Seriously, how quick is this salad. It couldn't be simpler, or more tasty. Asparagus is often thought to be more the friend of a hollandaise sauce or simply slathered in butter. Here it meets Asian ingredients in a piquant, dressing, and served alongside fresh carrots, courgettes (zucchini) herbs and mint. And they work, really, really well together.
The season for British asparagus is very short; it runs from April to mid-June, then that's it. So, the best is to eat it while it is in season and with recipes as straightforward and simple as this, there really is no excuse.
See Also
20 Asparagus Recipes
How to Choose and Cook Asparagus
How to Preserve Asparagus
Ingredients
- FOR THE SALAD
- 1 bunch British asparagus spears
- 1 large carrot
- 1 courgette
- 1 shallot, finely sliced
- 1 clove garlic, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp fresh mint, shredded
- ½ tsp dried chilli
- FOR THE DRESSING
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp palm or light brown sugar
- ½ tsp shrimp paste
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Preparation
- Cut the asparagus, carrots and courgettes into long, thin (and as mush as you can), equally sized strips. Place all three together in a large bowl.
- In a small frying pan, heat the oil under hot (but not burning) and fry the shallot slices until they are golden brown, this will only take moments. Remove and drain on a piece of kitchen paper.
- Add the finely sliced garlic to the oil and very quickly, fry. Garlic can burn very easily so you do need to fairly swift with this frying. Again, remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.
- Finally, make the dressing. Thoroughly whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
- Arrange the raw vegetables on a serving plate, pour over the dressing and toss thoroughly.
- Scatter over the fried shallot and garlic and garnish with the mint and the chilli. Serve.
This recipe is based one from British Asparagus.
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