It’s May and Spring should have fully sprung by now. But the neighborhood tulips haven’t opened yet and half the trees still don’t have buds. That’s the downside of living spitting distance from Lake Michigan – the cold winds blowing off the lake keep the plants in their winter slumber a bit longer than I’d like. Drive a few miles inland and the lawns are green and lush, the magnolia and cherry trees are in full blossom and the tulips are at their peak.
I made this salad to remind me of what the season will feel like around here in the next couple of weeks. Light, floral-scented and fresh. With minimal preparation, you can starting enjoying this salad in less than 15 minutes. And if you’re cooking for yourself, cut the recipe in half and store any leftovers in the fridge for tomorrow.
As an alternative, you can cut up the lettuce and toss it in with the other veggies, rather than serving it on the larger leaves. Whatever suits your fancy!
If you’re following Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat To Live program, this salad complies with the life plan portion, although to strictly adhere to the plan, you should swap out the agave nectar with date sugar. If you are on the weight loss plan, leave the oil, salt and agave out of the dressing and substitute by sprinkling currants or golden raisins over the salad.
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 heads Boston lettuce or Romaine (washed and patted dry)
1 cup sweet peas (fresh or frozen)
1 cup edamame (fresh or frozen)
1 bunch asparagus – about 12 ounces (washed and tough portion of stalks removed)
1 Granny Smith apple (cut into match sticks)
chives for garnish
Dressing
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup fresh chopped basil leaves (tightly packed)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon agave nectar (or honey for vegetarians)
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Place the lemon juice in a shallow, wide dish. Cut the apple into match sticks and place in the lemon juice making sure they are all covered to prevent browning.
2. Drain the lemon juice from the apples and place in a blender or small food processor with the other dressing ingredients and mix until completely blended.
3. Steam the asparagus, edamame and peas for 2 minutes, or par boil them for 60 – 90 seconds until the asparagus is bright green. Remove from the pan and place in ice water or run under cold water until completely cool to stop the cooking.
4. In a mixing bowl, toss the asparagus, peas, edamame and apple sticks with the dressing until everything is well coated.
5. Arrange the lettuce leaves on 4 serving dishes and divide the salad on the plates.
6. Garnish with chive sticks and serve immediately.
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