A restaurant near me recently started serving this amazing asparagus salad! It’s bright and light and tastes 100% like springtime. Wanting to make it at home, I asked for the vinaigrette recipe. They obliged but it made over 2 gallons. YIKES! After doing some research, I came up with this recipe that is a good approximation of the one that they use in a much smaller quantity.
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If you love fresh asparagus in the springtime, I can promise you, you’ll be completely hooked on this delicious salad!
Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese, Craisins & Almonds
Vinaigrette Recipe
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (can use light mayo)
- 1 tablespoon molasses (do not use blackstrap molasses)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup champagne vinegar
- ½ cup hazelnut oil
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Using an immersion blender, combine mayonnaise, molasses, mustard, and salt until the mixture is milky in appearance and no lumps of mayonnaise or molasses remain.
- Add vinegar and process again with an immersion blender.
- Add ¼ cup hazelnut oil, and process with an immersion blender again. Repeat, adding the remaining ¼ cup hazelnut oil and vegetable oil in 2 additions, blending until thoroughly combined after each addition. After the third addition, the vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened, with no pools of oil on its surface.
Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Shake briefly before using.
NOTE: I use this exact immersion blender so much! When making a dressing or fresh pizza sauce, blending soups, chopping herbs or small vegetables, etc.
Salad Recipe
- Mix of butter lettuce, loose-leaf lettuce, and/or little gem lettuce
- 1 lb. asparagus, roasted until tender-crisp and cut into 1-2″ pieces
- craisins
- toasted sliced almonds
- goat cheese crumbles
Mix the lettuce with the asparagus pieces and dress with the vinaigrette above. Place in bowl and top with craisins, toasted sliced almonds, and goat cheese crumbles. Enjoy!
To roast asparagus, break off the tough ends of the vegetable and then lightly coat them in olive oil. Roast on a baking sheet in a 400° oven for 10-15 minutes or until tender-crisp.
Bon appetit! Until next time…
