The Vintage Salad Worth Bringing Back as a Side Dish
Published: November 1, 2026
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This easy asparagus side dish that goes great with chicken was an old-fashioned asparagus salad from my vintage recipe collection. The original combines asparagus with garlic dressing, crisp lettuce, pimiento and onion, then serves the whole thing with something wonderfully retro called French Mayonnaise simply equal parts French dressing and mayonnaise.
Blog Index:
1. 🍴 A Retro Bite of History
2. Frequently Asked Questions
3. Step by step instructions
4. Fun vintage serving tips
5. Retro shopping
6. Closing Words
🍴 A Retro Bite of History
The inspiration for this side dish comes from Better Homes & Gardens Best Buffets, published in 1963 and, somewhat surprisingly, I found it tucked into the Christmas section.
The original recipe, called Asparagus Salad with French Mayonnaise, is pure early-1960s buffet cooking. Cooked frozen or canned asparagus is marinated in garlic salad dressing, arranged in little bundles on crisp lettuce, decorated with pimiento, and served with a row of onion rings down the center of the tray.
And then there's the French Mayonnaise: equal parts French dressing and mayonnaise. Simple as that.
It's the kind of recipe that makes perfect sense once you remember that this wasn't just a vegetable side it was designed for a buffet table, where presentation was part of the fun.
For my version, I kept the asparagus, lettuce, onion rings and dressing idea, but brought it to today's dinner table with fresh roasted garlic-butter asparagus, crispy onion rings and shredded Parmesan.
The result still has that slightly unexpected 1963 charm, but it's easy enough to serve with dinner tonight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What else can I add on top?
This side dish is easy to dress up with whatever sounds good. Try crispy bacon bits, chopped hard-boiled egg, toasted pecans, sliced green onions, extra Parmesan, or seasoned croutons. Bacon would be especially good with the roasted asparagus and creamy dressing.
Can I use a different dressing?
Absolutely. I like French or Thousand Island dressing because they keep that retro flavor going, but ranch would be an easy crowd-pleaser. You could also mix equal parts French dressing and mayonnaise to make the simple French Mayonnaise served with the original 1963 recipe.
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can prep most of it ahead, but wait to assemble the platter. Wash and chill the lettuce, roast the asparagus, and refrigerate it separately. Prepare the onion rings shortly before serving so they stay crisp.
Should the asparagus be served hot or cold?
Let the roasted asparagus cool before placing it over the lettuce. You don't want piping-hot asparagus wilting all that nice crisp lettuce. The finished dish is meant to be cool or around room temperature rather than hot.
Can I use canned or frozen asparagus?
You can and that's actually closer to the 1963 original, which called for cooked frozen or canned asparagus. I prefer fresh asparagus for my version because roasting it with butter and garlic gives it more flavor and a firmer texture.
What should I serve with this asparagus side dish?
We served ours with herbed chicken, and it was delicious. It would also be right at home alongside baked chicken, pork chops, ham, grilled meats, or sandwiches. It's especially handy when you want something more interesting than the usual dinner salad.
How many people does it serve?
An 8-inch platter makes about 4–6 side-dish servings, depending on what else you're serving. For a larger buffet, you can easily make a second platter.
Step by step instructions
Step-by-step photos showing asparagus prepared with butter and garlic, lettuce arranged on a serving plate, roasted asparagus, and the finished retro asparagus side dish with dressing and onion rings.
Easy Retro Asparagus Side Dish
Serves: 4–6
Oven: 425°F
Bake: 15 minutes
This easy asparagus side dish was inspired by a vintage asparagus salad from my personal recipe collection. The original paired asparagus with crisp lettuce, onion rings and a simple French mayonnaise. My version gives the idea a little update with oven-roasted garlic asparagus, crispy onion rings and shredded Parmesan. Serve French or Thousand Island dressing on the side and let everyone help themselves.
