Fresh Asparagus & Parmesan Salad Recipe

A few days ago, I found the nicest looking asparagus salad recipe on Cook’s Country. Since it seemed so enticing, I decided to give it a try and to share it here with you. The results of my efforts were rewarding in that the salad, while raw, was totally tasty. It included a few different, very appetizing, dimensions that I’ll cover below.

The Recipe

This recipe comes in three parts; the croutons, the salad itself and the dressing. Luckily, all three are very straightforward. There isn’t much to get hung up on. Also, I’d like to tell you that you can substitute like crazy with this recipe. Use whatever type of bread you enjoy for the croutons and use your favorite herbs for the pesto dressing. The original recipe called for basil and mint, but I used flat leafed and curly parsley instead. The cheese can be substituted as well. While Pecorino Romano was originally called for, I decided to go with Parmesan. There are any number of reasons you could choose one ingredient over another. Perhaps personal preference or perhaps availability or price. It’s all fine with a recipe like the one below.

Ingredients

Serves: 6

For the Croutons

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (1/4 Stick)
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
6 Slices French Bread, Cut into 1/2-Inch Cubes (2 Cup’s Worth)
Regular Table Salt
Ground Black Pepper

For the Pesto Dressing

2 1/4 Cups Fresh Parsley (Flat Leaf or Curly)
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
1 Garlic Clove, Crushed
Regular Table Salt
Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

For the Salad

2 Pounds Asparagus, Trimmed and Sliced on the Bias
1 Bunch Radishes, Trimmed and Sliced Thin
3/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated
Regular Table Salt
Ground Black Pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions

Remember, go ahead and use fresh mint and basil instead of the parsley, if you want. Use Italian bread instead of French. Use Asiago or Pecorino cheese instead of Parmesan, although, I would recommend a cheese with some salty bite. If my grocery store had Pecorino, I definitely would have gone with that.

Make the Croutons

The first thing you’re going to want to do is to cube up the bread. I used French, so that’s what I have photos of. I do have a quick hint regarding the slicing of the bread. If you have a sharp chef’s knife, use that. Don’t use a bread knife. I found that the chef’s knife makes a much cleaner cut with fewer crumbs than the bread knife does. Go ahead and make a few 1/2 thick slices.

Then, cross cut the slices into cubes.

In a large skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat. Also add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.

Add 1/8 teaspoons of salt, along with the cubed bread and flip a few times to allow for browning of all sides. Cook for about 8 minutes or until each cube is golden brown. Then, dump into bowl for later use.

Make the Pesto Dressing

In a food processor, add the 1 1/4 cups of parsley, the 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, the 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, the 2 teaspoons lemon juice and the 1 crushed garlic clove. Also add 3/4 of a teaspoon of regular table salt and the same amount of ground black pepper.

Process the mixture between 20-30 seconds until consistent. Don’t go too far here – just break the ingredients down and mix them thoroughly.

Then, move ingredients into a bowl and mix with 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil.

Continue until mixture is smooth.

Make the Salad

To make the salad, you first want to trim the asparagus to remove the tough ends. Then, cut all the stalks on the bias so they’re about 1 1/2 inches long. When finished, transfer to a large bowl.

Once that’s finished, clean the radishes very well to remove any sand and trim them. Then, slice each radish thinly.

Combine the radishes with the asparagus in a large bowl.

Finally, add the 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the asparagus and radish and stir until combined. Then, salt and pepper to taste.

Combine Ingredients

The last step is to mix the pesto dressing into the asparagus mixture. Be sure everything is combined well. When it is, scoop some out and add to a bowl or a plate and dress with some croutons.

The Final Dish

This is a great salad. If done properly, it can be eaten on its own or added to another, more traditional, salad. It’s really up to you. Enjoy!

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