Asparagus Spring Salad
It’s spring! There are some super nutritious veggies coming in season…and Asparagus is one of them! Most people want to roast their Asparagus, it is tasty that way. HOWEVER, Asparagus is an enzyme rich food. It’s virtually a giant “Sprout” packed with tons of nutrition and enzymes.
The enzymes are the “construction crew” of the food. They take the vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins and micronutrients apart and put them to use in your body. When you heat the food over 118 degrees you kill the enzymes…yikes! You kill the construction crew.
This salad utilizes RAW Asparagus and a variety of lettuce you may not be familiar with; butter lettuce or bib or boston lettuce. This is the pretty little head of lettuce you see in your produce section. It is a softer type of lettuce. Best to purchase the day you intend to use it. Only prepare as much as you will eat, it won’t hold well with the dressing. If you are making this for one person to use for several days, add the asparagus, peas and onions in the dressing and toss in lettuce right before serving.
Bibb Lettuce
And then there are the peas. Peas are one of the earliest post-winter veggies. They are a great carbohydrate (gluten free) and full of nutrients. Tiny-first-of-the-season raw peas are sweet and crunchy. Yum!
Without further adoo…let me introduce Asparagus Spring Salad
Asparagus Spring Salad
Asparagus Spring Salad
A refreshing crunchy spring salad with a zesty lemon dressing and an unusual choice of greens for maximized nutrition.
Servings: 4 people
Calories:
Ingredients
- 2 heads boston or bibb lettuce
- 2 cups thin sliced asparagus 1 bunch
- 2 cups fresh shelled peas
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
- 4 cup stalks green onion minced or 1/4 red onion minced
- 1/4 cup toasted cashews or sliced almonds
Dressing
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup olive oil grapeseed or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon raw local honey
- 1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint
Instructions
- Zest lemon, make lemon juice Put all ingredients in magic bullet and whir until well blended
- Make Salad
- Tear lettuce into bite sized pieces.
- Remove 1 inch from the bottom of the asparagus stem and discard, this is the woody part.
- Cut the tips off the asparagus by bunching together with the tips even and cut.
- Run the stems of the asparagus through your food processor using the slicing blade, gather the stems all together and run them through all at once if they will fit in the food processor shoot. Shell peas or buy peas already shelled. If you can’t find fresh peas (so sad) you can use frozen organic baby peas, throw them into the salad frozen, they will thaw quickly.
- Add thin sliced green onion or red onion.
- Top with toasted cashews or almonds.
Notes
Tips and Nutritional Benefits
Asparagus This is a sprout and it's nutritional profile breaks down quickly. When you bring it home be sure to wrap the ends in a paper towel and use within 48 hours. Asparagus is one veggie that has recently been given lots of attention. One unique nutrient is saponins. "Saponins in food have repeatedly been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, and their intake has also been associated with improved blood pressure, improved blood sugar regulation, and better control of blood fat levels." http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=12 Other Health Benefits of Asparagus Asparagus contains "inulin", a food for the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Which may be why some folks crave asparagus.
High in Vitamin K, B Vitamins.
Anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, heart health, blood sugar regulation and digestive aid. Spring Peas Most people don't really think of peas as a health food...I know I didn't. To me it was the yucky stuff mixed with carrots on my school lunch plate. Today I LOVE peas! "they also contain a unique assortment of health-protective phytonutrients. One of these phytonutrients—a polyphenol called coumestrol--has recently come to the forefront of research with respect to stomach cancer protection." http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=55 Other Health Benefits of Spring Peas...who knew? High in Vitamin K, B Vitamins and Fiber
Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, heart health, protection against stomach cancer Bibb or Boston Lettuce Lettuce of all types is high in Vitamin K, B Vitamins, Minerals and Fiber. It's extremely low on the glycemic index. This type of lettuce is much softer than romaine and gives a nice texture when combined with crunchy veggies. This type of lettuce does not keep well. Please purchase on the day you want to use it and add it to your salad just before serving.
Asparagus This is a sprout and it's nutritional profile breaks down quickly. When you bring it home be sure to wrap the ends in a paper towel and use within 48 hours. Asparagus is one veggie that has recently been given lots of attention. One unique nutrient is saponins. "Saponins in food have repeatedly been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, and their intake has also been associated with improved blood pressure, improved blood sugar regulation, and better control of blood fat levels." http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=12 Other Health Benefits of Asparagus Asparagus contains "inulin", a food for the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Which may be why some folks crave asparagus.
High in Vitamin K, B Vitamins.
Anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, heart health, blood sugar regulation and digestive aid. Spring Peas Most people don't really think of peas as a health food...I know I didn't. To me it was the yucky stuff mixed with carrots on my school lunch plate. Today I LOVE peas! "they also contain a unique assortment of health-protective phytonutrients. One of these phytonutrients—a polyphenol called coumestrol--has recently come to the forefront of research with respect to stomach cancer protection." http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=55 Other Health Benefits of Spring Peas...who knew? High in Vitamin K, B Vitamins and Fiber
Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, heart health, protection against stomach cancer Bibb or Boston Lettuce Lettuce of all types is high in Vitamin K, B Vitamins, Minerals and Fiber. It's extremely low on the glycemic index. This type of lettuce is much softer than romaine and gives a nice texture when combined with crunchy veggies. This type of lettuce does not keep well. Please purchase on the day you want to use it and add it to your salad just before serving.
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
One Response to Asparagus Spring Salad