Spring
Shaved Asparagus and Mint Salad
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83 Reviews
sevenfaces
October 27, 2015
I'd never had raw asparagus so I was excited to try this salad, sadly the flavour is too subtle for me and it all tasted like vinaigrette coated paper ribbons. At least with the asparagus I can find in my local shops, I will continue to enjoy them cooked.
Curt
May 10, 2015
Great recipe! Added shaved Asian pear to add another texture dimension and added a more definitive contrast to the woody asparagus.
joann
November 6, 2014
Super dish! It surprised everyone really, and the compliments kept coming. Loved the vinegarette too... everything was perfect! Great way to serve a veggy side that doesn't seem like a side.
Ashley M.
April 20, 2014
Ok, I was totally skeptical about eating RAW asparagus and this BLEW my socks off! Subbed pine nuts for the hazelnuts and champagne vinegar for the sherry vinegar (for lack of finding it last minute) and it was stellar. Wonderful. Thank you :)
Katherine
January 28, 2014
Great recipe! Loved loved loved it! Some changes: We couldn't find our peeler so we sliced our asparagus in short diagonal pieces. Only used blanched raw hazelnuts. Plus, we didn't have sherry vinegar so we substituted it with rice wine vinegar. All in all, it was absolutely delish! Will make it again, hopefully next time we can follow the recipe down to a t!
LizTerry
January 1, 2014
Loved this! I didn't know you could eat raw asparagus. We added thin sliced dried figs and prosciutto. Lovely starter salad for our New Year's Eve dinner.
emcsull
April 18, 2013
I find it next to impossible to shave the heads, I gotta say. It will still be wonderful, I am sure.
1natalplum
July 9, 2012
I saw this and ran right out and bought asparagus. I used mgreentv5's suggestion for the sherry vinegar and subbed sliced almonds because my hazelnuts smelled freezerish. Hubby's away so I halved the recipe and devoured it all for my meatless Monday dinner. I love this so much, I will plant Sweet Purple asparagus next spring--purple outside, pale green inside, higher sugar content and lower lignin makes it especially great raw. Can't wait--thanks!
MaureenOnTheCape
June 19, 2012
I love to transform vegetables that I like into something completely different. It would be tough to realize these shavings are actually asparagus. It is really a unique dish. Unfortunately my local grocery store did not have sherry vinegar, so after searching the internet for substitutes, I used 1 TBL. red wine vinegar and 1 TBL. sherry and it was delicious. I will make this again and again. Thank you Meatballs&Milkshakes!
TheLearningCook
June 12, 2012
This was really good, it was just kind of a pain to shave the asparagus.
SandraK
May 29, 2012
Made this with a few minor alterations...added arugula as a background flavour and to extend the salad a bit and I had lovely purple chive flowers to add some variety of colour. Definitely well received.
Sandra
http://www.torontobites.net/?p=3292
Sandra
http://www.torontobites.net/?p=3292
fosterOR
April 8, 2012
This is briliiant! So simple, fresh and easy for anyone to do with or without deep cooking skill. I know. Made this for a group dinner and was uncharacteristically treated like a culinary hero. This recipe should win a contest-oh yeah, it did. :-) Thank you!
fosterOR
April 8, 2012
This is briliant! So simple, fresh and easy for anyone to do with or without deep cooking skill. I know. Made this for a group dinner and was uncharacteristically treated like a culinary hero. This recipe should win a contest-oh yeah, it did. :-) Thank you!
deensiebat
March 14, 2012
Just made this for a fancy dinner for a friend. So good! To fancy it up I used a bit of truffled cheese instead, which worked really well against the bright flavors of the salad.
Ms. T.
March 10, 2012
Mmm...just picked up some of the season's first asparagus from the farmer's market and am excited to give this a try for a party tomorrow. Do you think it's okay to shave the asparagus a few hours in advance? Also, do you include the asparagus heads in the salad?
Meatballs&Milkshakes
March 10, 2012
Yes, definitely include the heads, they look pretty. Make sure to shave from the stem end to the head. I would say yes, you can shave it in advance but be aware that it will get a little more limp and the moisture in the asparagus will start to come out. I don't mind it that way personally, and I usually like leftovers the next day just as much as the original salad.
Ms. T.
March 10, 2012
Great, thanks! I'm going to use your recipe as a jumping off point, but will improvise a bit, since I have some preserved Meyer lemons I'd like to incorporate. Thanks for the inspiration!
