Spring Asparagus Salad with white beans and almonds

Friends HI HELLO, listen…

I’m peeking up from the throes of home buying like a little groundhog from her little burrow hole because EASTER is coming which mean SPRING is nearly here which means trees are sprouting, and Texas wildflowers are blooming, and asparagus is fresh, and jelly bean varieties are in the candy aisle and – this might be my favorite time of year.

I’m ready to shake off winter, aren’t you?  Enough already.  I’m ready for a fresh start to the year. A fresh house. A fresh town. A fresh meal.

The first place I change season is on my plate.  It’s such a sweet little moment – blanching fresh, in-season asparagus and tossing them with beans and soft goat cheese and a French vinaigrette.  It’s not that all of those ingredients are avails all winter long.  They just hit different when the clock strikes March.

This salad is the first new recipe in what I hope will be your Easter weekend menu.  We’ve got a quiche and a kolache for you next week! Though please go ahead and add the ingredients to this delightful Carrot Cake to your grocery list.  If not now then truly, when?

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this springy Asparagus Salad:

•  a bundle of fresh asparagus (about a pound will do).

•  a can of white beans

•  edamame beans (I buy them frozen and thaw them in the boiling asparagus water)

•  fresh parsley (though I also really like cilantro here)

•  toasted sliced almonds (or salted smoked almonds are really nice too!)

•  goat cheese crumbles

•  green onions

•  an easy homemade frenchy vinaigrette made with Dijon mustard, shallots, sherry vinegar, honey, and good olive oil.

•  Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

The secret to a spring green asparagus salad is a salted boil bath (herein referred to as blanching), followed by an ice bath.  The blanching will soften the asparagus to fork ender and cook the edamame beans through while the ice bath will quickly halt that cooking and lock in the veggies bright green flavor.  It’s one of those extra steps that really makes all the difference.

With the hard part done, toss all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Easy as that.

The dressing for this asparagus salad can go in any direction you like.  I toyed with a sesame dressing originally but settled on a classic French vinaigrette.  Mince shallots and whisk with Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar, a spoonful of honey or apricot jam, and olive oil.  Season with sea salt and black pepper. It’s simple and just perfect.

Drizzle generously over the bowl of salad ingredients and gently toss.  This is one of those fridge salads that gets better as the days go by and the vinaigrette marinates the beans and veggies.

Top the salad with goat cheese and fresh herbs like mint or dill.  It’s just…. it’s a lovely moment.  The first of many springtime rituals.

If you’re looking for another asparagus moment, I make this old recipe for Pistachio-Crusted Asparagus with Feta every year.  Don’t let the old blog photos fool you. It’s a banger.

More soon friends. Back to being a little hedgehog – er, groundhog.

Spring Asparagus Spoon Salad

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• Author: Joy the Baker
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: about 3 minutes
• Total Time: about 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
• Category: salad, dinner, dinner party

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Ingredients

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For the Salad:

• 1 pound asparagus spears, diced into scant 1/2-inch rounds, discarding the tough ends
• 1 (16 ounce bag) edamame beans, thawed if frozen
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (fresh mint and dill are also nice if you have them on hand)
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 3/4 cup (a large handful) slivered or smoked salted almonds, coarsely chopped, some reserved for topping
• 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled while cold

For the Dressing:

• A tablespoon of minced shallots
• A big spoonful Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or apple cider vinegar is great too)
• A little glug of honey or apricot jam
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil

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Instructions

1. We’ll start by blanching the asparagus. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice cubes and water. Have a colander on hand as well. Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a large pot. Season with a very generous pinch of kosher salt. Add the asparagus pieces. Cover and boil for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and add the edamame and cook for 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and drain into the colander. Once drained, carefully plunge the colander into the ice water to cool the veggies.
2. In a large bowl gently toss together blanched asparagus, edamame, beans, parsley, onions, and almonds.
3. To make the dressing, shake all of the dressing ingredients together in a small jar. Pour as much dressing as you’d like over the salad. Top with more almonds and crumbles of goat cheese before serving.

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