Brighten up your meals with this Shaved Asparagus Salad with Crispy Quinoa and Simple Citrus Dressing, packed with vibrant flavors and nutritious ingredients. Featuring shaved asparagus, peppery arugula, crispy quinoa, and a zesty citrus dressing, this salad is a perfect blend of taste and health.
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Make this Shaved Asparagus Salad into a meal!
Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian! Serve it as a side dish or a stand-alone salad complete with protein. Carnivore lovers: consider adding additional protein such as chopped grilled, roasted, or rotisserie chicken, some seared salmon, or a thinly sliced ribeye to create a heartier stand-alone meal.
INGREDIENTS FOR SHAVED ASPARAGUS SALAD
- Asparagus: Fresh and tender, shaved asparagus adds a delicate crunch and vibrant green color to the salad. Select thicker asparagus for easier shaving.
- Arugula: Peppery and slightly bitter, arugula brings a robust flavor and leafy texture to the mix.
- Crispy Quinoa: Light and crunchy, crispy quinoa provides a satisfying texture and a boost of protein.
- Chives: Mildly onion-flavored, chopped chives add a fresh and subtle aromatic note.
- Parmesan: Rich and nutty, shaved parmesan enhances the salad with its savory, umami taste.
- Lemon Zest: Bright and zesty, lemon zest offers a refreshing citrus aroma and flavor.
- 1 Recipe of Simple Citrus Dressing
HOW TO MAKE SHAVED ASPARAGUS SALAD
- Prepare the Crispy Quinoa: Preheat the oven to 400°F/204°C
- Spread the cooked quinoa evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Try to make it all in one layer, with no pieces on top of each other.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt to taste for a versatile plain crunchy quinoa. Mix with your hands to coat.
- Bake at 400°F/204°C for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the quinoa is golden brown and crispy.
- Prepare the Dressing: Rub zest in salt to release the lemon oils. Add to a mason jar.
- Place all ingredients in a mason jar in the order ingredients are listed.
- The lemon juice and honey are first to allow the lemon to dissolve the honey.
- Then add the chopped shallots, evoo, and pepper, and allow to marinate while you assemble your salad.
- For the Salad Base: rinse and shave the asparagus lengthwise with a vegetable peeler, and set aside.
- In a bowl, add the arugula (rocket) and the shaved asparagus (including the asparagus crowns), toss with the simple citrus dressing right before serving, not sooner.
- Garnish with chopped chives, including the chive blossom if you are lucky to purchase some at the farmers market or grow your own. Continue to garnish with the crispy quinoa, and shaved parmesan. You can shave the parmesan over the salad with a vegetable peeler. Serve and enjoy!
EQUIPMENT
Asparagus Fun Facts that make it a great vegetable
Asparagus is a spear-like vegetable and a member of the lily family (liliaceae). In the western US Asparagus season usually starts around late February and goes until June. Most asparagus is green in color but you can also get white and purple varieties, too.
Health benefits of asparagus include:
- It acts as a prebiotic, feeding good bacteria in the gut.
- Asparagus is rich in folate.
- It’s a good source of potassium so may help lower blood pressure.
Storing Asparagus
Wash in cold water, snip off ends to give a fresh cut and place in glass jar with enough cold water to cover the ends and about ¼ to ½ inch up the stem. Asparagus should always be stored in cold water so they won't dry out if possible. I store mine in the refrigerator, but they can also last for a few days out on a kitchen counter at room temperature.
Nutritional profile of asparagus
Asparagus is low in calories but boasts an impressive nutrient profile. Just half a cup (90 grams) of cooked asparagus contains:
- Calories: 20
- Protein: 2.2 grams
- Fat: 0.2 grams
- Fiber: 1.8 grams
- Vitamin C: 12% of the RDI
- Vitamin A: 18% of the RDI
- Vitamin K: 57% of the RDI
- Folate: 34% of the RDI
- Potassium: 6% of the RDI
- Phosphorous: 5% of the RDI
- Vitamin E: 7% of the RDI
*Recommended Daily Intake
Could asparagus be the spring superfood?
It is a bright green veggie packed with vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6, as well as folate, iron, copper, calcium, protein, and fiber. These nutrients help asparagus offer serious health benefits. It’s a fibrous vegetable that support a healthy gut, as well as help to lower blood pressure. For these reasons, it is considered a healthy addition to any diet.
Shaved Asparagus Salad
Equipment
- Vegetable Peeler
- Glass mason jar
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Asparagus shaved
- 5 oz. Arugula a.k.a. Rocket
- 2 tablespoons crispy quinoa
- 2 tablespoons chives chopped
- 4 oz. parmesan shaved
- Garnish with lemon zest
Half Recipe Crispy Quinoa
- ½ cup dry quinoa cooked
- 1 tablespoon good olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Simple Citrus Dressing
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tbs Honey
- 1 medium shallot finely chopped
- ⅓ c olive oil extra virgin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper crushed
Instructions
- Prepare the Crispy Quinoa: Preheat the oven to 400°F/204°C
- Spread the cooked quinoa evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet. Try to make it all in one layer, with no pieces on top of each other.
- Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt to taste for a versatile plain crunchy quinoa. Mix with your hands to coat.
- Bake at 400°F/204°C for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the quinoa is golden brown and crispy.
- Prepare the Dressing: Rub zest in salt to release the lemon oils. Add to a mason jar.
- Place all ingredients in a mason jar in the order ingredients are listed.
- The lemon juice and honey are first to allow the lemon to dissolve the honey.
- Then add the chopped shallots, evoo, and pepper, allow to marinate while you assemble your salad.
- For the Salad Base: rinse and shave the asparagus lengthwise with a vegetable peeler, set aside.
- In a bowl, add the arugula (rocket) and the shaved asparagus (including the asparagus crowns), toss with the simple citrus dressing right before serving, not sooner.
- Garnish with chopped chives, including the chive blossom if you are lucky to purchase some at the farmers market or grow your own. Continue to garnish with the crispy quinoa, and shaved parmesan. You can shave the parmesan over the salad with a vegetable peeler. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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