Summer Asparagus & Goats Cheese Salad
with garlic sourdough crumbs & sticky onion dressing
Ingredients:
1 red onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 slices of crusty bread
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
3cm sprig of rosemary, leaves only
2 bunches asparagus
2 handfuls salad greens, spinach, rocket, etc.
1 handful micro herbs or chopped parsley
75g goats feta, broken into chunks with hands (optional)
50g toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
¼ cup simple dressing (recipe here)
Method:
Using a frying pan on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sliced red onion, and a good grind of sea salt. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to evenly cook. The onions will break down and become very soft and translucent.
Stir in apple cider vinegar and maple syrup, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until onions have become sticky and any excess liquid has evaporated.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Roughly chop or tear apart bread slices into 1-2cm size pieces.
Place a pan on medium heat, and add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, bread, and rosemary. Toast for 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly until crunchy and golden brown.
Add crushed garlic and a good grind of sea salt, and continue to toast for a further 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool.
Slice asparagus on an angle into 6cm spears, approx into thirds. Place asparagus in a medium bowl and cover it with boiling water, after 30 seconds drain the hot water and transfer to an ice bath or bowl of cold tap water to refresh. Strain from cold water after 20 seconds.
Reserve a handful of garlic bread crumbs and micro herbs for garnishing.
In a large bowl gently toss together asparagus, garlic bread crumbs, salad greens + micro herbs, goat’s feta + hazelnuts.
Mix salad dressing with sticky red onions in a small bowl.
Add half of the red onion dressing to the salad, and gently toss it together. Taste for extra seasoning
Transfer the salad to a serving plate. Garnish the salad with remaining red onion dressing, garlic sourdough crumbs, and micro herbs across the top of the salad.
To make gluten free: Use gluten free bread for garlic bread crumbs
To make vegan: Swap goats feta for vegan parmesan cheese
Changing seasons: Swap asparagus for green beans
