Grilled Asparagus White Bean Salad

Grilled asparagus and white bean salad in a large bowl.

5 from 1 vote

This Grilled Asparagus White Bean Salad is fresh, vibrant, and just fancy enough for your next brunch or dinner party. It’s packed with texture, zippy flavors, and a whole lot of green goodness. What I love most about it is that it can be enjoyed as a salad or as a side.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time20

Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Seasonal

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $10

Equipment

Grill or grill pan

Ingredients

Salad Dressing

3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp Lemon juice - From 1 lemon
1 tbsp Lemon zest - From 1 lemon
1 tbsp Grainy mustard
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp Black pepper

Main Ingredients

1 lb Asparagus
1 can White beans (drained and rinsed) - Use a 14 oz or 398ml can
1 cup Sugar snap peas (trimmed and chopped) - 150 grams
2 tbsp Capers
2 tbsp Fresh dill (chopped)
2 tbsp Fresh chives (chopped)

Garnish

2 tbsp Pistachios (chopped)
Fresh dill fronds

Instructions

Make Dressing. Whisk together 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp Lemon juice, 1 tbsp Lemon zest, 1 tbsp Grainy mustard, ½ tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp Black pepper in a small bowl.
Prepare Asparagus. Trim the woody ends off 1 lb Asparagus and toss the spears with a little neutral olive oil.
Grill. Grill the asparagus on high heat until charred and tender, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Assemble. In a large bowl, combine 1 can White beans (drained and rinsed), 1 cup Sugar snap peas (trimmed and chopped), 2 tbsp Capers, 2 tbsp Fresh dill (chopped) and 2 tbsp Fresh chives (chopped).
Dress. Pour half the dressing over the bean mixture and toss gently to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Plate. Plate the bean salad on the bottom of a serving platter, arrange the grilled asparagus spears on top, and finish with the remaining dressing. Garnish with 2 tbsp Pistachios (chopped) and Fresh dill fronds. Alternatively, you can chop the asparagus spears into bite-sized pieces and toss them with the rest of the ingredients.

Notes

Refer to the blog post above for step-by-step recipe photos and menu pairing ideas.

A few ingredient notes:

Beans: Canned is convenient, but you can use cooked-from-scratch if you prefer. I like using canned white kidney beans or cannellini beans.

Grainy mustard: I feel like mustard, especially grainy mustard (sometimes called grainy Dijon mustard or "a l’ancienne"), works really well here.

Fresh herbs: Fresh dill and fresh chives pair really nicely with the rest of the ingredients. You can also add some parsley or cilantro.

Capers: Briny bites that balance the creamy beans.

Pistachios: Keeping up with the green theme, I like to add some crushed pistachios to this salad right at the very end. They add another layer of texture. Feel free to omit or use another nut.

Nutrition