Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese
A fresh asparagus salad with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, and walnuts, all tossed in a quick maple Dijon vinaigrette — ready in 20 minutes.
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Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 lb fresh asparagus woody ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups mixed salad greens — arugula baby spinach, or a spring mix all work great
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- ¼ cup red onion sliced as thinly as you can manage
- ½ cup goat cheese crumbled into small pieces
- ¼ cup walnuts roughly chopped or left whole
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the Maple Dijon Vinaigrette:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the asparagus and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until it turns bright green and is crisp with just a little give when pierced with a fork. Right away, transfer the asparagus to a bowl filled with ice water — this stops the cooking immediately. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then drain well and pat it dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, and maple syrup until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.
- In a large bowl, toss together the blanched asparagus, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top and gently toss everything to coat. Season with the kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Transfer the salad to a large serving bowl or divide it among individual plates. Scatter the crumbled goat cheese and walnuts over the top, and finish with an extra pinch of salt and a few cracks of fresh black pepper if you like.
Servings: 4