Raw asparagus, radish, apple & mint salad
With my recipes I like to introduce different ways to prepare and eat seasonal produce. In this salad I use raw asparagus, if you haven’t tried it before I recommend giving it a go. Raw asparagus is sweet and crunchy. If preferred, or serving this to someone who may not approve, by all means feel free to lightly steam the asparagus (cut diagonally into 5mm thick slices) then refresh in cold water. Although, do try and retain some crunch if you can.
This is one of those salads where good equipment will see you through. A mandoline is one of my favourite kitchen tools for quickly and efficiently thinly slicing produce. I use mine most days, just watch your fingers! Making ribbons of the asparagus does require a little practice with a peeler so follow the instructions in the recipe.
PREP TIME 15 minutes // SERVES 4 as a side
4-5 large asparagus spears,
about 150g
4 radishes
½ apple
Small handful mint leaves, torn 3 tbsp toasted sliced almonds
ACV dressing
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1 small garlic clove, finely grated About 2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and cracked pepper
1. Make the dressing. In a small bowl combine the vinegar, mustard, honey and garlic. Stir in the olive oil and season to taste, adding extra oil if needed to balance the vinegar.
2. Using a peeler (I find a Y shaped peeler works best here) cut thin ribbons of raw asparagus. To do this lay the asparagus on a chopping board. Use one hand to hold the spear end and use the other to peel thin ribbons. Press quite firmly with the peeler so the ribbons aren’t too thin. When you can’t easily peel any more of the asparagus, use a sharp knife to thinly slice the remaining stalk on a diagonal. Place the asparagus into a salad bowl.
3. Use a mandoline on the smallest setting to thinly slice the radishes and apple. Add to the salad bowl along with the torn mint leaves. Spoon over the dressing and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and serve immediately. This salad needs to be prepared just before serving to keep the produce fresh. The dressing can be made ahead of time.