Ingredients
1 head lettuce
1 bunch fresh asparagus
3 pats butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6–8 prepared onion rings
Shredded Parmesan cheese, for topping
French or Thousand Island dressing, for serving
Instructions
Prepare the lettuce. Rinse the lettuce and pat the leaves thoroughly dry. Separate the leaves and arrange them over an 8-inch serving plate, overlapping as needed to completely cover the plate. Refrigerate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Roast the asparagus. Heat the oven to 425°F. Rinse the asparagus and trim away the tough ends. Arrange the spears in a 9 × 13-inch glass baking dish.
Place 3 pats of butter over the asparagus and distribute 1 tablespoon minced garlic over the top. Roast for approximately 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender but still has a little bite.
Prepare the onion rings according to the package directions. You'll need about 6–8 onion rings for the dish.
Allow both the asparagus and onion rings to cool slightly before assembling the platter. This helps keep the lettuce crisp.
Assemble the side dish. Remove the chilled lettuce plate from the refrigerator. Arrange the onion rings over the lettuce first, followed by the roasted asparagus.
Finish with a generous sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese.
Pour French or Thousand Island dressing into a small serving bowl and serve alongside the platter for passing.
To serve: Place a pair of tongs alongside the platter so everyone can help themselves.
Kitchen Note
The vintage recipe that inspired this dish called for cooked frozen or canned asparagus, pimiento and onion rings arranged over lettuce, with French mayonnaise served alongside. This version keeps the playful presentation while using fresh roasted asparagus, garlic, Parmesan and crispy onion rings for a side dish that's a little easier to bring to today's dinner table.
Source: Inspired by a vintage recipe from the Vintage by the Bite personal collection. Recipe rewritten, adapted and photographed by Vintage by the Bite.
(Print Tip: Be sure to select the exact page you want to print — otherwise it may print the whole post!)
Fun vintage serving tips:
The original 1963 recipe was made for a buffet, so why not borrow a little of that vintage hostess spirit?
Bring out a pretty platter. This is not the time for the everyday mixing bowl. A vintage serving plate, milk-glass platter, or colorful piece of Pyrex gives this simple side dish instant retro charm.
Give it the full buffet treatment. Arrange the lettuce first, then layer on the onion rings and asparagus instead of simply tossing everything together. Half the fun of those old buffet recipes was making ordinary ingredients look special.
Add a little garnish drama. Sprinkle on crispy bacon bits, add sliced hard-boiled eggs, or scatter a few extra curls of Parmesan over the top. A little chopped pimiento would be a fun nod to the 1963 original, too.
Put the dressing in something cute. Serve the French or Thousand Island dressing in a small vintage bowl, creamer, or little glass pitcher with a spoon for passing.
Don't forget the tongs! Place a pair of serving tongs alongside the platter so everyone can grab some lettuce, asparagus and an onion ring in one swoop.
And if you're feeling particularly 1963, set the whole thing in the middle of the table and call dinner a buffet. Somehow it sounds much fancier that way.
Retro Asparagus Recipe
🛒 Retro Shopping
Available on Amazon: Stainless Steel Kitchen Cooking Tongs
Closing words
Sometimes the best thing about opening an old cookbook is finding an idea you never would have thought of on your own.
A 1963 asparagus salad tucked into the Christmas buffet section probably wouldn't have been on my dinner radar but here we are, more than 60 years later, eating my updated version alongside herbed chicken and loving it.
The combination just works. The garlic-butter asparagus, crispy onion rings, Parmesan and cool lettuce make an ordinary vegetable side feel a little more special, while the dressing on the side lets everyone finish it just the way they like.
And that's one of my favorite things about cooking from vintage recipes. You don't always have to recreate every detail exactly as it appeared decades ago. Sometimes you can keep the good idea, give it a little update, and put it right back on the dinner table.
1963 had something here.
Stay nostalgic. Be original.
— Shelly
📌 Looking for another retro side recipe?
If you’re ready to keep the nostalgia going, don’t forget to join my Retro Recipe Club for more mid-century favorites!
💌 This recipe is part of the Vintage by the Bite collection where 1940s–1980s recipes live on in today’s kitchens. From fizzy drinks to Sunday suppers, we’re preserving the past one bite at a time.
Photo Credit: Vintage by the bite/Shelly O. photography
