On Sundays in the springtime, my favorite place to be is my local Farmer’s Market. Beautiful bunches of asparagus lined the stalls this month with bright green spears and firm,compact stems – that’s absolute perfection in my world. What better way to showcase asparagus then simply raw with bright lemon dressing, dollops of my favorite plant-based ricotta cheese and drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. You could serve over gluten-free toast or as a “pizza salad” topping or add quinoa to make it a bowl, this is delicious and easy…perfect for this time of year.
Shaved Asparagus Salad with Creamy Almond Ricotta
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
Dressing:
Zest & juice of 1 lemon (approx. 2 T. juice)
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1 medium shallot, finely minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
pinch sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper
Salad:
¼ cup pistachios, pine nuts, or almonds (your choice)
1 pound fresh organic asparagus, with ends trimmed
1/2 cup Kite Hill Almond Ricotta
additional extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Directions:
Add all ingredients for the dressing to a blender and blend until emulsified. Pour into the bottom of a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
Toast nut of your choice in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Give them a few good stirs, until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
Thinly slice the asparagus lengthwise using a mandolin (on the first setting) or a vegetable peeler. Place the thin ribbons into the mixing bowl with the dressing. Allow the asparagus to marinate in the dressing for 10-15 minutes.
When ready to plate, lay the marinated asparagus into delicate “nests” and top each nest with a generous dollop of Kite Hill Ricotta (if you aren’t dairy free, you can use whole milk ricotta), sprinkle with toasted pistachio and finish with a drizzle of high quality olive oil and additional sea salt and cracked pepper.
*This recipe is also great on top of gluten free toast or served as a salad pizza topping
