Spring Grilled Asparagus Salad ~ Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing

5 from 1 vote

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. The Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing adds the perfect balance to the salad.

Prep Time15

Cook Time12

Total Time27

Course: first course, Salad, side vegetable

Cuisine: American

Keyword: asparagus salad, Blood Orange Buttermilk Dressing, Spring Asparagus

Servings: servings

Author: Karen Sheer a zest for life

Equipment

1 cast iron grill pan

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.

Nutrition