My Spring Salad is all the spring veggies, asparagus, green beans, snap peas, cooked to perfection, topped with cashews and sprouts, then tossed in a lovely light White Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette. The perfect way to welcome and celebrate spring!
The woody root end of the asparagus needs to be snapped off before cooking. Take the end of the asparagus between your thumb and forefinger and bend until it breaks; the asparagus breaks (or snaps) where the woody part ends and the fresh delicious juicy asparagus begins.
Drizzle a small amount of oil in a large cast iron skillet. Place the trimmed asparagus in the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a small amount of oil. Roll the asparagus back and forth to coat them with the oil. Bake in a 400° F oven for about 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is bright green and tender when pierced with a fork.
Carefully place the roasted asparagus onto a plate and allow to cool.
Green Beans:
While the skillet is still hot from the oven, place it on the stove-top on medium-high heat. Place the green beans in the hot skillet and sauté for about 3-5 minutes, until beans are tender-crisp and bright green. Place seared green beans onto the plate with the asparagus. Once the cooked veggies have cooled a bit, place them in the fridge for a cold salad, or leave them warm for a warm salad.
Dressing:
While waiting for the veggies to cool, make dressing, and set aside. Mix all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake to combine.
Snap Peas:
If your snap peas have strings, you’ll want to remove those. Hold a small knife in one hand and the snap pea in the other, with the inside curve of the pod facing you. Cut one of the tips of the pea and pull off the tough string that runs along the length of the top of the pod. If your peas don’t have strings, cut the tips off of each end of the snap peas. Cut pea pods on the diagonal.
Assemble salad:
Combine all salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and toss with White Balsamic Vinaigrette. Garnish with additional fresh pepper if desired. Serve and enjoy the springiness!
Notes
You’ll probably have more dressing than you need for the Spring Salad. It’ll keep really well in the fridge in the covered jar for a couple of days, just take it out of the fridge about 10 minutes before you want to use it to allow it to come up to room temp.