Grilled Asparagus Salad with Olive Oil and Parmesan
Asparagus is one of those vegÂetaÂbles that lets you know the seaÂson is changÂing. Like English peas or radishes, asparaÂgus is a harÂbinÂger of spring, and I always get incredÂiÂbly excited when I see it start to pop up at my local farmÂers’ marÂket.
Every year as a young cook I would patiently wait for spring to set in and the first delivÂerÂies of fresh spring vegÂetaÂbles to grace our kitchens. Year after year I would find myself preparÂing a grilled asparaÂgus salad as one of the first speÂcials from the new spring menu, and I grew to treaÂsure the penÂcil-thin, bright green stalks that worked so perÂfectly on the grill.
This salad is great as a side dish for a larger meal or as an appeÂtizer for a small get-together. You can preÂpare the salad as one large servÂing or plate it indiÂvidÂuÂally for your guests. Either way this salad should be served warm, and with a fork and knife. While long lines of perÂfectly grilled asparaÂgus are beauÂtiÂful on a plate, they are less than conÂveÂnient to eat graceÂfully, a knife will help break the pieces up into manÂageÂable bites.
To preÂpare the salad, preÂheat your grill and oil the asparaÂgus with 1 – 2 tbsp of extra virÂgin olive oil. Season the asparaÂgus with salt/pepper and grill until just cooked. Ideally, the asparaÂgus will be crisp and flaÂvorÂful, and not wilted. It really only takes 2 – 3 minÂutes to cook the asparaÂgus fully.
Once the asparaÂgus is cooked, arrange the spears on a plate and seaÂson them again with more olive oil and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Top the asparaÂgus with parmeÂsan, diced hard-boiled eggs and fresh herbs before servÂing.
For the grilling porÂtion of this recipe, I like to use a medium-bodÂied olive oil that will work well with a high heat cookÂing method. I reserve the lighter, fruitier olive oil for the dressÂing where it can add to the dish and blend with the fresh lemon, and parmeÂsan cheese.
Grilled Asparagus Salad with Olive Oil and Parmesan.
Course: salÂads, sidesCuisine: MediterraneanDifficulty: Easy2
servÂings10
minÂutes10
minÂutesCelebrate the start of spring with this deliÂcious grilled asparaÂgus salad. Topped with parmeÂsan cheese, hard-boiled egg and fruity extra virÂgin olive oil, this is the perÂfect side dish for a light meal of pan roasted fish or grilled chicken.
Ingredients
- For the grilled asparaÂgus
1bunchasparaÂgus spears, botÂtoms trimmed away
2tbspmedium-bodÂied extra virÂgin olive oil
1tspkosher salt
- For the toppings/dressing
2tbsplight-bodÂied aroÂmatic extra virÂgin olive oil
2tbspfresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4cupparmeÂsan cheese
2eachhard-boiled eggs, diced
saltto taste
pepÂperto taste
Directions
- Preheat your grill and allow it to get good and hot.
- Season the asparaÂgus with medium-bodÂied olive oil and kosher salt
- Grill the asparaÂgus until just cooked, you want the asparaÂgus to retain a nice crunch when finÂished.
- Arrange the grilled asparaÂgus on a plate.
- Dress the asparaÂgus with lemon juice and light-bodÂied extra virÂgin olive oil.
- Top the dressed asparaÂgus with parmeÂsan cheese and hard-boiled eggs.
- Garnish the salad with fresh herbs and cracked black pepÂper.
- Enjoy!
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