Asparagus Ribbon Salad
Ben Ashby
BY RIKKI SNYDER
With spring coming up quickly this salad is a breath of fresh air! The vibrant veggies,fresh herbs and pops of color that the radishes add are perfect. There are so many different ways you can prepare asparagus and peeling them into ribbons for a nice, healthy salad is one of my favorites!
If you can find purple and white asparagus at your grocery store mix in some ribbons of those colors for even more vibrance. For the best ribbon-making-asparagus, try to pick the thickest pieces you can find. They’re so easy to make, all you have to do is remove the scales of the asparagus, and using a sharp vegetable peeler, peel the asparagus from the tip to the end. After you peel it you can break off the remaining tips and throw them in your salad if you’d like.
The dressing is by far my favorite part of the salad. It’s creamy and so full of flavor from the garlic, fresh parsley and chives. Absolutely divine! What are your favorite spring veggies?
Asparagus Ribbon Salad
1 lb. thick asparagus spears (about 14 pieces)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup olive oil
3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 Tablespoon milk (optional)
1 head Bibb lettuce, torn
1/2 cup seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
3 radishes, very thinly sliced
Remove scales from asparagus spears. Using a vegetable peeler, peel thin ribbons from spears. Place ribbons in medium bowl of ice water.
For dressing, first make a garlic paste. Finely chop the garlic, then sprinkle with coarse salt. Smash and rub the salt into the garlic using a mortar and pestle or a flat chef’s knife at a slight angle. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, sour cream, olive oil and lemon juice. Stir in parsley and chives. If desired, thin with milk. Season to taste with black pepper.
Drain asparagus ribbons and pat dry. On a platter arrange lettuce, asparagus ribbons, cucumber slices and radish slices. Drizzle with dressing. Cover and refrigerate any remaining dressing up to 3 days. Makes 6 servings.
Asparagus Ribbon Salad photography, styling, and recipe by Rikki Snyder. Find more from Rikki on her website and on Instagram—@RikkiSnyder.