Photo Credit: 123RTF
Introduction
This is a wonderful and fresh salad that I was served at the Centro de España Restaurant in Lima, Peru. A wonderful and vibrant country with the world’s number 1 rated restaurant. That one is too rich for my blood, but the Centro de España was a great choice.
This colourful salad features asparagus, scallions, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. The spring onions were quickly pickled with red wine vinegar and orange juice to add a bit of tartness. The asparagus was tossed in a mustardy vinaigrette and garnished with dill and parsley.
Hearty and filling, this salad makes a lovely side dish alongside any other dish you cook.
Some Tips
Make ahead: The spring shallots must marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. The asparagus can be blanched up to 1 day in advance.
Storage: The pickled shallots wil last for quite some time in the refrigerator, as well as the salad for a couple of days – without the dressing.
Ingredients
This will make about 3 cups.
6 shallots for pickling
For Pickling the shallots
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup unsweetened orange juice – or what you may have.
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
The ingredients
1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), woody ends trimmed
8 cherry tomatoes cut in half, or one large tomato cut into wedges.
The Dressing
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
If you have these, 2 tablespoons fresh dill fronds and 2 tablespoons fresh parsley. In a pinch, I have used dried dill and parsley.
Your Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the onions: Clean them up and use only the bulb portions. The greens can go in the compost or save them for another dish. If the bulb is too large for your liking, slice it in half lengthwise, then chop it into 1 cm wide pieces.
Separate the onion layers so you wind up with bite-size pieces resembling flower petals.
Step 2
Make the marinade: In a medium bowl or 2-cup jar, add the vinegar, orange juice, honey, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and whisk until the honey is dissolved.
Add the onion and press it down to submerge the pieces in the liquid. Let it all marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate until needed. You should have about 1 1/4 cups; you’ll need 1/2 cup for this recipe.
Step 3
You need two things: a large pot filled with water to boil on the stove and a large bowl with cold water to use as an ice bath for the asparagus.
Step 4
Cook the Asparagus: Break off the hard parts of the asparagus and add the asparagus to the boiling water. Cook for about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender and bright green. The time to cook will depend on the thickness of the asparagus.
Using tongs, transfer the asparagus to the prepared cold water bath and let it cool completely. Then, transfer to a clean kitchen towel and pat it dry.
Step 5
Make the Dressing: Transfer 1 tablespoon of the marinade from the pickled onions to a small bowl. Add the oil, mustard, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and fresh ground pepper. Whisk until well combined.
Step 6
Make Your Salad: Cut the asparagus at an angle into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to a medium bowl. Add about 1/2 cup of drained pickled onions. Add the tomato and toss with the dressing. Garnish with garnish dill and parsley, and it is ready to eat.
The End
Low-carb dishes do not have to be bland. At Damndiabetes.ca, we do all we can to make living with type 2 diabetes a little easier. This wonderful salad is just one example of what we have on our website and will also be in our upcoming cookbook, which is for anyone, but especially for those of us with type 2 diabetes.
Best wishes from all of us
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