Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette (Gluten Free)

Today’s Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette is full of the flavors of spring and perfect for brunch, lunch, or dinner. And best of all it is delicious and naturally gluten-free!

I love Caprese salad, an Italian classic with heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. These three ingredients represent the colors of the Italian flag and are often found in a variety of dishes, most notably this salad and Margherita pizza. Today’s recipe replaces the basil leaves with fresh asparagus to celebrate the spring harvest.

If tomatoes aren’t at their peak, it’s OK because marinating them for a few minutes in the vinaigrette gives them a huge bump in flavor. You can use any variety you like, but heirlooms are my personal favorite. When they aren’t in season, I usually buy Roma tomatoes (pear-shaped) because they have a lot of meat, few seeds and less moisture. That makes them perfect for most salads.

If you can’t find asparagus in the grocery store or farmer’s market, you can substitute zucchini, cucumber, crookneck squash, potatoes, or other vegetables you like for an equally delightful dish. This lets you make a version of it all year long!

You can throw this salad together in just a few minutes and have it on the table in less than an hour. The Artist and I really enjoyed this Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette. We added a rotisserie chicken to round out the meal and it was absolutely perfect!

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a progressive dinner party where each course is held at a different home. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out. This month’s theme is Citrus and is hosted by Laura of Mother Would Know. Each recipe in our menu this month features citrus in some form: slices of fruit, juice, rind etc. We have a great mix of recipes  for you to enjoy. See the links below for inspiration and great recipes!

A Citrus Feast

Cocktails & Other Beverages

• Blackberry Lime Margaritas from The Redhead Baker
• Orange Frosty, from the Orange Appeal Cookbook, Creative Culinary

Appetizers

• Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette (Gluten-Free) from The Heritage Cook
• Crab and Mango Salad with Spicy Lime Dressing in Endive from From A Chef’s Kitchen

Main Courses

• Fish with Lemon Caper Sauce from Mother Would Know
• Stir-Fried Crispy Orange Beef from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Side Dishes

• Roasted Asparagus Salad with Preserved Lemon from OMG Yummy
• Cauliflower Scampi in a Garlic Lemon Sauce from The Wimpy Vegetarian

Desserts

• Glazed Lemon Pound Cake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Fruited Orange Summer Dessert Salad with Orange Marmalade Whipped Cream from Life’s a Feast

Jane’s Tips and Hints:

The best way to know where to cut asparagus (part of the stalk is tough and woody) is to hold one stalk at both ends and bend it until it snaps in two. Set the tender stalk next to the rest of the bunch and cut them all to that length.

Gluten-Free Tips:

This salad is naturally gluten-free. If you choose to use a store bought dressing, make sure you read the label and be certain it doesn’t have any gluten in it. Dressing are one place where gluten likes to hide!

Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette (Gluten-Free)

2018-04-17 22:31:27

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Ingredients

1. Salad
2. 1 bunch fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed off and discarded, stalks cut into bite-sized pieces
3. 2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into small wedges
4. 1 ball of fresh mozzarella (stored in water), drained, patted dry and cut into small cubes
5. 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
6. 4 whole lettuce leaves, such as butter, red or green leaf lettuce
7. Lemon Vinaigrette
8. 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
9. 1 tbsp champagne, sherry, or white wine vinegar
10. 2 tsp minced shallots
11. 1 tsp Dijon mustard
12. 6 tbsp organic olive oil
13. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
14. Pinch of sugar, if needed

Instructions

1. Fill a large mixing bowl about half full with water and add ice to use to shock the asparagus and stop the cooking.
2. In a 4-quart saucepan, bring water to a boil, salt it lightly and add the asparagus. Cook until the asparagus is just barely tender, about 4 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the size of the pieces. Nibble on pieces, testing until they reach the doneness you like.
3. Using a slotted spoon transfer the asparagus to a wire strainer. Place the wire strainer in the bowl of ice water – the strainer will make it much easier to strain the chilled asparagus. Leave in the water just long enough to stop the cooking process.
4. When lightly cooled, lift the strainer with the asparagus from the water and drain thoroughly. Transfer to another mixing bowl. Add the tomato wedges* and mozzarella cubes. Sprinkle with the thyme. Set aside while you make the vinaigrette.
5. In a medium jar with a tight lid, combine the lemon juice, vinegar and shallots. Let it sit and macerate for about 3 minutes. This will take a little of the sharpness off the vinegar and lightly sweeten the vinaigrette. Add the remaining vinaigrette ingredients. Place the lid on the jar, tighten it and shake the jar vigorously until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.
6. Pour 1/3 to 1/2 of this mixture over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated. Add more if you like. Taste the salad and add salt and pepper to taste. Pass the extra dressing at the table and then store remaining dressing in the refrigerator up to a week.
7. Place a lettuce leaf on each serving plate. Divide the salad evenly between the plates, placing it atop the lettuce leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. Yield: 4 servings
2. * If your tomatoes are not full of flavor, toss separately with some of the vinaigrette and let sit for about 5 minutes. Then use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes to the bowl with the cheese and asparagus and continue making the salad as directed. You can use the dressing that was on the tomatoes to dress the rest of the salad.

By Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook © 2018 All rights reserved

The Heritage Cook ® https://theheritagecook.com/

To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.

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Welcome! If you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, need to alter a recipe for gluten-free, or want recipe suggestions, don’t hesitate to ask. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers page for additional details. Thanks for visiting The Heritage Cook!