Description
A bright spring salad that balances juicy strawberries, crisp blanched asparagus, and tart rhubarb with a light lemon-honey dressing and toasted almonds.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup rhubarb, thinly sliced
- 4 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup toasted almonds
Instructions
- Fill a medium pot with water and bring it to a gentle boil for blanching. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl and set aside.
- Slice the strawberries, trim and cut the asparagus, and thinly slice the rhubarb. Place the prepared produce on a plate while you finish the prep.
- Blanch the asparagus and rhubarb in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes until bright and just tender, then immediately plunge them into the ice bath to stop cooking and keep them crisp. Drain and pat dry.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the baby spinach or mixed greens, sliced strawberries, blanched asparagus, and blanched rhubarb. Toss gently to combine.
- In a small bowl or jar whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey or maple syrup, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
- Drizzle the dressing over the assembled salad, toss gently to coat, and then sprinkle with toasted almonds for crunch.
- Transfer the salad to a serving platter or individual plates and serve immediately for the best texture and freshness.
Notes
- Keep the dressing separate if you need to store the salad and add it just before serving to prevent wilting.
- Toast almonds just before serving for maximum aroma and crunch.
- Blanch rhubarb only briefly to tame extreme tartness while preserving color and texture.
- Slice strawberries right before serving to keep them vibrant and juicy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Blanching and tossing
- Cuisine: Contemporary
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: strawberry asparagus rhubarb salad, spring salad, seasonal salad, fresh greens, lemon-honey dressing