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Fennel Asparagus Salad with Lemony Leek Dressing, topped with toasted almonds and avocado. This spring-inspired vegan salad is delicious ! A healthy and tasty side to fish, chicken or tofu. Simple and flavorful!
The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.
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Crunchy and fresh, this vegan Fennel Asparagus Salad sings of Spring! The Leek dressing is utterly divine and totally addicting, another delicious recipe created by my amazing friend Tonia.
Pair this refreshing salad with grilled fish, chicken or tofu, or serve it on its own over a bed of tender spring greens with cucumber and radishes.
The great thing about this salad is it holds well in refrigerator for several days- perfect for upcoming gatherings or mid-week lunches. If it lasts that long!
Start by slicing and sautéing the leeks to create the flavorful base of the dressing.
Thinly slice the fennel bulb, either using a sharp knife, veggie peeler or mandolin.
Slice asparagus stocks, thinly and at a diagonal.
Tip : Thicker stocks work best here! Trim off the tough ends- you’ll find this point naturally when you bend the bottom of the stocks, and where they naturally want to break is where the tough ends usually start.
Toss the asparagus and fennel with the flavorful leek dressing.
Top with avocado and toasted almonds before serving!
Serve the Fennel Asparagus Salad over a bed of tender spring greens and add radishes if you like. Or serve it as a side along fish or simple baked chicken or baked tofu! Or just on its own as you see here! The avocado and almonds add a little protein.
If making ahead, be sure to wait to add the avocado slices until serving.
I can’t wait for you to try this… truly delicious!
Related: Make-Ahead VEGAN Salads! and 20 Recipes that Celebrate Spring!
Shop! Wooden Bowl and ceramic bowls both found at our Bowl and Pitcher Store!
Fennel Asparagus Salad
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 6
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Salad, Vegan
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: Northwest
Description
Crunchy and fresh, this Fennel Asparagus Salad pairs well with grilled fish, chicken or tofu. Also delicious on a bed of spring greens with cucumber and radishes. A vegan salad that can be made ahead and holds well in refrigerator for several days.
Ingredients
- 1 large leek ( White parts only)
- 1/3 cup olive oil ( divided)
- 1 large fennel bulb (yielding about 2 cups)
- 4-6 large Asparagus stalks (larger stalks can be more tender and juicier) about 1 cup
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon thyme (or substitute regular thyme)
- 2 tablespoons fresh Lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground Coriander
- 1/4 cup almonds, lightly toasted
- 1/2– 1 avocado, sliced
Instructions
Thinly slice the tender white part of the leek in half circles. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to a cold sauté pan. Turn burner on to medium and add the leeks. Sauté until wilted and just starting to turn golden on the edges, about 6 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to the leeks and set aside to cool.
Core and shave the fennel bulb with a mandolin, peeler, or sharp knife, into very thin slices. Slice the asparagus diagonally at similar thickness to the fennel, discarding tough ends.
In a large bowl, add lemon thyme, lemon juice, salt, pepper, coriander and whisk in remaining olive oil. Add the sautéed leeks, sliced asparagus and fennel. Toss to thoroughly incorporate dressing.
Add avocado slices and toasted almonds to serve.
Notes
If making ahead, add the avocado right before serving. This will keep up to 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 460.1 mg
- Fat: 27.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.9 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Fennel Salad, Fennel slaw, Fennel salad recipes, Asparagus salad, raw asparagus salad, fennel asparagus salad,
This looks so good and i can’t wait to make it. One problem. My wife can’t eat onion, leek, or any oniony. Any way to salvage this wonderful salad without leek?
I guess you could try it with a simple vinaigrette, leaving the leeks out?
This was absolutely delicious! Will definitely be on repeat for my family!
★★★★★
I’ve made this several times already this summer and it’s on the menu again tonight🙂 It’s so fresh!
★★★★★
Thanks and happy you enjoyed it!
So fresh and delicious. I followed the recipe as written except used less oil. The flavors in the dressing were a perfect compliment to the raw veggies. This is so healthy and delicious. Thank you for another winner!
★★★★★
I wanted a lite dinner and made this tonight. The fresh and straight forward taste makes this something special. I added hearts of palm which complemented the avocado. This is definitely a keeper – next time I’d like to add some mint as well.
★★★★★
So happy you liked it!
I made this today with farm fresh asparagus. Was so delectably satisfying! Tastes like spring.
I could drink the dressing….
Thanks Tonia and Sylvia!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it Tyler!
Delicious!
★★★★★
Can I sub with an onion instead of the leek?
Yes, that should work!
Oh my. This is pure goodness — and looks beautiful as well!!
I LOVE fennel. Made the beet orange fennel salad last week (another fave) and had an extra fennel bulb, so I made this salad tonight.
I substituted a red onion for the leek because i didn’t have a leek. No other changes. I served it on tender greens mixed with some cooked quinoa I had in the fridge, avocado, radishes and cucumbers. I did not want the meal to end 🙂
Thank you Sylvia.
★★★★★
Glad you liked it Deb!
This was sooooo good! My daughter, who could be a fennel addict, chose this for me to make, we loved it. It will be a regular on our Lent menu over the next forty days, and then beyond.
★★★★★
Thanks Jane, glad you both enjoyed!
I love the idea of this salad but am not a big fan of fennel. Would green/red cabbage work as a substitution here? Thanks!
I think that would work!
I have made this several times. Especially when Asparagus first started this spring. An excellent potluck dish!
★★★★★
Perfect!
★★★★★
Love this salad!! Didnt change anything in the recipe.
★★★★★
Loved this salad as did everyone who I shared it with. It’s crunchy, interesting, flavorful and healthy. I’ll make this one again and again. I have shared this recipe with everyone that I served it too.
★★★★★
So happy you enjoyed it Trudy! One of my favorite salads on the blog. 🙂
We love this recipe and found that verjus substitutes perfectly for the lemon juice for anyone (like my husband) who has a citrus allergy.
★★★★★
Love this idea- perfect substitution!
Made this and loved it – thank you! This is going on the mother’s day brunch menu 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks- great to hear!
Crazy good! Love all the components!
★★★★★
This sounds wonderful-but are the asparagus and fennel completely raw? I ask because another commenter said it was tender, but it sounds crunchy to me! Thanks.
Hi yes they are raw. The dressing tenderizes them a bit, but they have nice crunch.
I made this salad for dinner tonight. OMG! So tender and delicious! It pared perfectly with grilled chicken. It is now on my list of go to salad dishes. Thank you to the Feasting at Home crew!
Merci pour cette belle recette! Je l’ai essayé et toute la famille a beaucoup aimé. J’Ai ajouté du bacon croustillant. C’était parfait!
★★★★★
Translation “Thank you for this great recipe! I tried it and the whole family liked it a lot. I added crispy bacon. It was perfect!”
Thanks Annie so happy you enjoyed this!
I love your recipes but 7 pictures of the salad before we get to the recipe. Is this just about SEO?
I see your point Sam. 😉 It is actually for pinterest. There is a “skip to recipe” link at the top of each post so you can avoid all photos and copy and go strait to the recipe. Sorry, I know it’s annoying.