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Monday, November 1, 2010

Asparagus Salad


Holy cow -- the best salad ever! Simple, delicious, and it makes your pee-pee smell funny!

From "American Marsala," a yummy Indian cookbook:


Ingredients:


  • 2 lbs of medium to thick stalked asparagus

  • 1 pkg cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

  • 3 Tbs canola oil (or other light/neutral oil)

  • 2 Tbs white wine vinegar

  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced

  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus extra for blanching

  • 1/4 tsp ground peppercorns

  • 8 scallions, whites only, sliced thinly diagonally

Preparation:



  • Soak the asparagus in water for about an hour

  • While the asparagus is soaking, bring salted water to a boil

  • While the asparagus is soaking and the water is coming to a boil, make the dressing: whisk the oil and vinegar together; add lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and scallions

  • Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 3 - 5 minutes (trust me, you do not want to overcook the asparagus -- nice and crisp is best)

  • After blanching, transfer the asparagus to an ice bath or run under ice cold water

  • Slice asparagus into 1 - 1 1/2 in. diagonal slices and toss with the salad

Note: This salad does not keep as leftovers -- the lemon "cooks" the asparagus to mush. However, I like to cook extra asparagus and make extra dressing, and then just toss when you're ready to eat!