Go green with Spring’s best vegetables! Highlighted with citrus flavor, purple radishes and Parmesan cheese, this fresh green vegetable salad is amazing. By blanching the vegetables first, you create an appealing texture that is positively divine. It is packed with goodness as well as flavor and makes a perfect accompaniment to complete your meal.
When using kale in a salad, I like to massage the leaves with a touch of olive oil and let them set for a bit. It removes any bitterness and softens them up. This is especially beneficial when pairing the kale with other greens. This is a great base recipe that can be adjusted to include other vegetables and it also goes well with alternate cheeses such as goat or feta.
Spring Vegetable Salad
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 head bib lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 broccoli crown, cut into small bite sized pieces
- 1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces on the diagonal
- 1 cup snap peas, string removed sliced on the diagonal into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup fresh peas, shelled
- 2-3 large radishes sliced very thin, using a mandoline
- 4-oz. wedge Parmesan cheese, for shaving
- Kosher salt
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. honey
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp. champagne vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
- Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar and shake well. Chill until needed.
- Put the kale in a bowl and massage the leaves with enough olive oil to coat the leaves evenly. Place in refrigerator to cool while preparing the rest of the salad.
- To prepare the vegetables, bring a large saucepan filled with 4 quarts water and a couple tablespoons kosher salt to a boil.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels and have ready. Set a colander in a bowl of ice water and have ready. Once the water is boiling, blanch each green vegetable separately, transferring each with a slotted or wire mesh spoon to the colander in the ice water bath after blanching, and letting the water in the pot return to a boil between each one. Blanch in this order: the peas, boiling for 1 minute; then the broccoli, boiling for 1-1/2 minutes; then the asparagus, cooking until al dente, 1 to 2 minutes, then the snap peas 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Remove the blanched vegetables from the ice water and let them dry on the prepared baking sheet.
- To assemble the salad, dress all of the vegetables, lettuce and kale with enough of the vinaigrette to coat lightly and place in a serving bowl. Using a vegetable peeler or mandoline, shave the Parmesan over the salad to garnish.
(click here) for printable recipe