Cold Asparagus-Ginger Salad
Wow…this cold asparagus-ginger salad is such a God send in the busy spring and summer days when you want something refreshing, super flavorful and a total make ahead dish so you can focus on having fun with your family and friends. The longer this sits in the frig the better the flavors get so make this the night before and that will be one less thing to do when you have to grill the Asian salmon, skirts steaks, or sautéed chicken breasts with a roasted garlic & cannellini purée, or perfectly mashed potatoes with red onion. The dressing with the asparagus is really my go to Asian dressing that I use for many dishes and you should add this to your repertoire also. With the toasted sesame seeds you should always toast more then you need and keep them in a jar or Ziploc because for such a simple task it adds a lovely nutty flavor to any dish.
Ingredients: Makes enough for 6 people
- 1/4 cup soy
- 1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup green onion finely sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 tsp sugar
- Squeeze from 1/2 fresh lime
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (more for garnish)
Directions:
- Toast sesame seeds on medium heat in a small pan shaking the pan periodically back and forth
- This happens quickly once they heat up…it will only take about 3-4 minutes to turn golden so DO NOT leave the pan or they will burn
- Once the sesame seeds are golden remove from the pan, place in a ramekin and set aside
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together soy, toasted sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, fresh grated ginger with a microplaner, sugar and 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds and set dressing aside
- Bend asparagus to find the proper “break” point then cut the ends off to even them up
- Put asparagus in cold salted water and bring to a simmer
- Cook til tender but NOT mushy
- Drain and give them ice bath to shock …don’t need to make them cold just want to shock to retain vibrant color
- Dry off asparagus on a paper towel and place on a serving platter
- Cut dried asparagus into 4 pieces and add to dressing bowl, toss and pop into the frig to marinate the flavors for 1 hour to overnight
- Serve with your favorite protein and sprinkle a dusting of toasted sesame seeds on top