Asparagus and White Bean Salad with Walnut and Tarragon Dressing
Recipe adapted from Melissa Clark.
This simple and satisfying salad is the essence of spring. It highlights crisp tender asparagus picked at the height of the growing season, bright lemon, and herbaceous fresh tarragon just coming into its spring glory in the garden. It makes a delicious lunch or a lovely side dish, and it is easy and quick to prepare.
This recipe was inspired by the gorgeous asparagus that is hitting the markets right now. Asparagus is one of those marvelously versatile veggies that is delicious in a wide variety of preparations. It is also a nutritional powerhouse. Asparagus is low in calories while being high in fiber, vitamin A and E, and flavanoids, which act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Asparagus is particularly beneficial for our microbiome health, as it contains inulin, a prebiotic fiber beloved by our helpful gut microbes.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996922013424
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6506970/
Should you not be quite ready to use your asparagus, it will stay fresh longer if you trim a bit off the ends and place it upright in a glass of water in the fridge.
To make the salad, you need only a few simple ingredients:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup raw walnut pieces
1/4 cup of fresh tarragon leaves
The juice of 3 small or 2 large lemons
1 bunch of fresh asparagus
2 cans of white beans, rinsed and drained. (This recipe contained 1 can of cannellini and 1 can of butter beans, but any combination of cannellini, butter, or great northern beans will do nicely.)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Instructions for Walnut Tarragon Dressing:
Place walnuts, tarragon, the juice of all three lemons, and the salt in a high speed blender container.
Blend on high until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the container, as needed.
The dressing comes out thick and creamy, with a lovely tarragon essence and an intense lemon flavor. It may seem overly lemony on its own, but it will pair beautifully with the mild beans and asparagus.
Instructions for Blanching Asparagus:
Place water on to boil in a pan large enough to let the asparagus move freely.
Rinse the asparagus.
Snap off and discard the woody ends.
Prepare a bowl of ice water, which will be used to stop the blanching process.
Chop the asparagus into bite-sized pieces, approximately 1 to 1.5 inches long.
Place the asparagus in the boiling water for 1 minute. Be careful not to overcook it, or it will become mushy.
Immediately drain the asparagus and place it in the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Allow the blanched asparagus to remain submerged in the ice bath for at least five minutes or until fully cool. This will ensure that it retains its bright green color and crisp snap.
Once fully cool, drain the asparagus and gently pat it dry.
Dress your salad.
Toss and taste. Adjust the salt level as desired.
This simple spring salad is a lovely combination of meaty white beans, crunchy asparagus, bright lemon, and licorice-y tarragon. Not only is it delicious, but it is packed with protein, fiber, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. The walnuts provide heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fats. The beans are filled with protein and fiber, and the vitamin C in the lemon juice allows greater absorption of the plant-based iron.
Prep Time: Approximately 20 minutes
Yield: 4 one-cup servings
Nutrition Information per each 1-cup serving:
Calories: 200 Protein: 11 g Fat: 5 g Carbs: 22 g Fiber: 8.5 g Iron: 3.9 mg
Calcium: 96.5 mg Vitamin A: 103.5 IU Vitamin C: 36.5 mg Folate: 303 IU Potassium: 1005 mg Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.2 g Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg
This dish was based off a recipe by Melissa Clark, which was originally posted in the New York Times. Thank you for the inspiration, Melissa!
www. cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014781-white-bean-and-asparagus-salad-with-tarragon-lemon-dressing?
