Grilled asparagus by itself is simple and delicious but tossing it with a chunky dressing of buttery California olives, bright lemon, and Fresno chiles transforms an ordinary weeknight dinner into something extraordinary.
Asparagus season is right around the corner and grilling these lovely, verdant spears is always my favorite way to enjoy them.
They’re a little smoky, the perfect amount of tender, and tossed with this olive dressing make an exceptional salad.
When my friends at California Grown asked if I could come up with a new delicious idea using California Ripe Olives I knew a simple combination of easy grilled asparagus and buttery olives would make such a great combo.
This salad would be great for Easter brunch, your first spring picnic, or as a side with dinner. We made it last week during our virtual cooking class to go with Lasagna Bolognese, which was *chef’s kiss* good. Ready to dig in?

first a chat about california ripe olives
If you can manage to open a can of green or black California Ripe Olives and not immediately devour the whole thing, you might ask yourself, “What else can I do with these nutty, rich olives?”
Of course you can add some chiles and roasted garlic like we did last fall and make this Spicy Marinated Olives appetizer.
At last week’s cooking class, Aida made a Smashed Green Olive and Pistachio Burrata Bruschetta that was incredible.
Mix them into our favorite Cuban Picadillo with savory ground meat, capers, garlic, and raisins.
Or try this easy side dish right here!
The point is their briny, smooth flavor (not to mention, they’re already pitted, BONUS!) makes them super adaptable.
Plus you can feel good about cooking with an ingredient that has been grown in California for centuries—the first olive trees were planted in California in 1769!

how to grill asparagus without losing them all in the process?
First things first; how do we grill the asparagus without losing all of them to the dreaded “fall through the grate” problem?
Well, you could cheat and grill them in a grill pan.
Another solution is to use a grill tray that lets the smoky flavor through, but keeps the asparagus from falling through the grill grates.
If you don’t want to buy new equipment, use thick asparagus spears and lay them on the grill perpendicular to the grates. You may loose one or two but the thicker they are, the less likely they’ll be to roll around.

first step: prep the asparagus
Grilled asparagus recipes are my favorite because they are so incredibly simple. Preparing asparagus just take a minute, they hit the grill and that’s it!
- Trim the bottom of the asparagus by snapping off the tough woody ends. Fresh asparagus naturally snaps where the tender part meets the tough part, so just bend the stalk until it naturally breaks.
- Lay the trimmed asparagus on a large plate or baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss all the asparagus spears until they are well coated in the oil, salt, and pepper.

now, let’s grill!
As with all grill recipes you want to make sure the grill is at medium-high heat and the grates are clean.
Then oil the grates well before laying the asparagus on the grill.
Once the asparagus hits the grill, cover and let it cook for a few minutes (about 4-5) without touching or moving the asparagus at all.
Once the asparagus is lightly charred and has grill marks on one side, carefully turn them to cook on the other side.
Continue cooking the asparagus until they are just fork tender, about a minute or two more. Then remove from the grill and slice into 2-inch long pieces.

make the olive dressing
This dressing is a little spicy, a bit briny, and full of fresh lemon and herbs. It a simple chop and mix situation.
- Chop the olives, herbs, and scallions.
- Thinly slice the Fresno chile. If you can’t find Fresno chiles, substitute a 1/2 teaspoon or so or crushed red chile flakes.
- Mix everything in a bowl. This is a very thick dressing, more like a relish than a vinaigrette.
- Combine with the grilled asparagus and serve.
- VARIATION: I’ve also tried this topped with shaved Parmesan cheese which was very good.
I like to add all the olive dressing to the asparagus but if you want to save some, it makes an amazing salsa for topping a steak or even on bread.

do ahead
The nice thing about this salad is it’s great for meal prep too! Tossing all the ingredients together in advance only improves the flavor.
Make it up to an hour ahead of dinner time and let it sit at room temperature or make it even a couple of days in advance and keep in the fridge.
more yummy olive recipes to try!
- Marinated Olive Wreath
- Baked Penne with Zucchini and Olives
- Bacalao a la Mexicana {Mexican Salt Cod with Olives}
- Mexican Relish Tray with Olives and Homemade Requesón
- Cuban Picadillo
- Spicy Marinated Olives with Roasted Garlic
- Braised Chicken Puttanesca

jump into spring with this salad
Fire up the grill (or grill pan) and make this perfect spring salad with all the silky California ripe olives! When you do please let me know by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) !

Grilled Asparagus Salad with Olive-Chile Dressing
Although grilled asparagus by itself is simple and delicious, tossing them with a chunky dressing of buttery California olives, bright lemon, and herbs transforms an ordinary weeknight dinner into something extraordinary.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces asparagus, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
- For the Dressing:
For the Dressing:
- ¼ cup California pitted black olives, chopped
- ¼ cup California pitted green olives, chopped
- 1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced (or ½ teaspoon crushed red chile flakes)
- 3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced scallions
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the grill. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat. Clean and grease the grates. Or heat a grill pan on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Season asparagus. Lay asparagus on a large plate, drizzle with the teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the asparagus in the oil.
- Grill asparagus. Grill the asparagus until lightly charred on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut on the diagonal into 2-inch long pieces. Place in a serving bowl.
- Make the dressing. In a separate bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients. Mix well and taste. Add more salt or lemon juice if needed.
- Finish the salad. Spoon the dressing over the asparagus in the serving bowl and toss well to combine. Eat right away or let sit at room temperature for up to an hour before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 5Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 179mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
In support of this small business, ¡Hola! Jalapeño earns revenue in a few different ways. Several sponsored posts are published each month, such as this one here which is sponsored by California Grown. I also earn an affiliate commission on the sales of products I link to— there are a few of those links in this post. I only feature items I genuinely love and personally use on a regular basis. This commission is an arrangement between the retailer and ¡Hola! Jalapeño (readers never pay more for products). This income allows me to run the site. Thank you for reading!