Spring asparagus, radish and pea salad
Yield: 4
SPRING ASPARAGUS, PEA & RADISH SALAD
This spring forward salad provides the perfect balance of flavor and crunch to enjoy as a meal or a side for your next dinner party, BBQ or a weeknight dinner at home.
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 large handfuls of mixed greens, romaine, arugula or a combination
- 1 cup of radishes, sliced and then cut into halves or quarters
- 1 bunch of asparagus, cleaned and ends trimmed (see below)
- 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas
- 1/4 cup red onions, thinly sliced and quartered
- 1 avocado (cubed)
- 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
- fresh sea salt & black pepper (to taste)
- Protein options: see notes below
Dressing
- 1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup of white balsamic vinegar
- 1/4-1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1-2 squirts of dijon mustard
- 1-2 teaspoons of any dried herbs (see suggestions below)
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Clean and prep asparagus to grill or roast. I recommend using your hands to remove the tough ends of the asparagus where it naturally breaks rather than a knife. To grill, spray asparagus with a little avocado or olive oil and place on the grill at medium heat. It's very easy to over cook asparagus, which I've done multiple times, so I recommend not straying too far from the grill and checking and rotating after a few minutes. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the asparagus. Alternatively, you can roast in the over at 350 and similar to the grilling method, set a time for a few minutes to rotate and check on the asparagus. Once the asparagus is cooked to your liking, sprinkle salt & pepper or a flavored salt, such as truffle salt or Redmond's Lemon Pepper Salt. Allow the asparagus to cool for a few minutes and then chop into bite size pieces.
- Slice the radishes into thin slices using either a mandolin or a knife. I love using a mandolin to create uniformity with vegetables; however, I do recommend using a pair of kitchen gloves to prevent injury.
- Defrost your peas, if using frozen, by placing into a bowl and filling the bowl with hot water. If you're not short on time simply allow the peas to warm up to room temp by putting them in a bowl on your counter. You also use fresh sugar snap peas and slice diagonally into bite site pieces.
- To make the dressing combine the white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, salt & pepper in a glass mason jar or a small bowl. Add any fresh or dried herbs of choice.
- Place your greens into a large enough bowl that allows you ample space to toss your salad. Add all of the toppings including the feta cheese and avocado.
- Drizzle dressing, toss and enjoy!
Notes
- Make this a meal? Add grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, tofu or any protein. This salad would go well with hard boiled eggs and/or quinoa or farro too.
- My favorite salt blends are from Redmonds, which is one of the highest quality salts I've found and use daily. I specifically love their lemon pepper salt, which I use in this recipe as well as the taco, organic seasoning blend and chili lime blends. Use code SMP for discount.
- Can't find white balsamic vinegar? Whole Foods and other co-ops and natural food stores usually carries this yummy and unique vinegar; however, if you can't locate it I'd recommend using apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar and adding a drop of honey.
- I recommend purchasing organic products when possible and using the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists from the EWG as a guide to best allocate your resources.