Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Asparagus Ribbon Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette



Asparagus Ribbon Salad   @uTry.it

One of my favorite Spring vegetables is asparagus.  I usually prepare them on the grill, make Green Gazpacho cold soup or roast them in the oven.  And lately, I fall in love with eating them raw as in this Asparagus Ribbon Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette.  They are shaved to ribbon thin and the acidic vinaigrette helps soften them a little.  So, the texture of the asparagus holds up and is crisp-tender.  Really refreshing and delightful to eat.       
 
Asparagus Ribbon Salad   @uTry.it

Preparing the Lemon Vinaigrette couldn’t be any easier.  It consists of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, a little bit agave to balance out the tartness, extra virgin olive oil (I used a Meyer lemon infused olive oil), kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.  It compliment the flavors of the fresh asparagus very well.

Asparagus Ribbon Salad   @uTry.it

I top the salad with a few shaved parmigiano reggiano and toasted pine nuts.  You can use any other nuts that you like but I love the buttery pine nuts and the slightly salty and very flavorful parmigiano reggiano here.  Each bite is perfect and leave me craving for more!

Asparagus Ribbon Salad   @uTry.it

Here’s how I prepare this salad:
1) In a small pan, toast the pine nuts on low heat until golden brown.  Be careful not to burn them, toss them frequently.  Set aside and let cool.

2) Gently wash and pat dry the asparagus.  Trip off about 1-inch off the root. 
3) With a vegetable peeler, peel off the outer layer on the bottom 5 to 6-inches.  Discard the peels. 

Asparagus Ribbon Salad   @uTry.it

4) With the vegetable peeler, shave along the long strands of the asparagus from tip to end.  Place asparagus ribbons in a large mixing bowl, set aside.
5) In a medium mixing bowl, whisk lemon juice, mustard, agave together. 
6) While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until vinaigrette emulsified.  Add salt and pepper, to taste.  Gently toss enough vinaigrette to moisten the asparagus ribbons.  You might not need all the vinaigrette.  You can toss in the pine nuts, or sprinkle them on top.  With a vegetable peeler, shave a few parmigiano reggiano on top and enjoy!

Asparagus Ribbon Salad   @uTry.it

As simple as this!  I hope you enjoy today’s post and recipe.   Give it a try and I’m sure you’ll love this salad a lot too.  Stay tuned for more refreshing Spring and Summer time recipes to come!



Props used in this post:


Core Bamboo 3-Piece Cutlery Set
(
Click here to see product information)

Wood Print Photography Backdrop (Click here to see similar product)
Libbey County Fair Drinking Jars (Click here to see product information)

Core Bamboo Cutting Board (Click here to see product information)
Aqus Striped Paper Straws (Click here to see product information)
Salad Plate (Click here to see similar product)





Asparagus Ribbon Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette:
Serving: 1 entree size (or 2 sides/appetizers)

Ingredient for the salad:
12 spears asparagus (use medium or thick ones)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
a small block of parmigiano reggiano (for shaving on top)

Ingredients for the vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon agave
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I used a Meyer lemon infused olive oil)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
To prepare the salad:
In a small pan, toast the pine nuts on low heat until golden brown.  Be careful not to burn them, toss them frequently.  Set aside and let cool.

Gently wash and pat dry the asparagus.  Trip off about 1-inch off the root.  With a vegetable peeler, peel off the outer layer on the bottom 5 to 6-inches.  Discard the peels.  With the vegetable peeler, shave along the long strands of the asparagus from tip to end.  Place asparagus ribbons in a large mixing bowl, set aside.
To make the vinaigrette:
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk lemon juice, mustard, agave together.  While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until vinaigrette emulsified.  Add salt and pepper, to taste.   

Gently toss enough vinaigrette to moisten the asparagus ribbons.  You might not need all the vinaigrette.  You can toss in the pine nuts, or sprinkle them on top.  With a vegetable peeler, shave a few parmigiano reggiano on top and enjoy!


Asparagus Ribbon Salad   @uTry.it

20 comments:

  1. This looks so spring-like fresh, delicious and healthy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous photos! It really celebrates the beauty of spring.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Baby Sumo. :) Glad you like this Spring dish.

      Delete
  3. Oh Amy ! This I will enjoy very much and the lemon vinaigrette just seals the taste .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Nee. Yes, I love this simple and refreshing vinaigrette too. This is my all time go-to dressing.

      Delete
  4. Fantastic recipe Amy!! We love asparagus too and usually cook them on the grill: they are delicious!! But this salad looks so refreshing... we love it..
    Enjoy the rest of the week..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Laurel. Glad you like this refreshing salad. Enjoy and have a great week ahead.

      Delete
  5. Simple, fresh and delicious! I can eat this kind of salad every day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Angie. Same here, I can eat this every day as well! ;)

      Delete
  6. Light and refreshing salad. I am always looking for some new ways to enjoy our vegetables. Thanks for the recipe. I also love the fact that you included your prop links, unfortunately most of them will not ship to Hong Kong. Hmmm any ideas for something similar to that vinyl 2x2 here in HK?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I've received quite many emails asking me where I got my props. So, I think it's good idea to include them at the end of the post as a reference for my fellow bloggers. Sorry that they don't always ship to HKG. It's perfect to use in HKG too as it's such a space saver. I'll ask my photographer friends in HKG to see if they have any ideas. Will let you know when I get answers from them.

      Delete
  7. I have never tried to eat asparagus this way. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're most welcome, Mun. Hope you'll give this a try because this raw asparagus salad is very delicious!

      Delete
  8. Asparagus looks really pretty when you cut them this way! A light and refreshing salad would just be perfect for dinner in this heat! Thanks, Amy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. Glad you like this light salad too.

      Delete
  9. Holy cow, now I’m craving for this healthy meal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Hope you'll give this a try. very easy to make too.

      Delete