion powder or granules, salt and pepper
- Chop your pepper into rings, removing the seeds as you go. Remove the woody ends from your asparagus and slice the remaining stalk into three smaller pieces each. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, then scatter on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.1 large red romano pepper, 12 oz asparagus
- Meanwhile, prep your cold salad ingredients and throw them into a large salad bowl.1 head romaine or butter lettuce, 1/4 cup pecorino cheese, 2 tbsp red onion, 1/4 cup sundried tomato, 1 cup cooked chickpeas, 1 handful chives or other fresh green herbs, 1 avocado
- Check in on the asparagus and peppers at the 15 minute mark. You want them tender and a little charred. Place back in for another 5 minutes if you need to. Once they are ready, let them sit out for 5-10 minutes to cool down a little bit. We want them warm, but not so hot they wilt the lettuce.
- Add the roasted asparagus and peppers to the salad bowl, drizzle with the ranch, and toss to combine. Serve immediately, storing any leftovers in the fridge to be used in 1-2 days.
Notes
Servings: I find this makes two large meal sized servings with a little extra for a lunch another day. I just store the leftovers in the fridge for a day or two. Even with the salad already dressed, I find it keeps really well (without fresh tomatoes or cucumbers in the mix there’s less potential for sogginess).
Calories: 447kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 1175mg, Potassium: 1601mg, Fiber: 16g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 20784IU, Vitamin C: 77mg, Calcium: 259mg, Iron: 7mg