Lemony Asparagus Salad With Shaved Cheese and Nuts
Published April 8, 2020
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¾cup pistachios or other nuts
- 1pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- ½cup plus 3 tablespoons soft herbs, such as dill, parsley and tarragon, or a combination
- 3tablespoons minced shallots, red onion or scallion
- 1½tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or cider vinegar)
- Large pinch of kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- ¾cup coarsely grated cheese (1½ ounces), preferably a young sheep’s milk, such as pecorino or Manchego, but any firm cheese works, plus more for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
417 calories; 35 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 400 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, spread pistachios in an even layer and toast for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle, then roughly chop.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, fill a large skillet with 1-inch water. Place steam basket on top, cover and bring to a simmer. Steam asparagus until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
- Step 3
Finely chop 3 tablespoons mixed soft herbs. In a medium bowl, combine shallot, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and the pepper, and let sit for 2 minutes. Whisk in oil, then stir in pistachios, cheese and chopped herbs.
- Step 4
To serve, drizzle asparagus with oil and salt to taste. Dollop with dressing, tear remaining ½ cup herbs on top, and sprinkle generously with more cheese. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Private Notes
Comments
Beautiful with what I needed to use up: red onion, pine nuts, and pecorino. Added lemon zest to the salsa, why not. Taking someone’s advice from a recipe elsewhere on this site, I roasted the asparagus (~10 mins) on a cooling rack sitting on a baking sheet, spears facing in. 350 degrees. Yum.
A very interesting variation on my grandmother’s recipe. She used parmigiana and anchovy with asparagus. I am aware that a lot of people in the US have not acquired a taste for anchovy, but I have served this to many of my US friends, and they have enjoyed it. You don’t need a lot of anchovy, and you chop it up into tiny pieces. The recipe is very simple, steamed asparagus, good Virgin olive oil, grated parmigiana and the cut up anchovies....truly delicious.
As the article suggested, you can easily swap out ingredients. Here’s what I had lying around: pecorino, toasted walnuts, red onion. For the herbs: dill, parsley, cilantro. Put it over steamed broccoli - delicious. The salsa stands on its own. Would be delicious on a toasted baguette or cracker too!
I blanched the asparagus and then put them in an ice bath to stop cooking. I chopped the asparagus into 3/4 inch pieces to make it more uniform with the pistachios. I added the shallots to the dressing in a blender along with basil, parsley and dill. The dill and basil really brightened the flavor. Added the pistachios on top at end with serving individual bowls, as well as halved cherry tomatoes for a shot of brightness. Delish. The whole family ate it, even the kids and grandparents. I was told this recipe needs to go on repeat.
We like this so much, we've had it every week this spring. It's converted my whole family to asparagus lovers.
I braised the asparagus and added minced confit of lemon.
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