A great way to celebrate spring is this flavorful, bright and refreshing Asparagus Salad. This salad combined with a simple lime dressing, hazelnuts, Parmesan chunks and eggs can be an idea to go with almost any main course or can stand as a main course by itself!
Ingredients matter
Asparagus: When buying asparagus, be sure that they are rigid and don't bend. Their rigidity is a sign of freshness. Their torso should be percussive and not soft.
Green peas: They pair so well with all the other ingredients. I used frozen green peas, as I always have some in my freezer.
Lettuce: I used curly lettuce. Feel free to use any other green salad, like spinach, iceberg etc.
Baby potatoes: I like their size and always with skin on. You can also use normal potatoes with or without skin, just be sure to cut into proper pieces.
Garlic: who doesn't love garlic, isn't it? I used fresh minced garlic. If you don't have on hand, you can also use powdered garlic.
Lime dressing: a simple and delicious dressing that gives this salad an extra freshness feeling. It is made with extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, Dijon mustard, salt, red pepper and freshly cracked black pepper.
Parsley: I prefer parsley as a herb, especially in salads. Feel free to use other herbs like basil etc.
Hazelnuts: gives a nutty touch to the salad and a crunchiness as well. You can substitute hazelnuts with your favorite nuts. Use pecans, walnuts or even pine nuts if desired.
Parmesan: I used Parmigiano reggiano.
Eggs: hard-boiled eggs pair perfectly to this salad. You can omit the eggs, although I highly recommend that you add them to the salad.
Method steps
This asparagus salad comes together in a few easy steps:
Roast asparagus and green peas. First wash and cut the ends of the asparagus. Next place them on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle minced garlic. Season with salt & pepper and roast until tender. Before they are done, add green peas on the baking pan and continue roasting for 10 more minutes or until both asparagus and green peas are tender.
Boil baby potatoes. While asparagus and green peas are being roasted, wash baby potatoes and boil them in a slightly salty water until tender. Let them cool, so that they are warm and not hot, and halve them.
Prepare lime dressing. In a small bowl add extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, red and black pepper. Stir very well to combine. Drizzle baby potatoes with half of the dressing, toss and set aside.
Prepare lettuce and parsley. Wash lettuce and parsley very well, drain and chop.
Assemble. Place asparagus, green peas, baby potatoes, lettuce and parsley on a serving plate. Drizzle with the rest of the dressing and sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts and parmesan. Halve the eggs and place them on top of the salad.
Recipe
Servings: 2-4
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Ingredients
400 gr. asparagus, ends trimmed
100 gr. lettuce, washed and cut
500 gr. baby potatoes, well washed
200 gr. green peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 lime, only juice
some parsley, chopped
some hazelnuts, crushed
a generous amount of parmesan chunks
4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
black and red pepper
salt
Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Wash asparagus and cut the ends. Place them on an oven pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with some olive oil and minced garlic. Then, season with salt and black pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Before they are done, add the green peas on the pan and bake for 10 more minutes or until peas soften.
In the meantime, place baby potatoes in a pot with slightly salty water and boil for 10-12 minutes (depending on their size) or until tender. When ready, drain and set aside to cool. When they are warm enough to handle, halve them, place them in a bowl and drizzle with half of the lime dressing.
When asparagus and green peas are done, remove from the oven and set aside to cool a little bit. Then, place them on a serving bowl together with the baby potatoes, the lettuce and the parsley. Drizzle the salad with the rest of the lime dressing, season with some salt and black pepper (if needed/ desired) and toss to combine.
Sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts and parmesan. Next, halve the hard-boiled eggs and place them on top of the salad. Serve and enjoy!
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