Asparagus Salad Recipe
Delightful asparagus salad with tender sliced asparagus, sweet pears, crunchy pecans, and salty parmesan cheese are all tossed with a bright lemon vinaigrette making this the perfect side dish for your spring picnic or summer grill out.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch crisp asparagus, (woody ends removed)
- 1 small red onion , or 2 shallots (very thinly sliced)
- 1 ripe but firm pear , or green apple (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup freshly shaved parmesan
- a small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup raw pecans, chopped
Lemon-Honey Dressing:
- 3 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsps Fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
- 2 tsps Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp sea salt , or to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper , or to taste
Instructions
- Hold each spear of asparagus at an angle and thinly slice into long diagonal pieces on a cutting board as shown in the video.
- Thinly slice your red onions, then place the slices in a bowl of ice water for about 10 minutes. (This helps mellow out that sharp, spicy bite while keeping the onion nice and crisp.)
- Drain the onions well, then pat dry.
- Thinly slice the pear, shave your parmesan cheese, chop the parsley very small, and coarsely chop your pecans.
- In the bottom of your mixing bowl, whisk together your olive oil, lemon juice and zest, honey, Dijon, sea salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Add in the asparagus, pear, and red onion, toss gently with the dressing.
- Sprinkle with parsley, shaved parmesan, and pecans.
- Enjoy!
- Love, Rachel
Notes
- ALWAYS use freshly-squeezed lemon juice and zest from an actual lemon. To get the most juice, press and roll the lemon on your countertop with your hands before slicing.
- Keep asparagus bunches fresh until you use it by storing it in the refrigerator wrapped in a damp towel.
- Choose asparagus that smells fresh and has a tight green tip.
Nutrition
Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 375mg, Potassium: 159mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 147IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 169mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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