Air fryer potato asparagus salad with onion come together in this delicious salad that can be served warm or cold. The flavour profile is elevated with tangy cranberries and a creamy garlic lemon sauce with capers. This roast asparagus potato onion salad is a twist on the classic potato salad to keep your side dishes and pot lucks interesting!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Versatile Serving Options. This roast vegetable salad can be enjoyed warm for a cosy side dish or chilled for a refreshing cold potato salad.
Unique Twist on a Classic. With crispy potatoes, asparagus, and caramelized onions, it’s a vibrant and flavourful take on the typical potato salad.
Perfect for Entertaining. Ideal for holidays like Christmas alongside a baked whole barramundi, Easter with a Baked Ham, or Thanksgiving with a Roast Turkey, this dish is elegant yet easy to prepare, impressing any crowd.
Balanced and Delicious. The combination of roasted vegetables, sweet cranberries, and a tangy yoghurt garlic lemon sauce makes it both satisfying and unique, just like the Grilled Asparagus Cranberry Salad.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All-rounder potatoes. These versatile potatoes create the crispy base for the Potato Asparagus Salad and are the same that's used in a Simple Potato Salad. The reason these are used is because they don't fall apart when par-boiling and are able to get super crispy in the air fryer.
Asparagus. Adds a tender, fresh element to the salad and crisp up really well in the air fryer, very similar to how they are if you BBQ Asparagus.
Brown onion. Provides a sweet, caramelized flavour when roasted; red onion or shallots are great alternatives for a slightly milder taste - but, I wouldn't recommend.
Yoghurt. The creamy base for the dressing; Greek yoghurt adds tanginess, or use a dairy-free option for a vegan-friendly alternative. Most potato salad recipes use mayonnaise, but as I like to use leftover potato salad for a meal prep, I tend to substitute with yoghurt as it's higher protein (but this is just my personal preference).
Lemon juice. Adds a bright, zesty note to the sauce.
Capers. Bring a tangy, briny flavour to the dressing. This is optional, but I highly recommend capers being added to this dish as they help bring out extra flavour in the roasted vegetables.
Garlic. Adds depth and a savory kick to the yoghurt dressing. As I do with all of my dressings (like my Balsamic Maple and Creamy Balsamic Dressing), I highly recommend fresh garlic, but if you don't have it on hand, minced or powdered is okay (but it won't have as strong a flavour).
Cranberries. I topped this potato asparagus salad with cranberries for a refreshing touch, but this is completely optional and you can omit or replace with another dried fruit like raisins.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
How to make air fryer potato salad
Step 1: Cut the potatoes into even-sized chunks and parboil them in salted water for 8–10 minutes until just tender. Drain and let them cool slightly.
This allows them to slightly cook on the inside and helps them finish at the same time as the other vegetables when roasting.
Step 2: In a large bowl, toss the parboiled potatoes with asparagus and sliced brown onion. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and mix well to coat evenly.
Step 3: Add the potatoes, asparagus, and onion to the basket, ensuring they’re spread out for even cooking. Air fry for 20–25 minutes at 200°C (400°F), shaking the basket every 10 minutes to ensure crispness and even roasting (like the Air Fried Gnocchi with Mediterranean Vegetables)
Step 4: While the vegetables cook, combine yoghurt, lemon juice, capers, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and creamy, and adjust seasoning to taste.
Step 5: Once the vegetables are golden and crispy, transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with the yoghurt dressing and sprinkle with cranberries for a pop of sweetness.
Step 6: Serve the salad warm for a comforting side dish or chill it in the fridge for a refreshing, cold potato salad. Perfect for entertaining alongside a refreshing salad like a Mango Prawn Salad, or a hearty Pork Roast or Roast Chicken (hint: both of these can be cooked in the air fryer, too)
Top Tip
Shake Regularly. Toss the vegetables every 10 minutes in the air fryer to prevent sticking and ensure even browning.
Parboil for Crispy Potatoes. Parboiling the potatoes ensures they crisp up beautifully in the air fryer without overcooking the asparagus and onion.
Meal prep and leftovers
As this potato asparagus salad can be had both warm or cold, it's fantastic for leftovers and meal prepping. But, as it is a side dish without a large amount of protein, if you're going to have it for a standalone meal, I recommend adding some Leftover Baked Ham (pictured), Leftover Turkey or Leftover Chicken as both these protein also taste good warm or cold.
Storing
Store the air fried vegetables and dressing in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavours will continue to develop overnight (especially with the capers) so will taste better for leftovers.
If wanting to reheat, I would recommend storing the potatoes, asparagus and onion separate from the dressing and combine when you want to eat.
Reheating
If you want to reheat, I recommend doing this in the air fryer for 5 minutes so the potatoes gain back their crispness (or you could do it for a couple minutes on the pan). Avoid microwaving, as it can make the potatoes lose their texture.
Freezing
Freezing is not ideal for this salad, as the asparagus and dressing may lose their texture and flavour. However, the roasted potatoes can be frozen separately for up to 2 months and reheated as needed (like above, avoid reheating in the microwave).
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
To air fry a baked potato, cook it at 200°C (400°F) for 35–45 minutes, depending on the size of the potato (I recommend parboiling first as this will cut the time down and let them crisp up more). Check for doneness by inserting a knife or skewer—it should glide in easily.
Yes, you can cook asparagus in the air fryer! How to cook asparagus in the air fryer will depend on your appliance, but generally, toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and air fry at 200°C (400°F) for 7–10 minutes. Thicker stalks may take a little longer, while thinner ones cook faster, so keep an eye on them to avoid overcooking.
When it's accompanied with potatoes and onions (like this recipe or my Air Fried Mediterranean Vegetables), you'll want to increase the time and shake regularly as there is more in the basket.
To keep the potatoes crispy, store them separately from the dressing and add the dressing just before serving.
Yes, but parboiling the potatoes first ensures they cook evenly with the other vegetables without burning.
Other salad recipes
Or, you can have a browse through my Salads Category for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Air Fryer Potato Asparagus Salad
Ingredients
Potato Salad Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2lbs, ~8 medium) All-rounder potatoes washed, peeled (optional), cut into ⅛ths, (see Note 1)
- 200 g (7 oz) asparagus ends trimmed
- 150 g (6 oz, ~1 medium) brown onion sliced
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Potato Salad Sauce
- 240 g (1 cup) plain Greek yoghurt see Note 2
- 30 ml (2 tbsp, approx. ½ lemon) lemon juice See Note 3
- 15 g (1 tbsp) capers optional but recommended
- 2 garlic cloves minced (see Note 3)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
- 30 g (2 tbsp) dried cranberries optional but recommended
Instructions
Parboil the potatoes
- Cut potatoes into chunks and parboil in salted water for 8–10 minutes until just tender. Drain and cool slightly.
Air Fry Vegetables
- Toss the parboiled potatoes with asparagus and sliced onion in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and mix to coat.
- Spread the potatoes, asparagus, and onion in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 200°C (400°F) for 20–25 minutes, shaking the basket every 10 minutes for even cooking.
Make Dressing
- Combine yoghurt, lemon juice, capers, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir until smooth, adjusting seasoning to taste.
Assemble and Serve
- Transfer the crispy vegetables to a platter, drizzle with yoghurt dressing, and sprinkle with cranberries for a hint of sweetness.
- Serve warm as a comforting side or chilled for a refreshing cold potato salad.
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