Ingredients
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onion, such as Vidalia
- 1 pound bunch asparagus or
- 6 ounce sugar snap peas
- 1 medium navel orange
- 1 cup strawberries, rinsed
- 5 cups lightly packed mixed baby salad greens, washed and dried, if necessary
- 1/2 cup Orange-Sesame Dressing or Poppy Seed Dressing
Featuring spring vegetables, strawberries, citrus and sweet onion, this colorful salad is truly a celebration of spring. Prepare the dressing and ingredients in advance, but assemble and toss with dressing just before serving. Even though sweet onions are less pungent than other varieties, it is a good idea to soak them in ice water to temper their bite before tossing into a salad. Almonds complement the flavors well, but other nuts, such as walnuts, pecans or pistachios, would make a delicious topping as well.
STEPS
1. Prepare dressing.
2. Toast almonds in a dry, medium skillet (not nonstick) over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly, until light golden and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Alternatively, toast almonds in a 350 F oven for about 10 minutes. Let cool.
3. Soak onion in bowl of ice water while you prepare remaining ingredients.
4. If using asparagus, snap off tough ends and cut asparagus into 1 -inch pieces. If using sugar snap peas, trim stem ends and cut peas in half crosswise.
5. Steam asparagus (or sugar snap peas) until crisp-tender, 2 to 5 minutes. Refresh under cold running water and drain again.
6. Using a sharp knife, peel oranges, removing white pith. Quarter orange and slice. Hull and slice strawberries. Drain onion and pat dry.
7. Place greens, asparagus (or sugar snap peas), orange sections, strawberries, and drained onions in a large bowl. Toss with dressing and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
Yield: 4 (2-cup) servings
Per serving (with 2 Tbsp Orange-Sesame Dressing): Cal 260, Fat 17 g (Sat 2 g, P:S 3.4:1), Carb 25 g, Total sugars 15 g (Added 2 g), Fiber 7 g, Protein 6 g, Sodium 320 mg, Potassium 335 mg, Calcium 96 mg, Vitamin D 0 mcg, Iron 2 mg.
Recipe abbreviations: Cal: calories, Sat: saturated fat, P:S: polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat ratio, carb: carbohydrate, g: grams, mg:milligrams, mcg: micrograms, Tbsp: tablespoons, tsp: teaspoons, oz: ounce
Snapping off the asparagus ends wastes too much. Better to use a vegetable peeler for the bottom and cut off just the dried end. Any bottom part you feel is too tough can be cut into very thin rounds [minimizing the stringy outer skin].