Ms. T.
March 15, 2012
I created a spin-off of your recipe, with a preserved Meyer lemon dressing and thinly sliced watermelon radishes. It came out great--thanks for sharing your brilliant idea! Next time, I will try your recipe as written because it looks delicious, as is. Photos of my version here:
http://stillsimmering.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/they-say-its-spring-a-celebratory-salad/
http://stillsimmering.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/they-say-its-spring-a-celebratory-salad/
SRoca
June 20, 2011
Delicious. A boat-load of work to shave the asparagus, but really very tasty. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Meatballs&Milkshakes
December 2, 2011
I actually find that I get into a groove with it and it's not so bad...just make sure to hold from the thick stem end and don't worry about using the bottom inch.
NanP
June 7, 2011
This is my new favorite late spring and summer meal. I add ribbons of summer squash to give some color contrast
PFossil
May 25, 2011
Wow, this totally says spring to me. Can wait to head to the Greenmarket on Saturday for some seriously fresh asparagus and mint.
lorigoldsby
May 25, 2011
Congrats! i have the mint growing widly in the back patio and I have a good chunk of parm hiding in the back of the fridge...just off to the market for some fresh asparagus.
Yuko
May 23, 2011
I made this wonderful salad last night. My in-law is visiting and she requested a salad for dinner and I decided to make this. It was absolutely fab and everyone loved it. I branched shaved asparagus for 2 seconds (and then to ice water) to get rid of the sliminess and to bring up the color. This will be my staple Spring salad. Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe.
Meatballs&Milkshakes
May 23, 2011
Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it! (And I like the ice water tip-- I've been letting it sit in the vinaigrette for as long as possible to absorb the flavor, which also gets rid of the sliminess, but that's great for when I don't have the time!)
BLB
May 22, 2011
inspired by your salad, I just did a calorie free version with shaved asparagus salt pepper and a balsamic drizzle. this is a new staple! thank you for the idea of shaving asparagus.
lorigoldsby
May 22, 2011
Congrats on being a finalist! Looking forward to reading your blog (maybe you'll inspire me to start writing!) and seeing more submissions from you!
Meatballs&Milkshakes
May 23, 2011
Thanks! I'm having a lot of fun with the new blog, you should definitely start writing!
lmayb6
May 21, 2011
Love the idea of shaved asparagus for the foundation of a salad. It puts a whole new twist on salad greens!
gingerspices
May 21, 2011
Made this salad for a dinner party last night. Added rocket to bulk it up a bit, it was a huge hit!
SouffleBombay
May 19, 2011
This looks perfect! I recently made a shaved celery salad and just loved how refreshing it was....I love the idea of shaved asparagus...add in the nuts, the honey and the cheese and mmmmmmmm! Good Luck!!
cheese1227
May 19, 2011
One of my favorite ways to eat asparagus. Got any tips for the very middle of the spear, that you can't really shave any further because it tends to snap but it's still quite a bit thicker than the other shavings?
Meatballs&Milkshakes
May 19, 2011
I lay them flat on the counter and just shave across from the thick side out. I don't worry too much if I don't get perfect shavings every time. Also, I've found you can pretty much get all the way down to the bottom of the asparagus. I've been using local asparagus that's quite tender, but still pretty thick.
Juliette
May 19, 2011
So light, so bright, and oh so delicious! I can't wait to make this salad - Congrats!
lorigoldsby
May 19, 2011
Congrats!! We like "zing" in our veggies.
Meatballs&Milkshakes
May 19, 2011
Thanks! I'm a big fan of citrus vinaigrette in general....I put it on chicken, scallops, pasta....yum!
Sagegreen
May 19, 2011
Congrats on being a finalist. The hazelnuts are such a clever accent to add here.
Meatballs&Milkshakes
May 19, 2011
Thanks! I originally tried pine nuts, but I thought the hazelnuts I had in my freezer my give it more depth of flavor! I generally use them over other nuts because I like them most.
hardlikearmour
May 19, 2011
I love the flavor of raw asparagus, and the composition of your salad is gorgeous. Congrats!
aargersi
May 19, 2011
This sound really great - I will try it for sure! And - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
Meatballs&Milkshakes
May 19, 2011
Thanks!! And congratulations to you as well! I will definitely be trying yours!
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