Green is in the air with this Spring Asparagus & Pea Salad with Quinoa and Fresh Herbs! With a drizzle of Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing, you have a deliciously refreshing lunch salad. No need to waste the asparagus shavings either – blend them on in!
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Ingredients
Spring harvest brings both asparagus and peas. The perfect spring blend for this delicious salad is when mixed together with quinoa and a blend of fresh herbs.
- Spring Asparagus – fresh crisp stalks, preferably thicker which are easier to peel
- English peas – purchase fresh and remove the peas from their pods
- Quinoa – cooked and room temperature
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The star of this recipe is the spring asparagus and its shavings!
It is best to discard the tougher shavings, or you can use them as garnish. Keep in mind that once they get blanched, they do soften up a bit.
Tip: For some of the shavings that may be a bit long, feel free to cut them down.
Substitutions
You can vary the taste of Spring Asparagus & Pea Salad with these substitutions:
- Grain- firmer grains such as sorghum, Kamut, barley, farro, freekeh
- Herbs – solo/blend of herbs such as basil, mint, dill, cilantro, parsley, tarragon, fennel fronds
- Dressing- lemon, extra virgin olive oil & champagne vinegar, vegan ranch dressing
You can choose grains according to your diet (gluten or gluten free) or your favored grain for the week! Many of us have preferences in herbs as well – use what you enjoy the most. Trying to lower your calories count, stick with a simple squeeze of lemon & some zest or minimize the amount of salad dressing you use.
Equipment
You will need a steamer pot or a steamer basket to steam the asparagus lightly. Then use the same water to blanch the shavings and cook the peas.
Storage
This salad stores well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, dependent on how much dressing you coat the salad with. You can always lightly coat the salad and add extra dressing to individual servings. Or only coat the portion of salad you know will be used during that meal.
Top tip
Component cooking is key to being efficient with your time in the kitchen. It is best to make a big batch of some ingredients that can be used in other recipes throughout the week.
In this recipe, you can make a large batch of quinoa and use it for these recipes:
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Spring Asparagus & Pea Salad With Quinoa
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Cooked
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Welcome the green colors of spring with this refreshingly light Spring Asparagus & Pea Salad With Quinoa And Fresh Herbs.
Ingredients
Salad:
1 bunch of asparagus (1 – ½ pounds)
1 cup fresh spring peas
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs – basil, dill, mint (reserve some for topping)
Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing:
2 tbsp lemon juice
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp dijon mustard
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Trim the tough ends of the asparagus spears. With a vegetable peeler, shave off the outer layer of each asparagus stalk. Chop the shavings into short strips.
- Using a steamer pot (or steamer basket), steam the asparagus stalks until tender-crisp (approximately 10 minutes). Remove the steamer insert with the asparagus and set them aside on a cutting board.
- Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water (add more water if needed). Add peas to the water and cook until peas are tender (not mushy) – about 10 minutes. Remove the peas with a slotted spoon, set them aside, and cool to room temperature.
- Blanch the asparagus shavings by dropping them in the boiling water for 2 – 3 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon. Cool to room temperature.
- Add cooked quinoa to a large bowl.
- Mince a blend of your favorite herbs.
- Slice the asparagus on a diagonal, about 1 inch in length, and add to the quinoa bowl with peas, asparagus shavings, and chopped herbs.
- Make the lemon vinaigrette by adding ingredients to a glass jar – seal and shake until well blended.
- Pour your desired amount of dressing over the salad, and stir gently until well blended. Top with a few herbs and serve.
Notes
Lemon Vinaigrette: makes about ½ cup of dressing – any leftover can be used on salads.
Keywords: asparagus recipes, asparagus pea recipes, quinoa salad
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