Need a unique new salad side dish for summer? Make this Grilled Asparagus White Bean Salad! You'll love the combination of smoky grilled asparagus with hearty white beans, and the light and flavorful Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette dressing is perfect with this fresh summer salad!
This salad is naturally gluten-free.
I created this recipe for Randall Beans and I am so excited to share it with you!! This white bean salad also made it onto my list of spring recipes. Be sure to check them out!
Grilled asparagus
One of my favorite vegetables to grill is asparagus. It tastes amazing when it takes on smoky flavors from the grill. It becomes slightly crisp on the outside and nice and juicy on the inside.
Grilled asparagus is amazing eaten whole with a little bit of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, but it is even better when it is used for a salad, such as this asparagus white bean salad!
I love grilling asparagus because it takes about the same amount of time to grill as sausage links, or as thinly sliced chicken. Because of this, grilling asparagus is super convenient for an easy, no-fuss summer dinner.
By the way, check out my awesome grilled chicken marinade, it makes juicy, tender, flavorful chicken every time, and the chicken never comes out dry!
Grilled asparagus would also be amazing in this Balsamic Grilled Vegetable Salad!
More salads with beans: Pinto Bean Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
How to grill asparagus
Start by trimming the bottom ends off the asparagus before cooking it. The ends are tough and stringy so you can discard them, or save them for vegetable stock.
If you're going to serve grilled asparagus on its own, I recommend tossing the trimmed asparagus with a little olive oil to keep it from drying out. If you're grilling asparagus for a salad, you can put it on the grill as-is, since it will be combined with a delicious dressing later on and will not taste dry at all!
Preheat the grill to high, or around 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the asparagus on the grill across the grill grates, so it does not fall through. Another option is to use one of these awesome grill pans, which let all the grill flavor come through to the food but make sure the food does not fall through the grates. However, I've never had a problem with asparagus falling through as long as I place the asparagus perpendicular to the grill grates, so you should be fine without any special pans.
Grill the asparagus for 7-8 minutes. Then use grill tongs to gently roll the asparagus onto its other side. Continue to grill for another 5-8 minutes, or until the asparagus is cooked to your liking.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for a minute or two. Serve grilled asparagus whole, or chop it up for this salad.
Tip: Grill some sausage or chicken while the asparagus is grilling. The meat might need a few more minutes on the grill than the asparagus, always check the temperature for doneness with a meat thermometer!
Related recipe: Grilled Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers
Asparagus on an indoor grill
If you don't have an outdoor grill, asparagus can also be prepared on an indoor grill or a grill pan on the stove-top. It still tastes absolutely delicious and gets those beautiful grill marks that somehow make food taste so much better.
Asparagus salad ingredients
This asparagus salad has just a few ingredients because the dressing is what really makes this salad shine!
- 1 lb grilled asparagus, cut into 1-2 inches
- 14 oz jar white beans (such as Great Northern), drained and rinsed
- ¼ red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 oz Parmigiana cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler or grated (about 2-4 tablespoons)
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, finely minced
To make the salad, simple combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, add 3-4 tablespoons of the dressing below, and gently stir.
Related recipe: Lemony Asparagus Side Dish with Bacon
Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
The Lemon Honey Dijon Vinaigrette is what really makes this salad shine, and its flavors go so perfectly with hearty white beans and juicy grilled asparagus! Here's what you need:
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from ½ lemon)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from ½ lemon)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or your favorite mustard)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning*
- ½ teaspoon onion powder*
- ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper (or to taste)
To make the dressing, simply combine all the ingredients in a small jar, close it tightly, and shake until emulsified and combined. Or mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.
Related recipe: Pork and Vegetable Kebabs
Storing leftover dressing
This dressing recipe makes about twice as much as you will need for the salad, and the leftover salad dressing will keep well in the fridge for 5-7 days in a closed jar.
Related recipe: Roasted Asparagus with Crispy Topping
Tips for making dressing
→ Make the salad in a jar so you can store the leftovers in the same jar and not get more dishes dirty!
→ Use a fresh lemon instead of bottled lemon juice! The fresh lemon flavor is so tasty, plus you'll have lemon zest to really make the dressing even more delicious! I always zest the lemon first using a microplane zester, and then juice it with this awesome lemon squeezer.
→ The onion powder and dried oregano / Italian seasoning are optional, but give the dressing more flavor.
Related recipe: Creamy Asparagus Leek Soup with Parmesan
More white bean recipes to try:
- Fennel white bean salad
- White bean shakshuka with feta
- Mashed butternut squash with white beans
- White bean spread and dip
More summer recipes:
- Summer orzo caprese salad
- Chicken burgers with guacamole
- Watermelon salad
- Ranch pasta salad with broccoli
- Loaded broccoli salad with bacon and cranberries
- Summer chickpea salad with feta
If you enjoyed this asparagus and bean salad recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Grilled Asparagus White Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus - ends trimmed
- 14 oz canned white beans - such as Great Norther, drained and rinsed
- ¼ red onion - thinly sliced
- 1 oz Parmigiana cheese - grated or thinly shaved (use vegetarian Parmesan, if needed)
- 1 clove garlic - grated or minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - (from ½ lemon)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest - (from ½ lemon)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard - or your favorite mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt - or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper - or to taste
Special equipment
- Grill
- Grill pan
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to high, or about 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the trimmed asparagus on the grill across the grill grates, so it does not fall through. Grill for 7-8 minutes, then use tongs to nudge the asparagus to flip it onto the other side. Continue to grill for another 5-8 minutes, or until the asparagus is cooked to your liking. Set aside to cool.
- Once the asparagus is cooled, chop it into 1-2 inch pieces (or serve it whole with the dressing below).
- In a small jar, combine the minced garlic through the black pepper. Close with a lid and shake or stir well to combine. Adjust the flavor with more salt or lemon juice, if desired.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained Great Northern Beans, sliced red onion, chopped asparagus, and shaved Parmesan. Add 2-3 tablespoons of dressing and mix well. Serve with grilled sausage or your favorite grilled protein.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.