Spring Grilled Asparagus Salad ~ Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing
The perfect Restaurant Quality Spring Salad! Choose fat asparagus and cook indoors in a grill pan – or outdoors in warmer weather.
Mache Lettuce, Radicchio, Purple Spring Onions, Toasted Almonds, Fresh Mango Cubes, Blood Orange Slices and Grilled Fat Asparagus Spears all come together for a memorable, Restaurant-Syle Salad at Home.
Enjoy the flavors of Spring!
Karen
Spring Grilled Asparagus Salad ~ Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing
Ingredients
- 12 jumbo fresh asparagus
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil*
- 1 pinch salt & pepper
- 2 cups mache lettuce (usually comes packed cleaned)
- 1 cup radicchio Fiero variety, cleaned, cut into thin strips (or your favorite radicchio)
- 3 tablespoons purple spring scallions thinly sliced, or regular scallions
- 4 tablespoons maple toasted slivered almonds (see recipe below)
- 1/4 cup manchengo cheese room temperature, shaved thinly
- 4 tablespoons fresh mango cut into a small 1/3" dice
- 1 recipe Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing (see recipe)
Instructions
- Make the Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing and refrigerate. (See recipe) Make the Maple Toasted Slivered Almonds in a Skillet. (Recipe below)
Grill Asparagus:
- Trim white, wood ends from the spears. Gently peel bottom half of the spears.Wash them well, dirt can be trapped in their heads, and dry.Toss them with oil, salt & pepper.
- Heat a cast iron grill pan until very hot. Add the asparagus spears so they lie across the ridges. Top with a heavy pan to cover – I use a cast iron pan. Keep the heat high, remove the top pan after 4 minutes – if nice grill marks are underneath, turn them over using tongs.Place the pan back on top, grill for another 3 minutes until evenly grilled, crisp-tender and still bright green. Remove to a plate to cool.
Make the Salad:
- On 4 individual plates (can also add to one large bowl) add a portion of mache and radicchio. Slice the asparagus in half on an angle – top the lettuces. Sprinkle with a portion of scallions, almonds, cheese and mango.
To Serve:
- Drizzle with Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing
Maple Toasted Slivered Almonds in a Skillet:
- Ingredients: ½ cup slivered almonds, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, 1 pinch sea salt, 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- Heat a 8 inch skillet over moderate heat for 1 minute. Add all ingredients, stir up. Will start to sizzle as soon as ingredients go into pan. Stir – nuts will toast. Cook, stirring until just lightly, but evenly golden. Not too much heat – nuts can burn easily.Immediately add them to a sheet of parchment paper on you work surface. Stir up any lumps. Will harden when cools.
Ingredients
Instructions
Make the Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing and refrigerate. (See recipe)
Make the Maple Toasted Slivered Almonds in a Skillet. (Recipe below)
Grill Asparagus:
Trim white, wood ends from the spears. Gently peel bottom half of the spears.
Wash them well, dirt can be trapped in their heads, and dry.
Toss them with oil, salt & pepper.
Heat a cast iron grill pan until very hot. Add the asparagus spears so they lie across the ridges.
Top with a heavy pan to cover – I use a cast iron pan.
Keep the heat high, remove the top pan after 4 minutes – if nice grill marks are underneath, turn them over using tongs.
Place the pan back on top, grill for another 3 minutes until evenly grilled, crisp-tender and still bright green.
Remove to a plate to cool.
Make the Salad:
On 4 individual plates (can also add to one large bowl) add a portion of mache and radicchio.
Slice the asparagus in half on an angle – top the lettuces.
Sprinkle with a portion of scallions, almonds, cheese and mango.
To Serve:
Drizzle with Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing
Maple Toasted Slivered Almonds in a Skillet:
½ cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Heat a 8 inch skillet over moderate heat for 1 minute.
Add all ingredients, stir up.
Will start to sizzle as soon as ingredients go into pan.
Stir – nuts will toast. Cook, stirring until just lightly, but evenly golden.
Not too much heat – nuts can burn.
Immediately add them to a sheet of parchment paper on you work surface.
Stir up any lumps. Will harden when cools.
* with concerns about gmo’s and processing of oils, use a vegetable oil which has not been chemically treated, this is called “expeller pressed.”
See BLOG for many photos and how-tos.
This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
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