Asparagus Salad
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This picnic-ready salad is made with fresh asparagus spears and a bunch of other nutritious add-ins. Make some. And go on a picnic.
Ingredients
  • 2 bunches fresh asparagus (about 4 cups - I choose the thicker stalks for this)
  • ½ onion, diced (about ¼ cup - I like purple onion for this, but any type will do)
  • ¾ cup tomatoes, diced (I like to use cherry or grape tomatoes, but any type will do)
  • ¼ cup kalamata olives
  • ¼ cup cold-preesed organic olive or hemp oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 lemons, squeezed (about ⅓ cup juice)
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper
  • hemp seeds (optional)
  • soft goat cheese or feta cheese (optional)
  • avocado, cubed (optional)
Instructions
  1. Rinse asparagus and remove tough ends (usually this is where the asparagus stalk breaks naturally - about 5 cm or 2 inches from the bottom). (Don't forget to retain these tough bits in the freezer to make your own homemade veggie broth, a.k.a. compost broth!)
  2. Chop asparagus into bite sized pieces. I like pieces about 4 cm or 1.5 inches.
  3. Lightly steam asparagus pieces over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes (don't overdo it or they'll get mushy).
  4. Remove from heat and run some cold water over the asparagus pieces to stop them from cooking further. Transfer to a salad bowl (one with a lid if you're planning this as a travel-ready picnic dish!). Allow to cool completely.
  5. Once cooled, add onion, tomatoes and olives. Plus any optional ingredients like hemp seeds, goat cheese or avocado.
  6. Prepare dressing: In a medium-sized jar, combine oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, cider vinegar, salt and pepper. [Note: sometimes I don't use the entire batch of dressing for this salad, depending how I serve it. So if I have extra dressing, I just store it in the fridge to take in my lunch, or for the next time I'm serving salad].
  7. Place lid on jar and shake it up. Set aside (to be poured on salad at picnic) OR dump it on and eat it.
Recipe by The L'Oven Life at https://thelovenlife.com/asparagus-salad/