Spring is here, and that means asparagus has sprouted.  

Asparagus grows in patches, either cultivated or in the wild. Wild asparagus grows all along I-94 in SW Michigan. It does take a couple of years for an asparagus patch to reach the state of producing these succulent stalks, but it’s well worth it! There’s white, purple, and green. You can purchase it year-round, but the best asparagus is during the spring.  

The health benefits of asparagus are astronomical! Asparagus essential oils have many health benefits. Pennyroyal is the main essential oil found in asparagus and is known to aid in digestion, as well as being considered an antiseptic and decongestant. When purchasing asparagus, look for the top to be completely full with small buds, and for it to be firm, not droopy or limp. The fresher the asparagus, the better.

In this salad, it’s all about the asparagus.  

During spring, asparagus is at its most flavorful, so I recommend leaving the not-in-season asparagus for another recipe. My favorite asparagus is the green variety. I like medium size, especially for this salad, because we are blanching it, so the stalk needs to have some structure. Blanching is a method of cooking, where you cook the food in boiling water for a short period of time, then immediately place the food into an ice bath so the cooking stops. Blanching not only helps retain the color of the asparagus but also helps enhance its texture and retains many of its nutrients by reducing the amount of time the asparagus is exposed to heat.

I would recommend adding grilled shrimp to this delicious spring salad, or some toasted nuts to add some protein, making this a well-balanced meal.

1. _{SHAHRAJABIAN, M. H., & SUN, W. (2022). Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) and pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium L.), impressive advantages with wondrous health-beneficial phytochemicals. Notulae Scientia Biologicae, 14(2), 11212. https://doi.org/10.55779/nsb14211212} 

Fresh Asparagus Salad

PrintShare

Servings: 2 Prep: 30 minsCook: 5 minsTotal: 35 mins

Ingredients

Asparagus Salad

1 lb fresh asparagus

½ cup grape tomatoes (I prefer the multicolor variety)

¼ of a red onion (optional)

¼ cup feta cheese

Salt and pepper

Greek Inspired Dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Oregano

Salt and pepper

Instructions

1

First, in a saucepan bring enough water to a boil to blanch the asparagus in. Second, get the ice bath ready to shock the asparagus after blanching it, so it doesn’t continue to cook. The ice bath is 75% ice and 25% water. 

2

Now, take one stalk of asparagus and without giving too much pressure break the root of the stem off.  Where it breaks off is where to cut the rest of the asparagus at. This is the very fibrous part, and doesn’t break down all that well.

3

The next step is to blanch the asparagus. Put the asparagus in the boiling water for about 3-5 minutes, it will start to turn a bright green. Test the asparagus to see if it has reached al dente.

4

Now strain the asparagus and place directly into the ice bath. This part is called shocking.   

5

When the asparagus has cooled, which shouldn’t take long, slice the asparagus in approximately 1 inch pieces. I prefer to cut on the bias, which is at an angle, giving the asparagus a penne pasta type look.  

6

Combine the dressing ingredients, slice the tomatoes and onion. 

7

The prep for this delicious salad is complete, time to build! First layer will be the asparagus, then top it with the onion, tomato, feta, and drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper, enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Per serving

Calories
289

Fat
24.8g

Carbs
12.0g

Protein
8.0g

Fiber
5.8g

Sodium
340.0mg

Sugars
4.3g

Sat. Fat
5.4g

Notes

Difficulty level: 1

*Difficulty level on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being easy (little to no cooking experience required) and 10 being difficult (having a strong background in cooking and using equipment)

Nutrient Analysis does not include the optional ingredients.