Description
A bright asparagus salad tossed in a lemon vinaigrette with toasted almonds and optional grated cheese. Quick blanching keeps the stalks crisp.
Ingredients
Scale
- 450 g (1 lb) asparagus, trimmed
- 2 L (8 cups) water
- 1 tbsp (18 g) kosher salt for blanching
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
- 15 g (1 tbsp) whole-grain mustard
- 7 g (1/2 tbsp) honey or maple syrup
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 40 g (1/3 cup) toasted sliced almonds
- 30 g (1/3 cup) grated Parmesan (optional)
- 15 g (1/4 cup) fresh parsley or chives
- Flaky sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim and prep the asparagus: Rinse asparagus and snap or trim woody ends. Peel thicker stalks if needed.
- Boil and salt the water: Bring 2 liters (8 cups) of water to a boil and add 1 tbsp (18 g) kosher salt.
- Blanch the asparagus: Cook asparagus 2–3 minutes until bright green and just tender.
- Shock in ice water: Transfer to an ice bath for 1–2 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- Make the vinaigrette: Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, honey, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
- Toss and finish: Slice asparagus, toss with vinaigrette, add almonds and cheese if using, finish with herbs and lemon zest.
Notes
Always shock after blanching. The ice bath preserves color and crispness; skipping it will produce limp asparagus. Use a warm vinaigrette for better coating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Blanching
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 6mg