Description
A fresh and vibrant Spring Salad featuring tender asparagus, sweet peas, crunchy snow peas, and crisp baby gem lettuce, all tossed in a zesty lemon and olive oil dressing and topped with creamy goat cheese and fresh mint leaves. This quick and easy salad is perfect for a light lunch or a side dish that celebrates spring produce.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 3 bunches (24 spears) asparagus, woody ends snapped off
- 120g / 4oz snow peas, trimmed and strings removed (about 16 large or 20 smaller ones)
- 1 head baby gem or cos lettuce (16 leaves), washed
- 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
Cheese & Herbs
- 90g / 3oz goat cheese
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
Dressing
- 1 tsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 2 tbsp (30ml) lemon juice
- 6 tbsp (90ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Boil water: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil to prepare for blanching the vegetables.
- Cook snow peas: Add the snow peas to the boiling water and cook for 1 1/2 minutes until they start to soften but remain crisp.
- Add asparagus: Add asparagus spears to the pot and continue boiling for another 1 1/2 minutes, cooking them until tender-crisp.
- Add peas: Add the fresh or frozen peas and boil for 30 seconds more, just until the water returns to a simmer and the peas brighten in color.
- Drain and cool: Immediately drain the vegetables and refresh under cold running water to stop the cooking process and preserve color and texture.
- Dry vegetables: Remove asparagus and snow peas, blot dry with paper towels. Keep peas in the colander, tossing occasionally to dry to prevent dilution of the dressing.
- Prepare lettuce: Split larger baby gem leaves down the middle and keep smaller leaves whole.
- Cut asparagus: Slice the asparagus stems in half on a slight angle for better bite-sized pieces.
- Make dressing: Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a jar and shake well to emulsify.
- Toss salad: Combine all vegetables in a large bowl, add the fresh mint leaves, pour over the dressing, and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
- Serve: Arrange the dressed salad on a platter. Scatter small chunks of goat cheese on top and serve immediately for best freshness and flavor.
Notes
- Note 1: Snap off woody ends of asparagus to avoid tough pieces in the salad.
- Note 2: Washing the baby gem or cos lettuce thoroughly is important to remove grit.
- Note 3: Using frozen peas is fine; just add them directly to boiling water.
- Note 4: Drying vegetables well after blanching prevents the dressing from becoming diluted and helps it stick to the salad.
- Note 5: Serving on a platter makes this salad visually appealing and perfect for sharing.
