This Greek-inspired Asparagus Salad recipe is straightforward, zesty, and vivid! Made with contemporary spring asparagus, pearl couscous, kalamata olives, pine nuts, feta, lemon zest, and contemporary mint all tossed in a lemony dressing. Vegan-adaptable.
There’s a morning inside you ready to burst open into Mild.
~Rumi~
This asparagus salad recipe is so springy, tasty, and simple! It’s one other widespread catering recipe we’ve made repeatedly through the years and I feel you’ll take pleasure in it. Make it for a particular brunch, dinner, or gathering, or prep it forward for the busy week for mid-week lunches.
With its Greek flavors, it pairs with many Mediterranean dishes and could be served heat—as a tasty facet dish to fish, poultry, or beef—or chilled—as a vibrant and hearty spring salad. If you’re going gluten-free, substitute quinoa or wild rice! Orzo additionally works right here.
Buttercups, crocuses, little blue scillas, and budding syringas are all over the place—all telltale indicators of Spring. The earth is warming up, and oh my, it feels so extremely good. In Spring, all the pieces appears attainable, doesn’t it?
One other certain signal of Spring is asparagus. It’s additionally all over the place and at last, ultimately, moderately priced. We’ve been shopping for it up by the case for catering, and naturally, the leftovers get to come back dwelling… and I’ve been loving this Asparagus Salad!
Asparagus Salad Components
Contemporary Asparagus, trimmed
Pearl Couscous (aka Israeli Couscous) or use orzo, quinoa, freekah, or common cous cous
Step 1: Cook dinner the couscous in a big pot of boiling water and prep and roast the asparagus.
TIP: If pressed for time, you may toss bite-size items of asparagus within the boiling pot of couscous water, proper on the very finish of cooking, for a fast 1-2 minute blanch. Then drain all of it collectively.
Step 3: As soon as the Israeli couscous and asparagus is cooked, simply toss all of the elements collectively in a big bowl with the lemony dressing, olives, contemporary herbs and feta. Style and alter salt and lemon. Serve heat or chill till able to serve.
Serving and Storage
Serve the Asparagus Salad heat on a serving platter, as a tasty facet dish, or chill it for later! If chilling the salad for later, wait so as to add the contemporary herbs, and you’ll want to style it yet another time proper earlier than serving. Generally the couscous can absorb the dressing, so you might want to regulate salt and lemon, including extra to style.
Asparagus Salad will preserve as much as 4 days within the fridge in an hermetic container.
Extra Spring Salads you’ll love!
Benefit from the asparagus salad and tell us what you assume within the feedback under!
This Greek-inspired Asparagus Salad recipe is straightforward, zesty, and vivid! Made with contemporary spring asparagus, pearl couscous, kalamata olives, pine nuts, feta, lemon zest, and contemporary mint all tossed in a lemony dressing. Vegan-adaptable.
425 F oven. See tip in #3.
Deliver a pot of salted water to boil for couscous, and prepare dinner it till al dente.
Trim off the powerful woody ends of the asparagus. Minimize remaining into 1-2 inch items. Place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with a beneficiant pinch of salt, cracked pepper, non-compulsory chili flakes, and half of the lemon zest, and toss nicely. Unfold on a parchment-lined sheet pan till tender, about 20-25 minutes. (*TIP: Alternatively, if you’re in a rush, you could possibly skip the oven and blanch the asparagus within the couscous water over the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time.)
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, stir the lemon juice, vinegar, dijon, dried mint, and garlic . Whisk within the olive oil and just a little at a time, add salt and pepper, combine and put aside.
Assemble: Drain the couscous and place it in a big bowl. Add the asparagus, olives, pine nuts, contemporary herbs, scallions, and remaining lemon zest and toss. Then add the dressing, simply sufficient to generously coat. Toss within the feta. The quantity of dressing will rely on how a lot asparagus you utilize.
Style and alter salt and lemon to your liking.
Serve heat, or chill and function a salad.
If serving chilled, style the salad as soon as extra earlier than serving and alter the salt, lemon, and olive oil yet another time, because the couscous could absorb a number of the flavorful dressing.
