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Crispy Coconut, Asparagus and Green Bean Salad

Published on
October 8, 2026
Green bean and asparagus salad on a plate

Tender asparagus and snappy green beans are tossed in a salty-sweet lime and miso dressing, then showered with a crunchy toasted coconut and almond topping. Make it when asparagus shows up at the market in spring.

Serves 4 · 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad

  • Fine sea salt, for the cooking water
  • 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed
  • 8 ounces green beans, trimmed
  • 8 breakfast radishes, trimmed and quartered
  • 3 tablespoons torn fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

For the dressing

  • ½ teaspoon finely grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • 4 teaspoons white miso
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup

For the coconut topping

  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Aleppo chile flakes or 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

  1. Bring a medium saucepan of well-salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes, then add the green beans and cook 2 minutes more, until the asparagus is tender and the beans still have a little snap.
  2. Drain in a colander and run cold water over the vegetables until they're completely cool. Let them drain and dry.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime zest and juice, oil, miso and maple syrup.
  4. For the topping, toast the almonds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut, sugar, chile flakes and ½ teaspoon salt and stir constantly for about 1 minute, until the coconut turns golden. Tip into a small bowl and let cool completely.
  5. Add the asparagus, green beans, radishes and cilantro to the dressing and toss well. Stir in all but 1 tablespoon of the coconut topping.
  6. Pile the salad into a shallow serving bowl, scatter the reserved topping over it and serve right away.

Tips

  • You can cook the vegetables, mix the dressing and toast the topping ahead of time, but toss everything together just before serving so the topping stays crunchy.
  • For a smoky version, grill the asparagus and beans instead of boiling them. Broccolini or other spring vegetables can stand in for the asparagus.

Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi, NYT Cooking.