Grilled Asparagus and Beet Salad with Honey Mustard
This Grilled Asparagus and Beet Salad with Honey Mustard is spring on a plate—fresh, colorful, and satisfyingly savory. Tender roasted green asparagus spears meet sweet-tangy German red beet balls, silky Black Forest–style ham (or German prosciutto), and creamy Cambozola, all finished with toasted pine nuts and a bright honey-mustard vinaigrette.
It’s light enough for lunch, but special enough for guests—especially during Spargelzeit (asparagus season), when German tables fill up with asparagus dishes from salads to soups to tarts. Serve it the way this recipe intends: with warm, buttery German rye or Fitnessbrot toast points softened with extra Cambozola, and a glass of crisp German Riesling.
Grilled Asparagus and Beet Salad with Honey Mustard
A bright German spring salad of roasted asparagus and beet balls with Black Forest–style ham, Cambozola, pine nuts, and a tangy honey-mustard vinaigrette—served with warm, cheesy rye toast points.
Ingredients
- 20 young pencil-thin green asparagus spears washed and trimmed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp German vinegar
- 2 tsp German honey
- 2 tsp German sweet mustard
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp minced shallots
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 6 cups European Salad mix pre-washed and trimmed
- 1 jar German red beet balls drained, 19 oz
- 4 oz Black Forest-style ham or German prosciutto sliced paper-thin
- 6 oz German Cambozola cheese crumbled and divided
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
- 4 slices toasted German bread whole rye, Fitnessbrot, sunflower seed or pumpernickel
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, line up the asparagus on the paper and brush with olive oil. Roast in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for six minutes.
- Combine vinegar, honey, mustard, lemon juice, shallots, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil to blend.
- Line four salad plates with European salad mix. Divide the beets among the plates; attractively roll and arrange the ham or prosciutto on each salad.
- Top each salad with five spears of grilled asparagus. Crumble 2 oz of the Cambozola cheese over the salads and top with pine nuts. Stir vinaigrette and adjust seasoning, if desired; drizzle over salads.
- Butter the toasted bread; cut each slice in half and then in half diagonally to form two triangles. Sprinkle the toast points with the remaining 4 oz Cambozola and place in hot oven just to soften and warm cheese.
- Place four triangles attractively around each salad. Enjoy with a glass of crisp German Riesling wine.
Notes
Tips for best results
- Don’t overcook the asparagus: six minutes at 400°F keeps it tender-crisp and bright.
- Whisk the oil in slowly: this emulsifies the honey-mustard dressing so it clings to greens and beets instead of pooling.
- Use paper-thin ham: it rolls beautifully and makes the salad feel “restaurant level” without extra work.
- Warm the Cambozola toast right before serving so it stays creamy and doesn’t melt away completely.
